Author: Kenny & Brenna Aschbacher

It’s been a blue moon, or perhaps even longer, since we last connected through email. We trust this message finds you well and thriving. As the celestial wonder of a rare blue moon graces our skies, we are reminded of the passage of time and the beauty of each unique moment. Our time in New Mexico is winding down for the season, we intend to be available at the Los Ranchos Growers Market every Saturday in September this year. Now is the time to consider stocking your freezer and pantry for the fall. We are happy to accept advance orders and you’re always welcome to drop by the market to see what’s available. The market is located at 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Los Ranchos NM 87107 and runs 8AM-11AM.

🐟 Wild-Caught Salmon: Indulge your taste buds in the rich, delicate taste of wild salmon, harvested from pristine Alaska waters. Sourced sustainably and handled with utmost care, our wild salmon promises a culinary experience that’s second to none.

🥩 Grass-Fed Beef: Elevate your dining experience with our premium grass-fed beef. Rich in flavor and lean in texture, our beef is a testament to our commitment to quality and ethical practices.

🐖 Local Pork: Discover the essence of local flavors with our thoughtfully sourced, tender local pork. Each cut is a celebration of our region’s culinary heritage and a testament to our dedication to supporting local farmers.

🍯 Raw Honey: Nature’s golden elixir awaits you! Our raw honey, sourced from local hives, is a true embodiment of the land’s sweetness. Delight in its pure, unfiltered goodness.

🍏 Fruitful Delights: The orchard’s bounty continues to amaze, offering a stunning array of fruits. From succulent apples to juicy blackberries, grapes, melons, nectarines, pears, peaches, and plums, our market is a paradise of sweetness.

🍅 Abundant Vegetables: Bid farewell to triple-digit temperatures as cooler weather brings an influx of tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash. The market stalls will be brimming with the best local produce, including beans, various greens, lettuce mixes, onions, radishes, salad turnips, sprouts, microgreens, okra, potatoes, carrots, garlic, elephant garlic, and shallots, sourced from your trusted local growers.

🌻 Floral Beauty: Elevate your space with vibrant plants, flowers, and bouquets, adding a touch of nature’s elegance to your surroundings.

As the blue moon casts its glow upon us, we invite you to immerse yourself in the enchantment of the Los Ranchos Growers Market. It’s not just a market; it’s a celebration of community, growth, and the simple joys that make life truly magical.

Thank you for being a cherished part of our journey. Your support, your presence, and your enthusiasm fuel our passion to provide the best for you.

Eat Well,

Brenna & Kenny

Happy July, FishHuggers! It’s been scorching here in the Rio Grande Valley, and we’ve heard that even the tomatoes are waiting for cooler weather. Let’s hope for a productive monsoon season in the southwest this year. We have a busy few weeks remaining in this month.

New Mexico: We plan to be at the Los Ranchos Growers Market every Saturday in July. The official market hours are 8-11 am, which is perfect for summer! We welcome advance orders, or you can simply stop by and see what’s available. Due to the extreme heat, we suggest bringing a pre-chilled cooler or cooler bag. In case you forget, our FishHugger insulated tote bags are always available for purchase or complimentary with a $150 order.

Phoenix: Just a reminder, we’ll be in town next week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 18th and 19th, for those who place advance orders. Please make your order by phone or email before Friday, July 14th. If you’ve already placed an order and haven’t heard back from us, please confirm again. We don’t want to miss you. If you’re reading this message late and missed the deadline to order, please check in with us anyway. We’ll be bringing extras!

Need a seafood recipe? Try a few of these:

Honey Garlic Sockeye Salmon

Crispy Salmon Bacon

Spring Green Alaska Cod Potato Cakes

Alaska Seafood Tom Yum

Lemon Grass Poached Alaska Halibut

Alaska Halibut with Lemon Dressing

Eat Well,

Brenna & Kenny

We will be available in Phoenix on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 18th and 19th, for those who place advance orders. Whether you need multiple cases or just a few items, please submit your order via email or phone by Friday, July 14th. Our offerings include Sockeye and a limited quantity of Keta Salmon, as well as Pacific Cod and Halibut fillet. We also have an abundant supply of Grassfed-Grassfinished-GrassFAT Beef, New Mexico Pork, Arizona Local Raw Honey, Arizona Medjool Dates, Bariani Olive Oil, and Kenny’s Spice Rub.

We have found that custom orders tend to provide the most satisfaction to our customers, allowing them to enjoy what they want, when they want it. If you need assistance in determining your freezer requirements, please let us know, as we are here to help. Our website is regularly updated with the latest product list and pricing information. If you require a 7 or 14 cubic foot Kelvinator commercial freezer during this trip, kindly inform us as soon as possible.

Once again, please place your order by phone or email no later than Friday, July 14th. Orders can be picked up at our Phoenix location (near Thomas Rd & 44th St – address will be provided upon order) on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 18th and 19th. If you have previously placed a Phoenix order for July and have not received a response from us, please confirm again to ensure we don’t miss you.

We welcome any further inquiries, feedback, input, or suggestions at any time. Our website is comprehensive, providing answers to the most commonly asked questions. For any other questions or concerns, we recommend contacting us by phone. While we may not always be able to answer immediately, we do return voice messages. Alternatively, you can schedule a phone consultation via email.

We appreciate your support and eagerly anticipate filling your freezer and pantry soon!

In Health & Happiness,

Kenny & Brenna

We always celebrate with beef steak, especially on our birthdays! Even though our beef is dry-aged for 14-21 days, we typically further wet-age steaks in the fridge for a week or more before cooking, although 3-4 days is sufficient. This process enhances tenderness and truly brings out the flavors. It’s also exciting to select the steak ahead of the special day and eagerly await that juicy and delicious beef. For some time now, we’ve considered birthday steak as a treat and birthday cake as a punishment. Of course, feel free to indulge in a guilt-free slice of birthday cake if you prefer.

Birthday Steak

Ingredients:

• 2 of your favorite beef steaks
• 1 tablespoon Bariani olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Kenny’s New Mexico spice rub or salt and pepper to taste
•  3 tablespoons butter divided

Pan Sauce (optional but worth it-afterall, it’s your birthday!)

• 2 cloves garlic minced
• sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried), more to taste
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary chopped, (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 3 tablespoons beef broth
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Heat a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat.
• Rub steaks with olive oil and generously season. Brown 2-3 minutes per side and place the pan in the oven.
• Bake 10-15 minutes or until steaks reach the desired doneness. Remove steaks from the skillet and rest at least 5 minutes while making the sauce.
• If making sauce, add 1 tablespoon butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme to the pan. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef broth and simmer 2 minutes while scraping any bits off the bottom. Stir in cream and simmer 2-3 minutes more.
• Top steaks with remaining butter and serve with sauce.

Notes:

• If your steaks are thin (under 1″), you will need less cook time.
• Ensure frozen steaks are completely thawed.
• Remove steaks from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Sit out for 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the pan to ensure it’s very hot before browning the steaks.
• Use a meat thermometer and be sure not to overcook.
• Rare – cool, red center – internal temp at 125° F.
• Medium Rare – warm, red center – internal temp at 135° F.
• Medium – warm, pink center – internal temp of 145° F.
• Medium Well – slightly pink center – internal temp of 150° F.
• Well Done – little or no pink – internal temp of 160°F
• Do not press on steaks as they cook, this presses out the juices.
• Once cooked remove the steak from the pan to rest. If you leave it in the pan, it will continue cooking.
• As with all meats, rest steaks at leat 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Happy Birthday! 🎉🥩

Kenny & Brenna

In the early days of my commercial fishing career, I was invited on a few clean-up halibut trips after the salmon season was over. I quickly realized that it takes years of training to endure working for 30 hours straight with knives and hooks while maintaining a smile. My hat is off to the men and women who tirelessly grind away until the last fish is on board, only to start re-baiting thousands of hooks for the next set. Granola bars and hot pockets become the most amazing experience shared with a tight crew under a dim light while being tossed around on a wet deck.

It is rare to get a glimpse of how small and insignificant we are in a world made accessible with technology and transportation at our fingertips. It takes a perceived emergency with time constraints and limited access to resources for me to truly appreciate the present moment as precious. My worst boat emergencies are cemented in my brain as hours in slow motion with vibrant details, lasting only minutes in real time, while the glorious moves I made are foggy and vague.

Some people see expensive food sitting in the meat/fish counter, but I see a chance for feast or famine for the producer, tilting in the balance.

“It’s no fish ye’re buying, it’s men’s lives” -Sir Walter Scott

I have maintained healthy relationships with respected fishing boat captains in Alaska. After catching millions of pounds of fish, I am an expert on grading fish quality. I am proud to share the highest grade of halibut I have seen in years. Pearly white, boneless, skinless 8 to 10 ounce portions with a pedigree. Come see us on Saturday at the Los Ranchos Growers Market for halibut filet! Here’s a new recipe to try:

Lemongrass Poached Alaska Halibut

Ingredients:

• 1 stem lemongrass
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tablespoons sliced or chopped ginger
• 1 chopped shallot
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 Alaska Halibut filets (approx 8 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt   

Instructions:

1. Prepare poaching liquid
Break up the lemongrass, smash the garlic, slice the ginger and chop the shallot. Place stock, lemongrass, garlic, shallot and ginger into a large pan; bring to a simmer.

2. Prepare halibut
Turn off heat and add halibut to stock. Return heat to a simmer (stock should simmer, not boil).

Once simmering, cover the pan tightly and cook 4 to 5 minutes for frozen halibut or 2 minutes for thawed fish. Turn off the heat and let the fish rest in liquid for 5 minutes, or until opaque throughout.

3. Serve
To serve, season with salt and baste with a bit of broth.

Prep and cook in 15 minutes total, yields 4 servings.

Want another halibut recipe? Try Alaska Halibut with Lemon Dressing

Catch you later,

Kenny

Over the years, we’ve learned so much of what we know about health and nutrition from our customers. Some of our best recipes have been suggested by those of you who frequently cook at home. Conversations start, curiosity is sparked, and then we begin the research. As you can imagine, pork bones are not a hot selling item and many have never heard of them; a few others wonder how to use them. Last spring at Roadrunner Park Farmers Market, I was stunned when a customer approached and specifically asked for pork bones. I inquired about her cooking plans and she briefly described an old recipe for traditional Italian meat sauce using pork bones. After thoroughly scouring the internet and a bit of experimentation, we came up with a great recipe for authentic Italian Sunday Gravy:

Pork Bone Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Pork Bones
• 32 oz Tomato Sauce
• 16 oz Tomatoes (diced)
• 1 Yellow Onion (diced)
• 1 Green Pepper (diced)
• 8 oz Mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 Tbsp Bariani Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 Tbsp Garlic
• 1.5 Tbsp Oregano
• 1.5 Tbsp Parsley
• 1.5 Tbsp Basil
• 1 tsp crushed Red Pepper

Directions:

1. In a saute pan, over medium-high heat, add olive oil, garlic, yellow onion & green pepper. Cook until the vegetables are a little soft.
2. Add the mushrooms, pork bones, tomato paste, and continue to cook, flipping the pork bones so they brown on all sides.
3. Once the pork bones are browned on all sides, pour all the pan into a slow cooker.
4. Pour tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and seasonings into slow cooker, and mix together.
5. (Optional) Add pork and beef meatballs to slow cooker. We use one pound of each (ground beef & ground pork) with simply salt and pepper. The sauce seasons the meatballs well.
6. Let the slow cooker cook on low for 6-8 hours.
7. Remove pork bones (picked clean of any excess meat – reserve in the sauce), pour meat sauce over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

Our fresh harvest pork is back in stock! Come by the Los Ranchos Growers Market on Saturday’s to check out our selection! Be sure to ask for pork bones! 

Looking for another pork recipe? Try our Roasted Pork Belly

Mangiamo!

Brenna & Kenny

We are excited to announce that we are currently accepting pre-orders for our next harvest to include whole, side, or quarter beef to be available in July 2023. We wanted to reach out to provide you with information about our bulk beef purchase options.

First off, we recommend tasting a variety of beef from different producers before you commit to a bulk beef purchase. Before your freezer is full, you really need to know you’re going to enjoy the taste of the beef. It’s also a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with the preparation and cooking of a various beef cuts. So, go out to two or three of your favorite farmers markets and try $50-$100 worth of mixed cuts of beef from two or three different beef producers. A basic variety may include a steak, a roast or shanks and some ground beef. Maybe even cook each cut the same way on the same day for a side by side comparison. In the words of an admired Texas panhandle rancher, “I measure the value of beef in my mouth.”

Purchasing beef in bulk has many benefits, including convenience and variety. With this option, you will receive ALL cuts from a whole beef, meaning you’ll have mostly ground beef, lots of roasts, ribs, and shanks, and a variety of mixed steaks. Bones and organs are optional. Here are our approximate yields of finished beef for your freezer:

-Whole Beef: approximately 450-500 pounds

-Side of Beef: approximately 225-250 pounds

-Quarter Beef: approximately 110-125 pounds

All weights are approximate, each beef is different, and individual cuts will vary. All beef is packaged to our specifications at a USDA processing facility. Individual beef cuts will be vacuum sealed or paper wrapped, boxed, and ready for your freezer.

Our herd is raised and finished on native ancient prairie grasses near the Kiowa National Grasslands on the high plains of northeastern New Mexico. Our goal is to produce the finest beef in the world! We are setting a standard for fully finished grassFAT beef: our cattle are born and raised on the same ranch their entire lives, about 3 years, eating all grass all the time; truly grassfed to finish. Since 2020, we have diversified our processors and currently use two different small USDA plants which are each family owned and operated. Our beef is dry aged 14+ days and stores well in a 0°F freezer for one year and a -20°F freezer for at least two years.

We also offer Kelvinator commercial chest freezers which will maintain -20°F.

The average American consumes 50 pounds of beef per year. Our own family of 5 consumes slightly more, mostly ground beef. If you don’t need beef in bulk, we gladly accept custom orders. The most popular has been a case of ground beef and a few steaks and roasts. 

We hope that this information helps you in making a decision about purchasing beef in bulk. Please let us know if you have any further questions or if you would like to place an order.

Thank you for your consideration and support, we appreciate you. If you’d like to order or further inquire, please contact us.

Eat Well,

Brenna & Kenny

One of the top questions we get at the market is, “What is salmon bacon?” The belly, bacon, or toro of the fish is a thin strip of flesh on the bottom of the filet. It is a prized part of any fish. The juicy flesh is full of omega-3 oil and the skin is tender and white due to lack of exposure to the sun.

I had never eaten fresh salmon until stepping on a commercial salmon boat in Alaska. Most boat cooks will bake salmon in an oven for simplicity. I noticed that every time, the skipper scooped up the belly meat before the filet was finished cooking. My friend Sven Haakanson Jr, curator of the Alutiiq Museum of Kodiak, suggested an ethnography entitled Black Ducks and Salmon Bellies. It describes a historical period when sailing ships landed on Kodiak and harvested sockeye salmon. The belly of the fish was salted, sealed in wooden barrels, and sailed back to Europe as a delicacy. The people of Kodiak consider fish belly as almost sacred, to be savored for special occasions and served to honored guests.

Any method of cooking salmon bacon is a nutritious treat, but frying them in a skillet is really worth it. Frying the skin to crispy definitely makes for tasty salmon chicharron! Pick up some sockeye salmon bacon at the growers market and try this simple recipe:

Crispy Salmon Bacon

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup lard, tallow or ghee
• 1 pound salmon bellies/bacon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Instructions:

• Heat skillet and lard.
• Add salmon bellies one by one, do not crowd the skillet. Let fry until the skin is crispy, then flip. The thin strips of salmon bacon will fry quickly, typically only a minute or few per side is sufficient.
• Once the bellies are fried, sprinkle salt, pepper and other spices if desired. Great as a main dish or for use on salads or fish tacos.

Notes: If you plan to use vegetable/seed oils in place of lard, don’t bother frying anything. These oils are toxic and not safe for human consumption. As for the skillet; I only use cast iron or stainless steel as non-stick/coated cookware is also toxic.

Enjoy!

Kenny

The Pacific commercial cod fishery (all 4 gear types) is jointly managed by NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Our cod is commercially harvested by jig gear in the Gulf of Alaska, Being Sea, and Aleutian Islands management area around Kodiak Island. Fishermen must have a permit to participate in these fisheries, and the number of available permits is limited to control the amount of fishing. Managers determine how much Pacific cod can be caught and then allocate this catch quota among groups of fishermen. Catch is monitored through record keeping, reporting requirements, and observer monitoring. Fishermen must retain all of their Pacific cod catch. Pacific Cod is one of the largest groundfish harvests in the US, with landings of over 500 million pounds on an annual basis. The Alaska cod fishery is certified under two independent certification standards for sustainable fisheries, RFM and MSC. 

Pacific cod live for 20 years or less and can grow up to 6 feet in length. Females are able to reproduce when they’re 4 or 5 years old; between 1.6 and 1.9 feet long. Pacific cod spawn from January to May on the continental shelf edge and upper slope in waters 330 to 820 feet deep. Females can produce more than 1 million eggs when they spawn. Pacific cod school together and move seasonally from deep outer and upper continental shelf areas (where they spawn) to shallow middle-upper continental shelf feeding grounds. They feed on clams, worms, crabs, shrimp, and juvenile fish.

Wild Pacific Cod, also known as Alaska Cod, Gray Cod, and True cod provides moist, firm filets, a distinctive large flake and a slightly sweet flavor. We just received our first shipment of fresh cod for the season, come see us at the Los Ranchos Growers Market on Saturday and check it out. Here’s a recipe to get you started:

Spring Green Alaska Cod Potato Cakes

Ingredients

Cod Cakes

• 1 pound Pacific cod filet
• 1 cup cooked mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh parsley and thyme leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

• 4 ounces feta cheese
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon minced scallions or chives

Instructions

Simmer the cod

Fill a large sauté pan or stockpot with enough water to cover seafood and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and gently add seafood to water; return heat to a simmer. Once simmering, cover pan tightly and cook 4-5 minutes for frozen or 2 minutes for fresh/thawed fish. Turn off heat and let seafood rest in liquid for 5 minutes, or until seafood is opaque throughout. Remove cod from water; cool slightly and flake into small pieces.

Mix and form cod cakes

Stir together cod, mashed potatoes, scallions, parsley, thyme, garlic and egg just until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 1/4 cup portions; flatten each portion into 3-inch diameter patties.

Fry the cod cakes

Heat butter/oil mixture in a pan over medium heat. Add cakes (in batches) and sauté until browned on both sides; keep warm.

Make yogurt sauce and serve

Blend together feta cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, zest and scallions. Serve sauce with cakes.

Variation: Alaska cod can be poached, steamed, baked or sautéed until opaque throughout; cool slightly before breaking into small flakes.

4 servings prepared and cooked in 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Brenna & Kenny

To celebrate being back in New Mexico, we’re currently offering some specials for the month of May. Come by Los Ranchos Growers Market to check out our specials on sockeye salmon tails, large keta salmon filets and pork chops. To get market specials, recipes, and more delivered to your inbox, Subscribe to our Newsletter.

In addition to these May specials, we are still offering cases and half cases of sockeye and keta salmon. If you’d like to order in advance, please review our price list.

We have a pork harvest date scheduled soon and intend to have a larger variety of cuts available around early June. If you’re interested in a whole, side, or quarter hog for your freezer, please contact us.

As per customer request, we’ve been uploading fishing photos and videos to Instagram and we’ve also started a YouTube channel. Please check them out and be sure to follow, subscribe, like, comment and share.

Cheers,

Kenny & Brenna