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edible central arizona Issue 3 • Fall–Winter 2025 Member of Edible Communities CELEBRATING LOCAL FOOD, DRINK, AND AGRICULTURE IN PRESCOTT, FLAGSTAFF, SEDONA, AND THE VERDE VALLEY ediblecentralarizona.com | FALL–WINTER 2025 1 2 PUBLISHER’S LETTER 4 NOTABLES Wholesome Cafe Pangaea Bakery, Cafe, and Gourmet Market A Clean Tradition in Flagstaff Tender Heart Cookies Gets an Oven of Its Own 6 EDEN A chef’s culinary journey to Cottonwood 8 RECIPE: STUFFED SQUASH 10 SAVE THOSE SEEDS 12 SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDE 15 TAMALES Exploring the history and local interpretations of a traditional dish 19 RECIPE: TAMAL DE SEMILLA 20 GABBING ABOUT GOBBLERS Turkey heritage, heritage turkeys, and the people who love them 24 SEED MONEY The economic reality of cultivating life on a small scale 28 RECIPE: MUSHROOM CABBAGE ROLLS 30 RECIPE: BAKED PECANS 31 REGIONAL FARMERS MARKET DIRECTORY 32 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Navigating the Holidays On the cover: Ready for stuffed squash? Recipe on page 8. Photo by Robin K. Evans Robin K. Evans CONTENTS Fall–Winter 2025 Melinda Hambrick Pat Warwick2 edible central arizona | FALL–WINTER 2025 edible CENTRAL ARIZONA PUBLISHER, EDITOR IN CHIEF Melinda Hambrick FACT CHECKER Marie Higgins COPY EDITOR Doug Adrianson DESIGNER Cheryl Koehler CONTRIBUTORS Dorothy Cattz • Robin K. Evans Erin Hambrick • Karen Luce Pat Warwick • Jennie Wolfe CONTACT US Edible Central Arizona 3298 N. Glassford Hill Rd. Ste. 104937 Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 connect@ediblecentralarizona.com Edible Central Arizona is published seasonally, four times a year. We are an advertising- and subscriber-supported publication, locally and independently owned and operated, and a member of Edible Communities, Inc. Distribution is throughout Prescott, Flagstaff, Sedona, and the Verde Valley and nationally by subscription for $40 per year and can be purchased online at ediblecentralarizona.com. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you. No part of this publication may be used without the publisher’s written permission. © 2025. All rights reserved. PrintReleaf is a program created to certifiably reforest the equivalent number of trees used to print a publication. publisher’s LETTER Welcome to the third issue of Edible Central Arizona. This being our Fall–Winter issue, you might assume the theme is gratitude, but gratitude is embedded in every issue. It lives between each line of text and dot of ink. Without the people featured in our stories, we would lose access to what sustains us. Without our writers and photographers, those stories would go untold. Without our advertisers and subscribers, we could not share our region’s stories or promote the busi- nesses that are making a difference right here in our backyard. This entire publication is an expression of gratitude in many ways. As the holidays approach, our thoughts inevitably wander to that long-ago (and perhaps apocryphal) first Thanksgiving. Though the intervening centuries have brought people from all over the world to share this corner of the Earth, we acknowledge that the descendants of the original residents are very much still here. We look forward to celebrating and learning from Indigenous foodways in future issues. The focus of this issue is tradition for two reasons. One of the things that sets our publication apart is our storytelling. Another term for a story is an oral tradition. At one point, stories were the sole mechanism for sharing information across both space and time. We also chose to focus on tradition in order to highlight its malleability. With every recipe passed down through generations, a tradition is tweaked. With every seed sown or plug planted, the way things are done changes in response to current circumstances. Traditions both ground us and serve as the baton passed in a multi-generational relay race. Traditions are, ultimately, up to us. In this issue, we are pleased to introduce traditions with a twist. No turkey recipes here! Jennie Wolfe gives us insight into the star of the typical Thanksgiving feast by telling the story of Ridgeview Farms in Paulden. Robin K. Evans explores two evolutions of a traditional dish through Eliza’s Tamales in Dewey and Elote Cafe in Sedona. Anita Thompson of Double T Bar Farm in Taylor teaches us about seed farming and what it takes to nourish the future. The issue closes with inspiration for dealing with one of the holidays’ most common hang-ups. Although the publishers and titles that constitute Edible Communities have been the lead- ing print advocates for supporting local agriculture for over 20 years, this is the very first time one has sprouted in this region. Since every title is independently owned and retains complete creative control over its content, in a small way, this title is shaping the Edible tradition. Following the decision to launch this publication, the need arose to define its region. The map on this page is by no means perfectly accurate, but it does convey our publication’s area of interest and hint at the origins of future stories. It also reminds us of the variety of cultures and traditions within our state. The next step was to choose a title. Our main editorial focus is Prescott, Flagstaff, Sedona, and the Verde Valley. Calling it Edible Central Highlands Arizona seemed like a niche, obscure mouthful. Calling it Edible Northern Arizona felt inconsiderate and inaccurate. I settled on Central Arizona as an intentional departure from the historically polarizing tradition of north/ south. It also reflects our ultimate mission to build a stronger, more connected community across the region and around all that sustains us. Thanks for joining us in that mission. May this holiday season reconnect you to the traditions you want to keep, and inspire you to create new ones around what you cherish most. Melinda Hambrick Publisher Being selective about where you spend your money is one of the easiest ways to voice your support for the things that matter most to you. Edible Central Arizona would not exist without the support of its advertisers. The businesses and organizations you see in our pages share our dedication to quality, community, and sustainability. Please visit our advertisers and shop local whenever possible. ediblecentralarizona.com | FALL–WINTER 2025 3 Wild, sustainable Alaskan seafood delivered to your door. @northstarhalibut Visit northstarhalibut.com to order online or find us at a local farmers market near you. Fisherman owned and family operated since 2020. Live Life Garlicky! Available in Original, Spicy, Jamaican Jerk, BBQ Spice, and Lower Salt Kaysbestspice.com @Kaysbestspice Hand-blended at a commercial kitchen in Prescott Premium Garlic and Herb Seasoning4 edible central arizona | FALL–WINTER 2025 PANGAEA BAKERY, CAFE, AND GOURMET MARKET Founded in 1995, Pangaea Bakery and Cafe began by offering artisanal, organic bread and fair-trade espresso beverages, with the menu expanding over the years. What was supposed to be a brief closure while relocating resulted in a four-year break while owner Nicole Marshall managed a health issue. “Quitting is not in my vocabulary,” she says. “Never has been. Probably never will be.” In the process of reopening, she rebuilt the menu from scratch. “I wanted [Pangaea] to be a better version of its old self.” Today, the bakery and café offers breakfast items, soup, sandwiches, salads, pizza al taglio, pastries, and desserts—all made from scratch with the highest-quality, cleanest ingredi- ents Marshall can find. Fresh-baked bread remains a staple, with organic sour- dough and French baguettes made daily and a rotating lineup of specialty breads announced each month on Facebook. Glu- ten-free options are available as well. “Some of my favorite places have little markets, so I de- cided to offer gourmet items that you can’t find elsewhere.” The marketplace inside Pangaea expanded this year. It features Arizona-grown Hayden Flour Mills flour, as well as specialty items like Rancho Gordo beans, couverture chocolate, Italian pasta, sauces, seasonings, and everything in between. Fresh cut flowers and produce from local farms share space with Europe- an cheese, cured meats, and other perishable items. If you plan on placing an order, grab a number and browse the market while you wait for your turn at the counter. Pangaea is located at 1260 Gail Gardner Way in Prescott and is open daily from 8 am–4 pm. LITTLE CABIN SOAPS: A CLEAN TRADITION IN FLAGSTAFF The tradition began with her grandmother, who made her own laundry soap, and continued with her mother, who began making bar soap—with Jana Hester right beside her. Back then, the mother and daughter consulted catalogs and found oils and butters at restaurant supply and grocery stores. The idea of adding glitter was unheard of. Molds were made of used milk cartons. Additives were limited to botanicals, pet- als, pollen, and clays with essential oils for scent. Because they both have sensitive skin, unscented versions were made. While her mom made soap as an “extreme hobby,” Hester decided to make it a business. “At the time I decided to take the plunge into full-time soaping I was working retail … I took the chance because I was getting up at 1 am to begin the day, but—day in and day out—it became too much.” With Little Cabin Soaps, Hester still makes soap much the way her mom did: from scratch, cold process. She mixes fats and oils with sodium hydroxide, then incubates, cuts, and cures the soap for a minimum of 4–12 weeks. Additives remain all-natural. Her soaps are preservative-free and she intends them to be used. Soap naturally lathers and cleans. Chemicals that remove dirt or strip your skin of natural oils sometimes do more harm than good. “Natural oils are created on purpose to protect your skin! Leave it there in some fashion so the body can do its job. I don’t use parabens in my bar soap because it’s an overuse of an antimicrobial. Our bodies have lots of little helpers all over at all times. Let them be; remove the grime from the day, not every single molecule,” Hester says. Over the years, Hester has added her own twists. She uses orange wax along with lanolin and makes salt brine soap, which has a different texture but shares the soothing and hy- drating benefits of salt soap. “Soaping is chemistry, science, Mother Nature, raw ingre- dients, experience, know-how, gusto, patience, and passion,” Hester says. “It’s someone’s skin. That means something to me.” Visit littlecabinsoaps.com to order or find a retail location near you. NOTABLES BY ROBIN K. EVANS Courtesy of Little Cabin Soaps Robin K. Evans ediblecentralarizona.com | FALL–WINTER 2025 5 TENDER HEART COOKIES GETS AN OVEN OF ITS OWN It’s hard to believe Joshua Vailokaitis, owner of Tender Heart Cookies, once spent many years managing a Dunkin’ Donuts. “On the surface, it was stable work with good pay and a clear career path. But during that time, I went through my own per- sonal transformation,” he says. “That experience opened my eyes to how important our health and what we eat truly are.” Driven by the desire to live a more purpose-driven life based on connection and joy, he walked away from corporate donuts and a role as a certified health and life coach after realizing the element of creation was missing. “Cookies became the perfect bridge. They carry joy, comfort, and nostalgia, but with the right ingredients they can also nourish and support wellness.” The journey has been circuitous. After launching under the Arizona Cottage Food Law at his home in Cottonwood, Vailokaitis soon moved to a commercial kitchen in Sedona, al- lowing him to wholesale his product in Flagstaff, Sedona, and Cottonwood. His next plan for growth—a move to Phoenix— was derailed by Covid. Like many businesses, Tender Heart Cookies was forced to take a break. Never one to waste an opportunity, Vailokaitis spent the time refining recipes until returning to Sedona to reestablish the market and rebuild the brand’s presence. Now, “it feels like the journey has come full circle, only stronger and more grounded than ever,” Vailokaitis says in reference to the up- coming opening of Tender Heart’s first dedicated commercial kitchen and retail space. Available in a variety of flavors, each cookie has a base of almond flour, nut butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Vailokaitis plans to offer fresh ginger lemonade and cold brew and serve a small menu based on simple, wholesome ingredients that are equally refreshing and indulgent. Ever ambitious, Vailokaitis has several goals for the new space. “The shop is really about connection. It will also be a creative hub where we can test new recipes, collaborate with other local makers, and continue building a community around the idea that healthy food can still be fun, indulgent, and full of heart.” Follow @Tenderheartcookies on Facebook or Instagram to find a box near you. Courtesy of Tender Heart Cookies WHOLESOME CAFE: ORGANIC, VEGAN OPTIONS IN COTTONWOOD “When people say I can’t do something, or that I’ll probably fail, that just makes me more determined,” says Matthew Wilcox. Originally from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Wilcox grew up on a small farm and began making pastries at the age of 9. Growing up, he worked as a short-order cook. Later in life he spent time in Brazil, where he tasted wild acai and was influ- enced by Brazilian flavors. After moving to central Arizona, Wilcox discovered Cottonwood’s Wholesome Fast Food and made it his coffee spot. Then, in 2020, he learned it was for sale. The first week he owned the business—renamed Wholesome Cafe—an electrical outlet caused a fire. Although the fire depart- ment extinguished it within minutes, the business was closed again two weeks later—this time due to the pandemic. The café reopened, only to encounter another hurdle—demands from the county health department to change the layout. After another brief closure to secure a better location, Wholesome Cafe reopened in 2022 at the Verde Valley Plaza. Wilcox and co-owner Tatiana Chinois expanded the organ- ic vegetarian and vegan menu to include breakfast items, sal- ads, wraps, soup, smoothies, and acai bowls, along with coffee and tea. The acai and bean bowls on the menu are inspired by Wilcox’s time in Brazil—using wild acai sweetened with cane juice and a bean recipe refined by shared cooking experiences with Brazilian locals. With the exception of a few ingredients, everything offered by Wholesome Cafe is organic, and all ingredients are free of GMOs. Wilcox sources produce from local farms whenever possible, visiting them in person to pick up the goods. For him, “the best part of Wholesome Cafe is definitely the kind people who visit. That’s what we find the most special.” Wholesome Cafe is located at 413 State Rte. 89A in Cottonwood and is open Monday–Friday, 9 am–3 pm. You can see their menu at wholesome-cafe.com. Courtesy of Wholesome CafeFALL–WINTER 2025 EDEN A chef’s culinary journey to Cottonwood BY ROBIN K. EVANS PHOTOS BY PAT WARWICK EDEN Open Tuesday–Sunday 11:00 am–8:30 pm 1750 E. Villa Dr. Cottonwood 928.649.2675 edencottonwood.com ediblecentralarizona.com | FALL–WINTER 2025 7 Archer’s vineyard roots show in her careful wine list curation. Her house wine is a private label offering from nearby Page Springs Cellars. T he tagline on the door says “Eat Drink Live”; it’s a variation of the motto you’ll hear in the kitchen of Eden Archer’s eponymous restau- rant—which is more along the lines of “Wake up. Kick ass. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.” Spend any amount of time getting to know her, and it’s clear Archer is the embodiment of both. “Born in a school bus, literally in a garden in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada,” says Archer—whose father has a degree in viticulture and managed a raisin vineyard. She recalls living in the San Joaquin Valley and being raised vegetarian/vegan since her mom grew all of the family’s food. “We didn’t eat out a lot. I thought it was so special to eat at a restaurant so when I was in high school, I started sneaking off campus to eat out and was sorely disappointed in all the food. I thought it was going to be so much better than our boring homemade, homegrown food,” Archer says. “That was an early wake-up call for me about good food, and it piqued my interest in cooking at a very young age.” In high school, Archer had three jobs: bagging groceries, serving yogurt, and working at a small café called Tapas, where she went from washing dish- es to flaming shrimp on the line. That experience served as the first step on a still unwinding career path dedicated to food. “Cooking is one of those things, I feel like… it’s not really something that can be taught through a degree. It’s an instinct. When you’re in a kitchen long enough, you can tell—say, if you’re reducing something down, when it’s reached its perfect point just because you get used to recognizing the viscosity of the bubbles.” Cheffing at a five-star resort in New York, launching fine-dining concepts in Sedona and Tucson, and overseeing Brix in Flagstaff were all part of Archer’s journey. Driven to learn other aspects of the industry, she entered the world of “school food,” ultimately becoming a regional food service director in charge of 25 school districts. Her career also became intertwined with grapes, at one point serving as hospitality director for a winery in California and then help- ing launch a tasting room and wine label in Cornville. One thing always led to the next. Inevitably, after years spent launching and managing concepts for other people, she decided it was time for her own. “I spent a good six months to a year thinking about what I wanted to do,” Archer says. “Kind of like everything else in my life, it just fell into place.” She phoned a colleague who owned a restaurant and catering business in Cottonwood to get her advice on whether the area needed another caterer, only to find out that the colleague’s business was for sale. Barely two weeks passed between the time the doors to Cork and Catch were closed and the doors to EDEN were opened. What she describes as “modern American comfort food with a Southwest twist” has more to do with the use of fresh, quality ingredients than a particular cui- sine. As much as seasonally possible, the menu features locally grown or raised ingredients and includes beef from K4 Copper State Reserve. The dedication to local extends beyond the plate; the house wine is a private-la- bel offering from nearby Page Springs Cellars. “That’s always been my style,” says Archer. “Season- al, different. Really good food in a casual atmosphere. When I go out to eat, I want to eat something that I keep thinking about later and want to go back for. That’s what I want people to experience at EDEN.” Pat Warwick has been involved with photography for over 40 years, first as a wedding and portrait photographer and then shooting what he loves: the land. Visit him and see his work at The Art Hive in Prescott. Robin K. Evans enjoys writing, taking pictures, and avoiding social media. She believes adjusting what and how we eat will solve most of the world’s problems. Opposite: Archer, who also owns Sedona Catering Co., found time for photographs in August. At the time, EDEN served a take on bruschetta which included locally grown tomatoes, bulls’ blood beet microgreens from Sweet Greens Arizona, Noble bread, and DA Ranch’s olive oil.Next >