The Cantina - A Southwestern Outdoor Kitchen

The Cantina.  That was the perfect name for a Southwestern style outdoor kitchen. Our guests may not be quite as colorful as those in the cantina from Star Wars, however. 

Star Wars Cantina

The idea for the cantina came to me in a flash as I stood in front of our house one winter morning.  A large corner of the driveway was a no man's land, unused and unappreciated.  I pictured positioning a comfortable chair and small table there for my husband, Wayne, who frequently emerges from his nearby workshop to text and talk on the cell phone.

The area I spotted is bounded by a garage wall on one side and a house wall on another.  The winter sun passing over from east to west provides warmth, while mature honey mesquite trees in the front yard provide shade from the blazing summer sun.  I hoped Wayne would be agreeable to establishing another outside seating area.  The Desert Southwest calls us outdoors on all but the very coldest or windiest days.

Wayne not only liked the idea but visualized an expanded area enclosed by a low rounded stucco wall.  As soon as the wall was completed (we contracted out for it), Wayne laid a brick floor for a seating area large enough for a table and chairs.  And then amazing items started coming out of his workshop and garage, stoves of various sizes, a large tire rim for a fire pit, a wagon wheel, a longhorn skull for the wall, and kerosene lanterns.

Our Cantina

Now that the basics are in, we have been planning how to best utilize the cantina, especially what foods to prepare in it.  Its first use was to sit at the table, drinking morning coffee and eating conchas, a Mexican pastry.

And no worries about dropping crumbs from the conchas!

  
At the center of the cantina is a large grill to cook over mesquite wood.  Hamburgers and hot dogs are casual summertime choices, while rib eye steaks, baked potatoes, and grilled vegetables are more elegant fare.

 

A  smaller stove has already served to keep a pot of cowboy coffee hot for a few friends seated at the table (extra chairs brought in from the garage).

A fire pit is ready to roast marshmallows for s'mores or keep a pot of pinto beans simmering over the fire.

Two kerosene lanterns provide an atmospheric glow as the day draws to a close and the sun sets in the west.  

We tried out several names for the new outdoor area before settling on cantina.  Wayne said it reminded him of a typical bar in Boquillas, Mexico on the border across from the Big Bend area of Texas. He described a scene with Latino and Anglo patrons standing together at a rustic wooden bar, enjoying drinks and exchanging small talk without no regard for technicalities like border walls.    

Maybe if I sit in our cantina, close my eyes, and listen to the crackling fire by lantern light, I can conjure up some of those same images — heavily laden donkeys wading slowly across the Rio Grande, rounds of tequila shots and raucous laughter in a small, smoke-filled cantina, and the soft strumming of a guitar on a moonlit night.  

Planning for a Southwest Summer

I would like to write about springtime, but in my home town of El Paso, Texas, winter turns into summer so quickly that if you blink, you may miss springtime, as the saying goes. The local TV channels even run a contest for viewers to guess the day the mercury will first hit 100 degrees.  So instead of enjoying traditional spring weather, I am planning what the upcoming Southwest summer will bring to our household.

Unlike many people, I avoid traveling in the summer season because the house and yard need so much extra attention.  And who needs to be part of those crowds of tourists anyway?  I'm content to stay home and watch over the plants and pets. A stroll around our property as the weather is warming reveals opportunities for summer enjoyment but also summertime projects.

An early morning walk onto the second floor balcony reveals a calming scene to start the day. The neighborhood is still quiet, and I catch a glimpse of the mountains in the distance.   

The balcony is best enjoyed early morning or late afternoon.  I make a mental note to buy a small outside wicker table to complete a seating area. Where else am I going to put my glass of  jamaica (a refreshing Mexican drink make of hibiscus leaves)?

Time to go downstairs and out to the main courtyard.

A hummingbird feeder is in place in front of the kitchen window. Watching the tiny birds swoop in is a lot more entertaining than washing dishes.

The kiva fireplace is ready for use on a slightly chilly evening.  (Yes, we do have some chilly evenings in the desert.)

A large collection of pots, watched over by Mama Cat, reminds me that there is much work to be done this summer.  I need to discard the cracked pots and fill the others with colorful blooms to perk up our desert landscaping.  Thank goodness for low maintenance bushes like the pyracantha with its white blossoms and red berries.

The outside oven, the horno, is picturesque but not much used these days.  I need to locate a bread recipe to bake in the oven.  My husband, Wayne, tried to cook a pizza in the oven once but forgot that the pizza pan was bigger than the opening!

This area in the vegetable garden was designed to be a "secret garden" sort of spot.  Somehow it looks bare and uninviting. At least the pear tree provides shade.   Maybe a blooming plant for the table centerpiece would perk it up?

Walking around to the pool yard, I check the small cacti that I moved from inside several weeks ago.They already look like the sun is too strong for them in this location.  I hope the volunteer desert palm grows up nearby to provide shade.

Continuing around to the front of the house, I notice that this seating area (dubbed Sunset Heights because it is the perfect place to view magnificent Southwest sunsets) needs some attention.  The plants in the round area have not lived up to expectations to survive the harsh summer afternoon sun.  I"ll have to search out some truly tough plants.  One of the chairs has a crack, but it is easily and inexpensively replaced.  The metal seasons bench could definitely use a coat of paint.   

Thank goodness for the hardy, undemanding native plants that provide color and shade in this yard.

Creosote Bush

Volunteer mesquite bush 

I do truly enjoy a Southwest summer, although ask me again in August when we have had never- ending days of triple digit temperatures.  One of the tricks to enjoying our blazing summer season is  to beat the sun up in the morning and stay up late enough to enjoy the cooler nighttime temperatures.  No wonder the afternoon siesta came into vogue in hotter climates.  

As I go overboard making a list of summer projects, I remind myself to stop and enjoy what nature offers free of charge during a Southwest summer.  

A New Twist on New Mexico History

One of the perks of living in El Paso, Texas, my hometown, is taking advantage of the city's unique geographical location.We live at the westernmost tip of Texas with easy access to both Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Old Mexico and Las Cruces, New Mexico.  Even though Las Cruces, with a population of just over 100,000, is much smaller than its nearby cities in Mexico and Texas, the cultural opportunities it offers make it a prime location for day-tripping.

Location of Las Cruces, NM

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In past years, I commuted to Las Cruces to teach language classes at New Mexico State University.  I enjoyed noting the gradual change in architecture, weather and landscape as I barreled up the interstate highway, hoping to make it to a 9:00 am class. The houses of Las Cruces had more rounded edges, and their yards had imaginative xeriscaping.  Las Cruces' weather was often a few degrees cooler than El Paso, and, most impressive of all, the jagged Organ Mountains loomed in the distance. I let the atmosphere of New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, wash over me and calm my soul.    

Organ Mountains, Las Cruces NM

Recently my husband, Wayne, and I spent a memorable afternoon at the Pat Garrett Western Heritage Festival in Las Cruces.  The event was held at the beautifully restored Rio Grande Theatre located in the downtown area.

Rio Grande Theatre, Las Cruces, NM

What first intrigued me about the title of the festival was that it was dedicated to Sheriff Pat Garrett. Wait a minute!  Wasn't he the lawman who killed Billy the Kid?  

For many years I, along with many others I am sure, have been fascinated by the legend of Billy the Kid. I looked the other way at reports that he had killed 21 men before his 21st birthday and focused on his youth, his nonconformity, and his appeal to the ladies.  And Billy also spoke Spanish, which is always considered an asset by this former language teacher!   I loved the 1973 movie (later released in video in 1988), in which Kris Kristofferson plays Billy.  And I have cheered along with a local crowd at the Billy the Kid Festival held each year in Lincoln, NM when, in the pageant finale, Billy outsmarts and shoots the deputy to escape from jail.

Billy the Kid

Now a festival was being held in honor of Pat Garrett, who in my mind was still the villain in this historical remembrance.

Festival program

We settled into comfortable seats at the Rio Grande Theatre to learn about western history from a different viewpoint. A live musical performance of nine historic western songs set the stage for our history lesson.  Next, we watched a movie, Four Faces West,  from 1948 with Charles Bickford portraying Pat Garrett.  We began thinking about Pat Garrett as a real person.  I had never considered him in any other context than Billy's killer.

Other scheduled events were a presentation and a reenactment of the trial of Wayne Brazel, the killer of Pat Garrett.  Another event was a lecture about the letters written by Pat Garrett to his wife, which demonstrated a human side of the lawman, who cared deeply for his family. 

The culmination of the festival was the screening of the movie Billy the Kid , starring Johnny Mack Brown as Billy.  The original world premiere of the film was at the Rio Grande Theatre in 1930.

On the hour drive back to El Paso, we chatted about how a day spent in Las Cruces felt like a mini-vacation, a break from ordinary weekend activities. And I will be on the lookout for a biography of Sheriff Pat Garrett by David G. Thomas due out in 2019.

We are indeed fortunate to live in the Southwestern United States which offers colorful history and cultural variety. 

El Paso Streetcars are Rolling Again

Drawing of old El Paso Streetcar

"I think I can find that old drawing in the garage," my husband, Wayne, promised when I told him of my plan to write about the new El Paso Streetcars.  He had bought the drawing in 1981 at the El Paso Centennial Celebration.  That year was just seven years after the last El Paso Streetcar had run in 1974, more than forty years ago.  

We had been following news reports for several years that El Paso Streetcars would soon be back on the tracks.  Streetcars in our city have an long history, beginning with a trolley pulled by Mandy the Mule at the first of the 20th century to the 1950s when international street car service played a crucial role in an expanding city.  How sad that I have no personal memories of riding the streetcar, too busy with getting on with life to enjoy that unique feature of our city.

One sunny November morning, a few days after the grand opening of the new streetcars, we decided to use them for a tour of downtown El Paso .  The smart plan would have been to download a map to check routes and stops, but we felt confident with our long years of living in El Paso that we could figure out the new transportation system for ourselves. 

Our first difficulty was a common one —finding a convenient parking spot in the downtown area.  Ironically, any type of public transportation should help a person avoid parking problems, not cause them. We drove around for a while, noting streetcar tracks and overhead wires as well as signs denoting streetcar stops, many with comfortable looking benches for waiting. Having finally located a two hour parking meter, we soon discovered that was not quite long enough for exploring the streetcar routes. We walked for about a block and a half and climbed aboard our first streetcar. 

Our first streetcar 

The driver was very patient, giving us options for paying the $1.50 per person fee, which we did in exact cash after digging around in purses and pockets.

Streetcar driver

His car was on a downtown route, but he advised us to get off at the Sun Metro station and take another car to the Glory Road area, near the University of Texas at El Paso, if we wanted a longer route. I have two audio remembrances of this first trip.  The first was the quiet operation of the streetcar.  The other was the delightful ding-ding of the streetcar bell.

At the Sun Metro station, we waited in the warm sunshine for the next streetcar.  A mural opposite the stop on the streetcar servicing building drew our attention.  A few fellow passengers joined us on the street corner. 

Mural

Our second streetcar delivered us back to the stop near our parking meter.  Fearing that we wouldn't know exactly how to get back to that spot or how long it would take, we hopped off.  I find learning to use public transportation successfully deeply satisfying.  And without a need to watch the road or read signs, sitting in a very comfortable seat and gazing out the window is my kind of travel.  

Our second streetcar

El Paso Streetcars have given the downtown area a special look as they glide along.  It is always a treat to catch sight of one of the cars, painted in vintage colors of the various decades of service.

Streetcar in motion

We are looking forward to our next local streetcar adventure.  But this time, we will be reading the streetcar map first, locating parking garages with long term parking, and planning a lunch stop on the route.  By the time family and friends come to visit us El Paso, we will be seasoned El Paso Streetcar travelers.  

Urban Wildlife in the Southwest

"Which cat is that in the driveway?"  "That's not a cat.  I think it's a fox!" 

So went the conversation with my husband, Wayne, one recent evening as we sat on the porch swing at our home in El Paso, Texas. 

We are used to seeing our five outside cats as they prowl around the property, especially on warm autumn evenings.  A feral mama cat and her four kittens adopted us several years ago.  We eventually succeeded in trapping the whole family and took them to the veterinarian for fixing. Now the cat family enjoys the life of Riley, with food and water provided throughout the day and a large property to select the perfect place for their many cat naps.

Mama cat on bench in front of kiva fireplace

A cat we call "Kamacazi" (for her aggressive approach to the food bowl) likes to hang around the swimming pool.

Kamacazi, the tomboy cat

And my favorite outside cat is Tommy, the sole tomcat.  He likes to sleep on and around the dog house, built for the two Australian Heelers that used to live with us.

Tommy loves the high grass where he can pretend to hide.  

Two more cats, Minime and Cry Baby, complete the cat family.  I didn't succeed in snapping their pictures. None of the outside cats will let me get closer than three feet, but at least they no longer run from me when I walk around the garden and yard. 

But on to other wildlife - the fox!  Wayne found a paw print in the driveway a day or two after we thought we had seen a fox.

Fox print?

A Google search led us to believe a fox had made the print, but we still were not sure.

Early one morning, we were having coffee in an outside room we call the bunk house.  The door was open with a view to the back garden.

"Quiet!" Wayne warned me as he grabbed his cell phone.  I caught a glimpse of an animal with a very long, fluffy tail.

Fox in front of garden gate

Fox disappearing into garden

Now we are speculating as to where the fox has his (her?) den.  We think it may be near a primitive walking trail that we have built around the property where lots of palo verde trees, creosote bushes, and grasses grow.  I left food out several evenings, but it only attracted ants.  However, I do leave a pan of water in the garden for "Foxy."  Maybe he will show himself to us again one day.

I like the idea that although we live in a suburban neighborhood we can still enjoy nature by walking out our back door.  It gives me great pleasure to share our living space with the cat family and now, the fox. 

Green Chile - It's a Southwest thing!

Those of us who are natives to the American Southwest get a certain feeling when green chile harvest time is approaching.  A twinge starts mid-August, especially if the weather has turned mercifully cooler, even for a few days.  We check our freezers to count how many quart packages of last year's chile harvest are still left.  Yes!  We can just make it to Labor Day, the traditional start of the chile season.  

Preserving the green chile harvest is truly a tradition in my home town of El Paso, Texas, located on the borders of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico.  A shared understanding about the importance of buying and freezing exists among longtime El Pasoans.  Without even asking if I freeze green chiles, a new acquaintance sitting next to me at a dinner party recently shared her green chile success story.  She had found fresh, plump chiles at a Walmart store. Her husband had roasted them himself on a grill in their backyard (much preferable to having store employees roast them! ) And a friend texted me yesterday with information about where her husband had found the best chiles at the best price.

Many decisions are involved in the preservation of green chile. First, do you make the four hour round trip drive to Hatch, New Mexico, 

billed as the Chile Capital of the World, to buy chiles at the source, or do you trust local markets advertising they sell Hatch chiles? Chile in quantities is usually sold by the box, so will a  20-lb. box last a whole year, or should you go for the 40-lb. box?  Probably the biggest decision of all is the classification of chile as mild, medium or hot.  We bought mild last year; this year my husband, Wayne is trying to talk me into medium.  We gave up on hot chiles years ago. 

The next decision is the best way to roast chiles to remove the outer skin.  Many grocery stores set up propane roasters in front of the store when they are ready to offer that service to customers for a few extra dollars (plus a tip for the young man roasting them —it's a hot job.) 

Chiles can also be roasted at home, outside on a grill or even inside in the oven. We no longer roast our own chiles.  But Wayne watches the roasting process like a hawk to make sure the chiles are not over roasted. Over-blackened chiles are hard to peel and lose much of the "meat" inside. 

Don't forget to buy quart size plastic bags at the store because you will want to freeze the chiles as soon as possible.  Some people take the skins off before freezing; others leave them on until they are defrosted for use.  Also be sure you have fresh flour tortillas on hand.  A drive home from the store with a box of roasted chiles in the back has an enticing aroma. When you arrive home, a newly roasted green chile, peeled, salted, and wrapped in a warm tortilla for a snack is a little bit of heaven. 

A quick peel, and these chiles are ready!

   

With the freezer shelves full of neatly stacked packages of green chiles, the next decision is what to do with them.  At our house, we make chile con queso, add chiles to scrambled eggs, use them as a side vegetable, bake them into cornbread, make salsa, prepare chiles rellenos (stuffed chiles), add them to a bean burrito, or put chiles on hamburgers and sandwiches. 

This season I may look for more exotic recipes on the web site Hatch Green Chile Recipes. Green Chile Pumpkin Pie?  Sinfully Spicy Apple Pie?  Green Chile Pasta Salad?  Green Chile Fritatta?  Why not?  I have a whole freezer full of green chiles and the rest of the year to enjoy them.

gave up on hot years ago.

Kudos to our Tough Desert Plants!

An El Paso weatherman announced a startling statistic yesterday—forty-three days of triple digit temperatures this summer.  I knew it had been darn hot lately, but hearing the official statistic set me to wondering how our much-loved outdoor plants have survived the season. 

Not all have, of course.  Returning from an 18 day trip abroad recently, I discovered a few plant casualties as I walked through our property on the first day back. The prissier plants, the ones bought for their colorful blooms, had succumbed to oven-like temperatures. But the majority of plants, especially native and adapted plants, were bravely soldiering on.

Below are images of some of our hardier plants  They may appear less attractive when on sale in nurseries (flowering annuals are so seductive), but they prove to be loyal friends when the weather turns inhospitable.

Candelilla

Number one on my list of native plants is candelilla.  I don't know what I find attractive about sticks coming up out of the ground, but maybe it is the uniqueness of the plant that keeps me digging up clumps to start new plants around the yard. 

Mexican Firebush

Some may say that the Mexican Firebush is invasive.  I prefer to think of it as being very generous.  From one purchased plant, I now have five good-sized plants in various locations on the property.  And when nothing else has the energy to bloom, the firebush is covered with small red blossoms that hummingbirds appear to appreciate as much as I do.  

Fairy Duster

One of the delights of desert plants is their ability to appear tough but produce amazingly delicate blooms.  Below is a close up of a red fairy duster.blossom.  Doesn't it look like it could dust a fairy's house?

Fairy Duster Bloom

Yellow Bells

Yellow Bells looks like a cousin of the common red trumpet vine, but I like the more unusual yellow blooms.  This plant, which has grown quite large, lives in our vegetable garden to give color to the area when the tomatoes and peppers fail to grow (which is unfortunately quite often).

Ruellia

And finally, my favorite plant, Ruellia, or Mexican Petunia.  My son, Clayton, discovered this plant when he was in college in Austin, Texas and bought it because of its delicate lavender blooms.  He soon discovered that the blooms last only one day. The good news is Ruellia blooms again every day under the right circumstances.  This Ruellia is partially shaded from the hot afternoon sun and receives a hearty drink of water every two days. Another Ruellia, which lives in a large pot in the courtyard, is still recovering from too much sun and too little water.  

I know I am not the first to comment on the challenges and rewards of gardening in the Desert Southwest, but I thank my desert plants often (does anyone else talk to your plants?) for their tenacity to grow and produce beauty in difficult circumstances.