What a hat!!

When I went to the Farmers' Market on Saturday I indulged in one of the huge gorgeous chocolate croissants that one of the vendors was selling.  As I sat at a picnic table eating it,  I notice the lovely young woman across from me wearing a spectacular cowboy hat.  We chatted and I learned that Louann who is from California is considering moving to Santa Fe.  Just another person enchanted by this magical city!

The other hat is the one I just recently bought for myself.  It's very different from Louann's hat, but it is spectacular in its own way.  Instead of felt, it is a soft, pliable leather, made in Santa Fe by Gina. If I were a resident here, I would buy another hat--a classic black felt cowboy hat with a silver band.

I told DH that I found men who wear cowboy hats very sexy; wonder if he'll buy one??

Hot Stuff

I first met Matt Romero at the Santa Fe Saturday Farmers' Market.  While roasting green chiles grown at his organic farm in Dixon, New Mexico, he kept up a steady, friendly banter about his farm, the chiles, and his background.  After growing up in Espanola he spent 23 years in Colorado, learning how to talk like an Anglo (tongue in check with this remark).  I assume that is where he spent many years as an executive chef, but he gave it up to farm about 8 years ago.  He started out as a small vendor but quickly grew to become one of the largest vendors at the Santa Fe and Los Alamos markets. Matt was also instrumental in helping to get the 4.5 million dollar Santa Fe Farmers' Market started. He highly recommends organic farming, and his farming philosophy is worth reading right here.  In the photos below, you can see Matt roasting a large, rotating basket of chiles, a New Mexico staple which is coming into harvest right now, and it's a big deal!!  Notice the gloves he's wearing as he handles the hot roasted chiles.