Category Archives: Carolyn Dunmire

I have a proposal that could drastically change the way we use Dolores River water that does not involve investing millions of dollars in new water-storage projects or draconian water cut-offs. Rather, I propose we start seeing water as a … Continue reading →

One of the things that has nurtured hope in my drought and pandemic-battered soul is the sight of dryland beans growing taller and bushier through the summer. Certain­ly, the monsoon rains helped them along, but they came up long before … Continue reading →

I was in a garden store last week and de­cided to ask a professional about how to manage a garden during a drought. His re­sponse was, ”So many ways to water!” Here are some of the ways to water based … Continue reading →

With the stop-and-start re-opening and seeing friends and neighbors in person for the first time in a year, I feel like we are in a bittersweet period. So sweet to see and hug folks again. But so bitter to hear … Continue reading →

  We are living, gardening, cooking, and eat­ing through another period of exceptional drought. This is the second or third time this has happened in the past 20 years de­pending on how you measure drought. What defines an exceptional drought? … Continue reading →

There is a new ritual that I have witnesse­d recently and perhaps now have participated in, called land acknowledgement. It usually occurs at the beginning of an event, espe­cially those sponsored by a university or cul­tural organization, and involves naming … Continue reading →

It was just about a year ago that I aborted my dream writing retreat in Arizona and rushed home to the uncertainties and unrealities of a COVID world. One of the first things I did when I got home was … Continue reading →

I believe in the power of soup. To heal To hug To fill the (w)hole. Soup is the universal symbol of caring for others and we encounter it in all phases of our lives. I am currently in the soupmaking … Continue reading →

After 2021 and the socially distanced holiday season, I should probably be writing about some frivolous food trends or the latest kitchen gadget. But I can’t. Not when one in six people in Southwest Colorado is hungry right now. It … Continue reading →

My ongoing foray into foodie literature took me to the latest book by Bill Buford, titled Dirt. One of the premises of this book is that the amazing bread from the bakery across the street from the author’s apartment in … Continue reading →

This month I tried an unusual taste test with Palisade peaches. With quantities limited by the late spring freeze, peaches grown in Palisade, Colo., are at a premium this year. So I wanted to maximize the flavor for each one. … Continue reading →

I showed up at the farmers’ market last week a little later than usual, and could not find a single carrot. Everybody was sold out before 9 a.m. How could this happen during prime carrot-growing season? It seems that I … Continue reading →

In this time of pandemic and voluntary lockdown, I find myself searching for new ways to connect to my homeland. Rather than rattling the bars of my cage, I find pacing around my place more satisfying, if I mindfully watch … Continue reading →

It’s hard to reach out and share food in these uncertain times. On the one hand, it is obvious that many people (particularly children) are need of a good meal. On the other hand, I do not want to share … Continue reading →

I found myself playing in a garden for the first time in a long while and stopped to wonder why. Normally, I don’t find gardening drudgery, but I work in my garden. It is a serious and efficient food-growing and … Continue reading →

As a free-form cook, I rarely follow recipes. But I am an enthusiastic reader of cookbooks. A paradox, perhaps? I think not. I find recipes authoritarian and confining. There just isn’t enough room for improvisation. Cookbooks offer a wider field … Continue reading →

As is obvious from my writing style and cooking methods, I am not a millennial. I was born somewhere in between the Baby Boom and Gen X. However, this does not mean that I can’t embrace and give thanks for … Continue reading →

When my husband found mold growing on the top of my recently sealed jar of apricot jam, I had to implement a product recall. I can’t remember everyone I gifted with apricot preserves. You know who you are if you … Continue reading →

I am a cook. Not a baker or chef. And as a cook, I enjoy the privilege of improvisation and substitution. I rarely follow a recipe; rather, I follow the whims and serendipity of whatever falls out of the kitchen … Continue reading →

After a record-breaking (or was it back-breaking) winter, we ushered in the summer solstice with almost two feet of snow in some parts of Colorado. Days later, it topped 80 degrees in Cortez. Instant summer? This wet and cool spring … Continue reading →

What are plants made of ? This is not a trick question. I began pondering this after reading about an experiment in The Overstory, the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Richard Powers. The protagonist Patty Westerford (modeled after real-life tree … Continue reading →

I love to travel … and eat. Not necessarily in that order. When I am feeling wanderlust and don’t have any imminent travel plans, I turn to library books to take me away. Lately my travel bug landed on Paris. … Continue reading →

With the arrival of spring and its subsequent snowstorm, my thoughts have turned to this year’s garden. What will happen out there in 2019? Spring is the season of hope and decisions. What to plant? When to plant? How to … Continue reading →

My recent obsession with all things diet has finally led me to consider a philosophy of food. Philosophers are quick to point out that food has been a topic for thinkers since the dawn of civilization. Plato included diet recommendations … Continue reading →

During this time of New Year’s resolutions, it seems appropriate to consider our diet and examine what we eat and why we eat it. In a socially connected digital world, there seems to be an infinite number of diet options … Continue reading →

Reviewing the predicted food trends for 2019, I found that many are focused on food waste and packaging, specifically plastics. With the horror stories of marine animals dying after ingesting large amounts of plastic, I decided to examine how much … Continue reading →

In a year when I am blessed with an abundance of squash, it would be remiss on my part as a local foodie not to comment on the Pumpkin Spice phenomenon. The seasonal appearance of pumpkin spice harkens a time … Continue reading →

With a bumper crop of apples this year, I believe it is a good time to remind readers/eaters that there is an etiquette to U-pick. Whether you are paying to enter a pumpkin patch or just heading over to the … Continue reading →

With the cooler weather and shorter days, we have moved into an uneasy peace in the “Hopper Wars.” I can’t seem to pinpoint the exact day when the number of grasshoppers was noticeably reduced,and I timidly uncovered some of the … Continue reading →

I need to start by saying this is not a pitch for the cable television channel or any of its shows. What it is – is a pitch for the communication chain and information-sharing that I recently uncovered in our … Continue reading →

It’s a beautiful, warm Saturday morning and I am enjoying the sound of bird song and the scent of blooming lilacs while dreaming about opening day.  It’s true that I am a baseball fan and that the outdoor pool ranks … Continue reading →

Well, it’s official. We are in a severe drought. Just a month ago there was hope that this year’s low snowpack could fill McPhee Reservoir. But with a dry April, it looks like the reservoir won’t fill completely and we … Continue reading →

As a curious person who likes to keep up with trends, I have been reading about the blockchain. While I still have no idea how this thing works, I realized that the concept of “creating incorruptible trust with a distributed … Continue reading →