Harvest Food Hub & Kitchen Returns for the Season

Harvest Food Hub San Juan College written on brown wooden box filled with produce

The Harvest Food Hub & Kitchen offers numerous selections of fresh produce and products from local growers through the Harvest Market, online ordering, the Farm Box program and wholesale. The value-added products include soaps, salsas, flour, jellies and jams. The produce can range from gourmet mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes to cage-free brown eggs and varieties of garlic. 

“We are so excited to begin another growing season at the Harvest Food Hub & Kitchen,” says Jacqueline Montoya kitchen manager for the Hub. “The produce and products that we sell are not only supporting our local growers, they are fresh, flavorful and healthy.”

The Harvest Market is the retail marketplace at the Food Hub & Kitchen which opens on June 1. Shop for fresh produce, meats, and value-added products at the main location of 310 West Animas Street. Open hours are Wednesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Online ordering is another option to purchase local products beginning on June 6. Customers can place orders each Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a Thursday or a Friday pickup from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at San Juan College or at the Harvest Food Hub & Kitchen.

The Farm Box program provides local products each week from June 22 through October 5.  Customers can sign up for specific months, eight-week plans, 16-week plans and even bi-weekly plans. San Juan College students Harvest Food Hub & Kitchen returns for the season Members of all the employee associations making brown-bag lunches for the homeless at the Harvest Food Hub & Kitchen. receive a discounted rate. Although the products in the boxes will be different each week, all Farm Boxes contain 6 to 8 items.

Wholesale customers such as school districts, restaurants and other wholesale buyers can place their orders online during the growing season. Contact the Kitchen Manager at montoyajr@sanjuancollege.edu to sign up for a weekly produce list.

The Harvest Food Hub & Kitchen is always looking for producers of produce or processed foods. Those interested in applying for the 2023 season, please contact harvest@sanjuancollege.edu.

Farm Box Items:

  • Onion-Bridgewater Garden (Cedar Hill)
  • Cantaloupe- Elder's Greenhouse and Garden (Aztec)
  • Lemon Cucumber-Elder's Greenhouse and Garden
  • Tomatoes-Elder's Greenhouse and Garden
  • Bell Pepper- Greydanus Farm
  • Strawberries- Bridgewater Garden
  • Spaghetti Squash-Orchard Street Garden (Farmington)
  • Green Beans- Coon's Hollow (Aztec)

Baked Spaghetti Squash

Yield: 4 servings
  • 1 large (3- to 4-pound) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • ½cup panko
  • 1garlic clove, grated
  • 1teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 8ounces mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes (optional)
Step 1

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Brush the cut side of each squash half with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place squash, cut-sides down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until the squash is tender when poked with a fork, 35 to 40 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the Parmesan, panko, garlic, thyme and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Flip the squash and use a fork to scrape the squash into spaghetti strands. Stir in half the mozzarella, if using, then sprinkle the squash with the remaining mozzarella and the panko mixture. Roast until the top is golden brown and mozzarella has melted, 20 to 25 minutes.

Easy Lemon Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 Lemon Cucumbers
  • 1 Small Red Onion
  • 3 Sprigs of Mint
  • ½ Cup Slivered Raw Almonds
  • 2 Tb White Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ Cup Olive Oil

Thinly slice Lemon Cucumbers and Red Onion. Layer in a serving dish. Sprinkle with fresh mint leaves and slivered almonds. 

Mix Olive Oil and Vinegar with salt & pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad.

Cantaloupe Quick Bread

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup canola oil or coconut oil
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups pureed cantaloupe
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Glaze:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • enough milk to make a thick glaze
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
Puree enough cantaloupe in blender to make 2 cups puree.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and cantaloupe puree. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture; stir to combine. Do not overwork the batter, stir just until no traces of flour remain. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.
While the bread is baking, make the glaze. Add the vanilla to the sifted powdered sugar. Stir in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until a thick glaze is reached. When you lift the whisk, it should fall in an even stream and form a ribbon before disappearing.

Remove bread loaves from the oven and place on cooling racks. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Place wax paper under cooling rack to catch the drips. Pour the glaze over both warm loaves, covering the tops of both. The glaze will drip down the sides and drip onto the wax paper. Let cool at least one hour before serving.

Expert Tips & FAQs

To bring out even more sweetness of the cantaloupe, cut it into pieces, place the pieces on a wax paper-lined baking sheet or plate, and place in the freezer. Run the frozen cantaloupe through a blender and continue with the recipe.

As with all quick-breads and muffins, be careful not to over-mix the batter. This can make the finished bread tough.

Contact

Jacqueline Montoya | Kitchen Manager
montoyajr@sanjuancollege.edu
Phone: (505)566-3964

Pauline Pao | Regional Market Manager
NWNM Growers Market Alliance
paop@sanjuancollege.edu