A delicious hidden gem in Western Colorado; where culture, culinary and the vast beauty of the Mountain/ Desert landscape brings an abundance of vineyards and farms, that both delight the senses and heart..
Hanging Lake: Glenwood springs, Colorado. Peaks of majestic forest green reflects into turquoise hidden waters.
Now let’s start off with the best of the best. Well to me anyway. I’ll let you decide what part of this journey into my home town you like the best.
I’ve lived here half of my life, a Wyoming native who’s academic interests that brought me to the Grand valley. With this, I instantly fell in love with Colorado and especially this neck of the woods..or umm let’s say high desert hidden on the Western slope of the Majestic Rocky mountains. With an abundance of vast diverse scenery and trails, I found a new love, Hiking, And I’ll tell you the hiking around here is amazing! But that doesn’t touch on this gem hidden valley. We’ve made the map when it comes to our Peaches, Wine, and now Lavender! I’ll feature my favorite local restaurants and must taste items, off their menus!
With mild year round climate, culinary culture, and art that draws people from around the World, you’ll see why I’ve decided to make my home town a must share on my blog destination!
Cherry blossoms in Colorado
From bare branches to tiny blossoms with a finish of sweet nectar and fruit. Without the Farmer, without the Bee or this harsh high desert sun to soak up the rolling waters off the Rocky Mountains, we wouldn’t get to enjoy in the bounty this Valley brings.
I often set, or drive, or walk and explore and wonder how did I get so lucky to become a part of this community? A self-proclaimed artist finding oneself in such an artists nook. A girl from Wyoming, whose love for exploration became somehow more fulfilling just living here. And a culture of community diverse enough to accept my odd love for belly dance, nature, organics and farm to table food!
With that said, I think the first stop on our Western Colorado tour, we’ll travel down country roads to the quaint little vineyards and farms of Palisade Colorado.
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Sprigs & Sprouts Lavender Farm and Farmers Market
hwy 6, 3669 G road. Palisade, Colorado 81526. – for tasting room appointment call 970-234-1261 10 am-5pm.
Upon passing their Lavender field many times on our way to Palisade, my sister-in-law convinced the guys to stop. This is a place we both talked about going together but soon realized we had no idea what a lovely little farmers market this was. With a sumptuous culinary taste test embodied with a bouquet of scents and flavors awaiting our arrival.
In good spirits, we hopped out of the mini van into their gravel parking lot adjacent to a field of lavender and large green houses filled with lavender. Excited to be there we all quickly B lined into the market through a pale lavender french door, slightly glancing at the plants of the delicately scented blossoms for sale on the cement porch.
The pungent spicy sweet scent of Lavender filled the air as I entered to a vast array of different local artisan products; candles, culinary, bath and body, organics and more filled the first room. A dazzling painting of the vineyards and Mount Garfield drew my eye to the next room, where prints and more culinary items could be purchased. A comfortable feeling of being in a welcoming familiar place came over me. As we started to peruse the different items and take in the scents and all-inclusive specialty foods, I happened by a taste room. Now this is where this little stop on the country road got unforgettable, prolonged, unplanned, yet savourful! Not a very old place I had no idea this small spot on the map, held a taste of Tuscany, Argentina, Spain and the wilds of Western Colorado all wrapped up into one tiny Lavender farm, on the edges of the farming town of Palisade.
An hour or more of taste testing ensued by a knowledgeable and extremely courteous brunette. The shelves of the tiny taste room filled with dark olive-green bottles gleaming with Gold labels, for Olive oil and Silver for Balsamic vinaigrette. Equipped with gloved hands and french bread, then ending with a drizzle of blends of both oil and vinaigrette on ice cream, we were all delighted, amazed, and simply in love with the display and show of the vast flavours presented. Who knew?!?! flavored vinaigrette and olive oil on vanilla ice cream made it all that much creamier? and perfectly mimicked the flavor of an ice cream syrup, rich with sweetness and sapor.
Spending a lot more time than intended, and yes probably more money than planned, we left with a new must go to market for our future recipes, a small cup of lavender lemon ice cream to share and a couple of brown bags full of the flavorful oil, vinaigrette, and other must have, must try; like their lavender infused, savorous seven dust seasoning, which I’ve found quite pleasing on everything I’ve put it on!
Sprigs & Sprouts Lavender Farm and Farmers Market #1 on my guide to Western Colorado!
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Grape-stomping (also known as pigeage) is part of method of maceration; a process in winemaking in which grapes are crushed in vats, leaving the skins in the juice until they have imparted the desired color or the proper amount of tannins and aroma.
One of the earliest visual representations of the practice is a Roman vintage festival that appears on a Roman Empire sarcophagus from the 3rd century CE, which depicts an idealized country scene with a group of Erotes- winged God’s, harvesting and stomping grapes at Vindemia.
Take in this ancient tradition! Free your schedule, your feet and your palette. Pack your bags, and head to Colorado Mountain Wine festival!
Voted the best in the Nation, Colorado Mountain Winefest,. Founded in 1992.
A four-day celebration of wine, during harvest in Palisade Colorado wine country. The Festival centers in the Park, taking place on the third Saturday in September. Much more intimate and feature events like Wine Country Bus Tours, chocolate & wine tasting, wine & painting, among others take place during the four-day Festival.
The lazy little farming town of Palisade is set on the edge of the Mountains, Mesa and barren bookcliffs, with a peak named Mt. Garfield. Orchards, vineyards and farms span the distance as far as the eye can see. A handsome little town, with old brightly painted houses lined with trees. Idealistic, yet brimming with character, Palisade features plenty to do. A favorite pastime is bicycling around to one or all of the many attractions; wineries, distilleries, dispensaries or hit the Farmers Market for sweet fresh produce, and local artisan foods and gifts, every Sunday, June 10th to Sept. 16th, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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The high desert brings almost 300 days of sunshine a year to this part of the centennial state. With the sun we get a bountiful harvest of fresh farm to table food, at local farmers markets throughout the Valley.
The summer season ushers in a buzz of talk over the local celebrity, the Peach!
Craving my first taste of the seasons honeyed, mouth-watering peach on the 4th of July, my family and I decided to take our Cousin and her husband, who were visiting the Valley, out to Palisade to experience the local vibe, the abundance of fruit, veggies, local artisan food, drink…and of course the Peaches!
The energy in Palisade brings excitement, wonder and beauty, as far as the eye can see, with the peaks of an ancient Volcano; The Mesa, Mt. Garfield, and unbounded orchards and farms nestled below. A lush green landscape with old farm houses and estates lined up in rows and scattered throughout the hills of Palisade, and neighboring, East Orchard Mesa.
Taking a drive on the twisting roads, through the ambrosial orchards and farms, bearing the succulent fruit, can be quite whimsical.
Just passed the bridge, over the Colorado river in Palisade is a local favorite; Clark Orchards.
Clark Orchards has been growing the famous Palisade peaches for over a 100 years! They produce their own jams, sauces and other culinary treats.
3929 US Hwy 6, Palisade, CO 81526
Clark Orchards is tucked beneath the Mesa, well-organized and maintained, the rustic fruit stand has a long boardwalk entry, aligned with boxes of freshly picked peaches and whiskey barrels filled with a colorful arrangement of desert blooms. As I approached the open barn wood red building, the antique bright green John Deere tractor, and various other aged farming equipment blended in perfectly with the scenery, the orchard and the Mesa.
The view so engrossing, I decide to take it all in, before entering the fruit stand to greet a member of the Clark family standing behind the register. A lovely older lady, with long gray hair pulled back, rosy cheeks and a warm disposition.
“I’m surprised, but happy you’re open on the 4th”
“Oohhh when there’s Peach’s, we’re open!” she smiled
After chatting with her for a few minutes, I looked around. Shelves of hand-made, bottled, culinary condiments and sauces, all complete by the grower, filled the space with other fresh produce. A simple sign that said “cobblers” hung on the wall. Everything lined up, the organization and cleanliness echoed from the outside. The hard work of these farmers grabbed me. Their sacrifice tangible, more so on this Patriotic holiday, a day of rest, for most..
I decided to join a few of my family members out on the boardwalk porch, where the tasting table was set with freshly sliced peaches, sweet cherries, popcorn, tortilla chips, and an assortment of dips and sauces.
Ah.. the first taste of the seasons peach! Accompanied by the fresh cherries, sweet and tangy. A perfect companion to the savory and sweet dipping sauces set out. With little reserve, I tasted them all in order. Peach salsa, a tried and true favorite, with bright sharp tangy peach, in a thick salsa. Monterey jack con queso dip- the spanish girl in me relishes this creamy, cheesy, spicy dip! A zesty mango lime salsa, the union of citrus and cool creamy mango, was one of my favorite new finds! Tangy Raspberry vinaigrette dressing. A spirited, Five amigos roasted red pepper salsa, with piquant layers of peppers in a thick sauce. The tangy smooth cherry butter, was a perfect ending to this intriguing display of samples. My interests in these local culinary crafters deepens. Not only do I have much respect for these farmers, any the multifarious foods they bring to our table, I’m excited to discover more of the fine local fares, they create!
With dips, peaches and produce for the 4th of July dinner, we set off to discover more food and get a better ‘taste’, of Palisade!
After a quick stop at a lovely little fruit stand with a lot of country charm- Balls fruit.
3806 G Rd, Palisade, CO 81526
I wandered around the shabby whitewashed decor outside , taking photos. The appeal of this little fruit stand isn’t lost! I felt a longing to curl up with a good book, freshly sliced fruit from the orchard, and a cold drink, beneath the tree behind the castaway fishing boat, with pale blue chipped paint. Hmmm.. yet another wistful thought to make this little town, right up the road, an opportune escape..
Before heading home to prepare our holiday meal my daughter suggested one last stop. Herman produce. A bold old west design on a brightly colored peach fruit stand. Herman’s took my love of jalapeno to a different level. The candied sweet, pickled jalapeno, is perfect, I found here, in cream cheese with chives. The dish was surrounded by travelers and people seeking fresh goodies alike, getting gobbled down on pretzels. Sugary, creamy, with a slight fiery bite. A definite dip on my future recipe list.
I did skip on buying the sweet pickled jalapeno, to give a try on making my own at home, that are Keto friendly.
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This wraps up the first part of my guide to Western Colorado. I’ll go into hikes, lodging, other local attractions and things to do, on your next vacation, in my future blog posts!
Please feel free to leave comments or send me a message.
Where the desert meets the Mountains: A guide to Western Colorado A delicious hidden gem in Western Colorado; where culture, culinary and the vast beauty of t…
