local foods, local chefs at locally owned Santa Fe Cafe

Santa Fe Cafe in Rosslyn is featuring a "local foods, local chefs" entree through Oct. 14.  Last week the entree was Valentine's Country Short Ribs of Beef braised in American Indian Museum "Hatch" green chiles, onion, portabella mushrooms, and carrots over mashed potatoes with mashed turnips.  The source of the short ribs, Valentine's Country Meats, is based in Orange, VA, a few miles south of Culpepper.  According to Virginia foodie the Houndstooth Gourment, Valentine's is part of a Mennonite Amish Church.  Its meats are "grass fed, no steroids, no antibiotics, no growth hormones."  As for the chiles, chiles don't get any more local or more prestigious that those grown at the American Indian Museum. Dutifully dining in journalistic service to the community, I found the meal quite tasty. 

Santa Fe Cafe's local foods' entree for this week is Valentine’s Country Lamb Cooked with Eggplant, Tomato, American Indian Museum Green Chiles, Portabellas, Leeks and Basil with Turnip and Potato Mash. Santa Fe owner Kip Laramie knows well local farmers' markets.  You can be confident that this entree will also be quite tasty.