PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 For the second edition of Desert Table, the series is looking beyond restaurant walls and into the Sonoran Desert itself, where local growers and creators say Arizona\u2019s landscape has shaped the region\u2019s food story for generations.<\/p>\n
At The Urban Farm<\/a> in Phoenix, the lesson starts with a familiar sight for many Valley homeowners: mesquite pods hanging from backyard trees. When prepared correctly, the pods can be milled into a naturally sweet, gluten-free flour \u2014 a staple that\u2019s been \u201chiding in plain sight,\u201d advocates say.<\/p>\n Don Titmus, who works with Urban Farm Milling, said mesquite has deep roots in the Sonoran Desert\u2019s food history.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Tohono O\u2019odham, the Pipash, the Pima, this was their staple food harvested from the desert, stored, and used when they needed it,\u201d Titmus said.<\/p>\n When mesquite pods are best for milling<\/p>\n Urban Farm educators say mesquite pods are best for milling from late May to mid june, before monsoon moisture rolls in.<\/p>\n Mesquite pods are fully mature and dry on the tree \u2014 typically when pods turn tan\/light brown and sound dry and rattle slightly when shaken. Dry pods mill more cleanly and help reduce the risk of spoilage.<\/p>\n Just as important as timing is how they\u2019re collected.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t pick pods off the ground<\/p>\n Titmus and other desert food educators recommend harvesting directly from the tree, not the ground. Pods on the ground can pick up moisture, dirt and debris \u2014 and may be more likely to mold or carry contaminants.<\/p>\n For beginners, Urban Farm suggests gathering pods that are clearly dry and intact, then keeping them clean and dry from harvest through storage.<\/p>\n Why now is a good time to store pods for later<\/p>\n Because mesquite is seasonal, educators say the harvest window is also an opportunity to stockpile pods for future use. Properly dried pods can be stored so home cooks can mill small batches later \u2014 including in the next milling season.<\/p>\n In other words, when pods are plentiful and dry, it\u2019s a good time to collect and store them so they\u2019re ready when you want flour again.<\/p>\n Taste your tree first \u2014 flavor varies pod to pod<\/p>\n One surprise for first-timers: mesquite flour doesn\u2019t taste the same from tree to tree.<\/p>\n Some pods lean bright \u2014 almost citrusy \u2014 while others are richer and sweeter, with caramel-like notes.<\/p>\n \u201cSpecial trees have different flavors\u2026 every tree is different\u2026 you have to taste every tree\u2026 depending on the nutrients of that year,\u201d Titmus said.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why growers recommend tasting pods from your own tree before committing to a big batch. The flavor profile you start with will shape how the flour works in recipes.<\/p>\n Part of a bigger Sonoran \u201cpantry\u201d<\/p>\n Mesquite is only one ingredient in what desert educators describe as the Sonoran Desert\u2019s pantry.<\/p>\n Desert Kitchen<\/a> creator Peggy Sue Creekmore said many edible plants are overlooked simply because people don\u2019t recognize them as food.<\/p>\n \u201cThe trees, the weeds, and the cactus that are edible but most people don\u2019t recognize as food,\u201d Creekmore said.<\/p>\n She added that many of these plants return year after year with little human help.<\/p>\n \u201cThese plants\u2026 growing year after year\u2026 we don\u2019t have to water them\u2026 they will produce food whether we recognize it as food or not,\u201d Creekmore said.<\/p>\n A push to bring desert ingredients back to the kitchen<\/p>\n As Phoenix\u2019s food scene continues to grow, Urban Farm leaders say they want more chefs, home cooks and beginners to look at what\u2019s already growing locally.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we mill here is good for any household or any restaurant\u2026 we want the chefs to come in and start to use it as a coating,\u201d Titmus said.<\/p>\n Jordan Stejskal of Urban Farm said building community is part of the mission.<\/p>\n \u201cBuilding the community\u2026 is part of the mission\u2026 teaching people how to find, grow, and harvest food in their area,\u201d Stejskal said.<\/p>\n For Urban Farm and its collaborators, the goal is not just novelty \u2014 it\u2019s a continuation of a food story they say has been here all along.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t get any more local than your own backyard,\u201d one creator said.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n