Welcome to your 9th ReFresh newsletter of the season! We hope you enjoyed your Spring, because it’s officially SUMMER!
In this newsletter, you will find:
-The link to sign up for our next Community Cooking Class!
-Our Food is Function section, in which Pam Otero highlights one of our ReFresh ingredients.
-Information about Pinto Beans and their health benefits in the “Featured Bag Item” section.
-About how to manage tomato pests in the “Gardening” section.
-A few simple recipes that you can make with the ingredients in your ReFresh bag.
-Food resources in the “Community Resource” section.
We hope you enjoy this newsletter and thank you for your participation as we work together to build a healthy local food system.
The LAST ReFresh distribution for this season: 6/24/26 or 6/25/26
Text your questions to: (505) 226-3707.
Food Is Function
Featured Bag Item
What are Pinto Beans and what are their health benefits?
Pinto beans are very common especially in this area. They are domesticated in Peru and Mexico 7,000-8,000 years ago, valued today for their flavor, low cost, versatility, and ease of preparation. They are a good source of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. They also contain iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and B vitamins like folate and thiamin.
Storage
Store dry beans in covered containers in a dry cool place. You can store them for about several months. Older beans will require longer soaks and cooking periods than freshly harvested beans. Beans are to be cooked. They can be made in a sauce pan, pressure cooker, crockpot, or a microwave oven. Make sure you go through beans and take out all the lumps, stones, and damaged/defective beans. Rinse beans until water turns clear. Then let them soak to reduce cooking time.
Preparation
After they have been cooked you can fry them, put them in stews/soups, eat them as dips, side dishes, mix them with meats, or even put them in salads. For more information and photo credit check out NMSTATE
Check out this Pinto Beans recipe from Three Sisters Kitchen:
Gardening
Recipes We Love
Refried Beans
This recipe is easy to make and saves time. You can add meat, cheese, red or green chile to make it a main dish. Eat it as a dip with chips, burritos, tostadas(fried tortilla shell), or mix it in with other meals. It is a great side dish if you also want to keep it simple. Get the recipe here at: Mexico in My Kitchen
Kale Pineapple Smoothie
It’s summer and this smoothie recipe will help you cool down on those hot days. Make it as a morning drink to start the day or an evening drink to sit and relax to beat the heat. This recipe calls for peanut butter but if you are allergic to peanuts a substitute would do just fine. Pineapples,bananas and the Milk of your choice. YUM. Get the recipe here: well plated
Recipes and photos by 1) Three Sisters Kitchen 2) Mexico in My Kitchen 3) Well plated
Community Resources
Rio Grande Food Project
Rio Grande Food Project reopened its doors on June 3rd. Food Distribution is Weekly Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 9-11am. They also have Tax Help Services, Water Bill assistance, PNM Good Neighbor Fund available. Location 600 Coors Blvd NW Abq 87121
Bernalillo County Summer Lunch Program
Starting June 1 free meals will be served on-site during the summer months for children and teens ages 1-18 at over 40 site locations. No registration required. Locations at: SummerLunch
A partir del 1 de junio, se servirán comidas gratuitas en las instalaciones durante los meses de verano para niños y adolescentes de 1 a 18 años en más de 40 ubicaciones. No se requiere inscripción.
Ubicaciones en: SummerLunch
WIC offers free healthy foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health and community resources
Contact Centro Savila Today!
505-312-7296
WIC (el programa especial para mujeres, bebés, y niños del Departamento de Salud de Nuevo México) ofrece alimentos saludables, apoyo a la lactancia materna, educación nutricional y recursos de salud y comunitarios.
¡Contacta con Centro Savila hoy mismo!
505-312-7296
Free Clinic Event
Hosted by Love in Action Inc.
Love in Action, Inc. is hosting a Free Clinic this Friday and Saturday (June 19-20) 9:00 am to 3:00 pm both days. First come, first served — (a line will form early at the ABQ Convention Center)
Food Is Medicine Event hosted by NAACP and UNMH
NAACP and UNM Hospital are hosting a Food is Medicine Event at Phil Chacon Park on
Saturday June 27th from 10 am – 2 pm.
7600 southern SE Albuquerque, New Mexico
There will be free produce boxes, cooking demonstrations and health vendors!
This week’s ReFresh Bag
