When I first saw the photograph taken by Wagyu cattle breeder Tom Waldeck, I knew it would appear on the cover of our summer issue. Tom was able to capture an extraordinary moment, one that Carole Topalian, co-founder of Edible Communities, said “speaks of the poetry of what we’re doing.” I couldn’t agree more. Look for more about Tom and his Wagyu cattle on page 38.

The arrival of summer is always a welcome time in my book! Whether I’m out touring farms or at farmers’ markets, attending summer festivals, tending to my vegetable garden or gathered with my family in the backyard, I appreciate this time of year more than any other.

Summer barbecues, picnics and outdoor dining are a great time to enjoy wine, beer and spirits—and, this summer, an opportunity for me to use new skills I acquired in a recent introductory sommelier course. My nose in training is beginning to detect the aroma of minerals, oak, citrus and stone fruits, spices, herbs and flowers in wine and spirits, while my palate is learning to distinguish the dryness, alcohol and acidity levels, and age range and grape varietals.

Needless to say, I have a heightened appreciation and respect for sommeliers at every level.  That’s one reason we’ve asked Aspen’s own Jay Fletcher, the Chairman of the Court of Master Sommeliers, to answer some of our readers’ questions on wine. Don’t miss his answers in our Tasting Notes department. We also appreciate local chef Mark Fischer’s recent collaboration with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto resulting in our Chef2Chef feature on page 16. Learn more about both chefs through this insightful Q&A.

Also in this issue we are proud to introduce the edibleASPEN Dining Guide! What makes ours special is the exclusive invitation we offer to restaurants that are actively building relationships with Colorado farmers, food and beverage artisans, and some that are even growing their own food. Be sure to check it out on page 18 and support these restaurants for their extraordinary efforts to source locally, and even more so for their distinctive Colorado cuisine.

We are also happy to present our 2010 Summer Source Guide. It has grown so much, and includes many new, wonderful sources, we decided to post it on our website at edibleaspen.com.  Be sure to review our comprehensive listing of the best western Colorado has to offer from fruit and veggies to meats, dairy, wine and spirits! We’ve also made it easy for you to find area farmers’ markets by including a listing on page 44 with locations, days and hours. We hope to see you there!  Savor the season!

Lisa Houston

Publisher