Workshops: Pick Fresh, Create Fun, Hands-On Experiences

There’s something truly special about tamale season in New Mexico — the laughter in the kitchen, the smell of red and green chile filling the air, and the joy of making something delicious together by hand. This holiday season, join us for our Tamale Making Classes at Big Jim Farms, where warmth, tradition, and community come together.

Each class is a cozy, hands-on experience where you’ll learn to make tamales from scratch — from preparing the masa to filling, wrapping, and steaming. You’ll take home a dozen tamales you’ve made yourself, along with recipes, new skills, and a heart full of New Mexico flavor.

🌶️ Tamale Options: (Pick your option during booking)

• Red Chile Pork Tamales 
• Green Chile Chicken Tamales

At Big Jim Farms, we have been growing the best green and red chile for over a century. We opened up our U-Pick experience as a place where the community can come together and see where it all comes from, how it is grown, and a chance to do it themselves.

We love to see the traditions of our New Mexican heritage continued through the U-Pick experience and are proud to offer an extension of this through our Red Chile Ristra workshop. Learn about the history of the Red Chile Ristra, Chile in New Mexico, and how to make your own start to finish. You get to take home your beautiful creation at the end of your class and many memories too.

 Experience the magic of farm-to-table cooking series in a unique collaboration between Big Jim Farms and Chef John LeTard of The Unseen Chef. Each class begins with a walk through the fields, where participants harvest fresh, seasonal ingredients before heading to our outdoor kitchen to transform them into elevated dishes that celebrate both New Mexican tradition and global flavors.

This isn’t a single class — it’s a culinary journey. Each week spotlights a new theme and menu, so you can join one class for a taste, or all five for the full seasonal experience. By the end, you’ll not only have new recipes and techniques, but also the memory of creating meals from scratch in the very place they were grown.

✨ The Series Menu ✨

• September 6 – Green Chile Rellenos with Handmade Flour Tortillas
  Roast green chile straight from the fields, stuff them with cheese, and fry to golden perfection — paired with warm, hand-rolled tortillas made from scratch.
• September 13 – Orecchiette Pasta with Farm Herbs & Vegetables
  Learn the art of shaping fresh pasta by hand, tossed with a sauce of seasonal herbs, squash, and tomatoes picked that day.
• September 20 – Global Eggplant
  Explore eggplant’s versatility across cultures: smoky Middle Eastern baba ghanoush, rustic Italian caponata, an Asian-inspired stir-fry, and a New Mexican twist with chile.
• October 4 – Harvest-to-Table Vegetarian Feast
  Celebrate the autumn harvest with a colorful New Mexican succotash of corn, squash, peppers, and beans, paired with a bright tomato–herb salad, and finished with warm, grilled flatbread made in our outdoor kitchen.
• October 11 – Red Chile Enchiladas with Calabacitas
  Build classic stacked enchiladas layered with rich red chile sauce made from scratch using our farm-grown red chile, alongside calabacitas prepared with squash, corn, and local herbs.

About the Chef
Chef John LeTard, founder of The Unseen Chef, offers private culinary experiences that blend comfort, flavor, and a touch of surprise. A graduate of CNM Culinary School, he built his career at Four Hills Country Club and Hyatt Regency Tamaya — working at both The Corn Maiden and Santa Ana Café — and now serves as an Event Chef at Campo at Los Poblanos. His background includes award-winning competition experience and years of banquet and fine-dining work, shaping his precise yet approachable style.

Join us for one class, or the entire series — each week offers a new flavor, a new story, and a new way to connect with the land, the food, and each other.

Join us for a unique experience where you pick your own flowers from our field to use in a guided workshop that teaches the art of flower arranging. Begin by picking vibrant sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos. Then, choose a container to embellish or use craft paper and ribbon to create a classic bouquet. We will also provide additional fillers to complement your bouquet design.

This is a perfect opportunity to learn the fundamentals of floral design and composition. We also use this as an opportunity to guide you through growing these various flowers in New Mexico and harvesting techniques.

Our picturesque fields provide excellent photo opportunities with stunning views of farm fields and the Sandia Mountains. Whether you are on a solo adventure, with friends, a date, as a group activity, or for family fun, this class offers something for everyone. The session will last approximately an hour and includes all necessary supplies, guidance, and a floral arrangement to take home.

 You're invited to a magical evening at Big Jim Farms for our Farm Dinner Series, a one-of-a-kind farm-to-table experience featuring Chef Domonick Campos. Enjoy a beautifully curated four-course dinner crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients straight from our fields. Each course is perfectly paired with wines from the award-winning Sheehan Winery, enhancing every bite with a touch of local flavor.

As part of your evening, you’ll also get to create your own sunflower bouquet with a complimentary U-Pick experience in our vibrant sunflower fields. This unique dinner event offers more than just a meal, it’s an immersive celebration of food, community, and the beauty of summer and fall on the farm.

Dinner dates are Saturday, August 2nd • Saturday, September 13th  • Saturday, September 27th • Saturday, October 4th.

Tickets are $125 per person and include everything: a 4-course dinner, wine pairings, sunflower bouquet, and an unforgettable evening on the farm. Seating is limited and advance reservations are required.

This series is expected to sell out quickly