BY MIGUEL OTÁROLA, @MOTAROLA_EATS

The holistic approach to both gardening and cooking that some of the women behind Denver's "New Native American Cuisine" follow is one I think many city dwellers with their own backyards could benefit from. Cultivating the soil, following weather patterns for rain and sunlight, seeing how plants grow in a symbiotic relationship with what's around them. Makes sense, doesn't it? Perhaps, during an evening walk, you'll come across a garden that puts your own horticultural goals in perspective for you.

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EAT THIS

Kumoya

Nasu, or eggplant, is commonly found as a starter course or side dish in Japanese restaurants. Never had I seen it prepared the way they did at Kumoya, which took over the former LoHi location of Tony P's in 2023. The restaurant -- one of several owned by Juan Padro's Culinary Creative Group -- has three distinct dining rooms to enjoy its upscale variations on sashimi and expansive sake collection. The nasu misoyake looks quaint compared to the other delicacies. Don't let that fool you. The combination of broiled eggplant, miso glaze and bubu abare (crispy rice crackers) rivals everything else on the menu. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the gooey eggplant inside.