Eugenia Bone, a Manhattan food writer, was perfectly happy with her life in New York City, but her husband, Kevin, was filled with formless discontent. Reluctantly, she agreed when he returned from a fishing trip in the western Rockies and told her he wanted to buy a forty-five-acre ranch in Crawford, Colorado (population 255). Then, she did what any urban food lover would - she loaded artichokes in oil, imported pasta, cured Italian salamis, and other survival items into her bag and headed west, with her two young children.

At Mesa's Edge is a story of restoration, rejuvenation, and discovery. As Eugenia struggles with barbed wire, marauding cattle, and defiant skunks, she begins to explore the fertile valley around her. She learns to garden, fly-fish, forage, and hunt. Grilling steaks from the local coop, frying dandelion blossoms in tempura, stuffing peppers with guacamole, pan-frying trout, and making sour cherry pies with thick, sugary crusts, Eugenia gradually realizes that the best food is not imported from Tuscany or Provence but found in our own backyards.

The second part of the book consists of more than 100 recipes, from Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Cilantro Mayonnaise to Cherry Brownies. Through her journey, Eugenia discovers the beauty and abundance of the land, and the joy of creating delicious meals from local, seasonal ingredients. Her story is a testament to the power of adaptation, the rewards of embracing the unfamiliar, and the deep satisfaction that comes from reconnecting with the natural world and the simple pleasures of homegrown food.

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