The Beet

April 20, 2019

Calving at Tomales Station

April marks the start of calving season at our Tomales Station in Marin County, just 5 miles from the coast. We recently caught up with our ranchers José Luis Flores and Bill Jensen to meet the calves and learn about the operation.

Bill, who was raised in Tomales, shared some interesting observations about this year’s winter weather. Growing up, he and his friends knew March as “Kite Month,” due to its cool and blustery, but often dry, conditions. This year was a particularly rainy season, with the wet conditions extending through the end of April. It left the ranch with an abundance of lush, green grass and some very happy cows, but sadly no kite flying. Over a dozen calves have been born this spring, and we are expecting about 90 total. On the day we visited, mother cows were carefully watching their calves, many of which were dozing off in the grass.

PASTURE BREEDING

In the summer months, José Luis transports our bulls, who live most of the year at our Mayacamas Estate, to Tomales Station. The cows are grouped into pastures in small herds of about 30 cows. Just one bull is placed in each pasture to breed with the females, since allowing more than one bull per pasture results in bullfights. The bulls remain in their respective pastures with the cows for about four months to ensure each cow will bear a calf. The gestation period lasts 305 days or about 10 months, so most of the cows give birth throughout the months of April & May.

FROM NURSING TO GRAZING

For their first few days of life, the calves will only nurse. Then around five or six days old they begin grazing, by watching their mothers and following their lead, they learn to nibble at the ground. The green, lush spring grass in Tomales is easy for them to digest, but the calves won’t rely solely on forage until they are weaned at around six and a half months. In November, José Luis and Bill will move the calves from their mothers into separate pastures and once the female calves mature, they will become part of the breeding program.

Man in cowboy hat standing in a field with longhorns

April 15, 2019

Rutherford Estate – Greenhouses

Have you ever wondered where all the delicious, fresh organic produce in your Farmstead meal comes from? You’ll find the hub of our farming operation just off Highway 29 at our Rutherford Estate, where our farmers grow most of the vegetables and fruits we use at Farmstead and the Farmers’ Market. Each year, the growing season begins in the greenhouse where we cultivate seedlings for over 100 different varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables. Come on a tour of our two greenhouses with Jess and Noel, Culinary Farm Manager and Production Coordinator, to see what’s growing.

Heading into spring, the greenhouses at our Rutherford Estate are at capacity, and our seedlings and farmers are eagerly awaiting the arrival of warmer, drier weather.

GREENHOUSE 1: THE STARTER NURSERY

Everything grown in the greenhouse is started from seed sourced from certified organic seed banks. The majority of our produce begins its growth cycle here.

Locally grown peppers at Long Meadow Ranch

Greenhouse 1 is kept at a balmy 75 degrees. Seeds are planted directly in a small tray of unfertilized soil then nurtured until they sprout. Once they have two true leaves, we move them to our second greenhouse.

Locally sourced herbs at the Long Meadow Ranch greenhouses

GREENHOUSE 2: THE COOL HOUSE

Greenhouse 2 is kept at a slightly lower temperature. As we transfer the seedlings into this greenhouse, we start to fertilize them, about once a week. We use fish emulsion and a probiotic mix to promote equal root and leaf growth.

The seedlings are coddled in the greenhouses with the warm temperatures and lack of exposure to the natural elements (temperature fluctuation, full sun exposure, wind) so they need to be prepared for their eventual transplant to the fields. To prepare them, they are placed outside daily for an increasing amount of time, until they are stable enough to be transplanted. This process is called “hardening off” and is done to prevent transplant shock.

WHAT’S GROWING ON

We are seeding some popular summer crops including tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, as well as multiple varieties of microgreens, which are grown year-round in the greenhouses.

Next month melons and cucumbers will be seeded. These crops grow much faster than the other summer crops, so they are started slightly later. Melons and cucumbers will go from seed to planting in only a month, whereas tomatoes and peppers need at least six weeks before planting.

Long Meadow Ranch growing their own herbs at the Beet Greenhouses

TOMATOES

Tomato season is the best time of the year at Farmstead. Our dishes are full of color with a variety of heirloom tomatoes to choose from – copia, cherokee purple, lucid gem, and green zebra. Fried green tomatoes are typically on the menu starting in July, followed by the ripe tomatoes in August.

This year we aim to get ripe tomatoes on the table a little sooner than in the past, possibly as early as June. Jess is growing some of the crop in large containers along the inside edges of the greenhouse, giving them a jumpstart on growth while it is still too cold outside. These plants will come to full maturity inside the greenhouse and be ready for harvest in June. The rest of the tomatoes will be transplanted to the field when warmer Napa Valley nights are here to stay and will be ready to eat later in the summer.

MICROGREENS

Greenhouse 2 is currently full of microgreens. All of the microgreens for the restaurant and Chef’s Table are grown in the greenhouses. Once they are ready for harvest, our farm team delivers them in their trays to the restaurant. The culinary crew then cut and plate them as needed. Anything that isn’t used travels back to the farm for composting.

When it comes to choosing what greens to grow, our farmers focus on color. The chefs like a variety of colors for the plate, so we grow beets, chard, radishes, amaranth for their hues of red and yellow. We also grow arugula, tatsoi, celery, and basil. An assortment of microgreens creates a beautiful texture on the plate.

For Chef’s Table, Estate Chef Aaron prefers a different variety of greens and for them to be bigger than what is used in the restaurant, so our farmers mixed and planted a specific blend of seeds just for Chef’s Table. This year they are also growing radishes and turnips, which are kept small. Chef Aaron simply rinses them off and plates them.

Hands touching herbs in the greenhouse at Long Meadow Ranch

April 1, 2019

Poultry

In March we added 100 baby chicks to our family of chickens. These chicks spend their first weeks in the brooder staying warm. Once they grow enough feathers, we move them to a transitional coop with an outdoor run. This summer, they will be introduced to the rest of our hens in our ultramodern chicken coop. Separated at first, the new group will meet the rest of the flock. Once everyone is friendly, the two groups merge and graze on specially-blended, seeded grass in sections of our fruit orchards.

Not only do the hens provide fresh, organic eggs for our restaurant and farmers market’s but they are an integral part of the full-circle farming model that is employed throughout Long Meadow Ranch. They feed on farm scraps, including fallen fruit later in the season, which aids in breaking fruit pest cycles. In addition, their manure contributes to our composting program, adding a necessary nitrogen-rich element.

Having raised chickens for almost 30 years, egg production at Long Meadow Ranch has become a well-honed program. We raise six different breeds of chickens (Red Sex Link, Delaware, Barred Plymouth Rock, Black Australorp, Araucana, and Cuckoo Marans) and each produces eggs of a slightly different color. This diversity creates a beautiful rainbow of multi-colored eggs in the cartons at the Farmers’ Market.

March 25, 2019

Early Spring Salad

Pair with Long Meadow Ranch Pinot Gris, Anderson Valley

INGREDIENTS

2 cup wild arugula
4 cups assorted winter chicories cleaned and chopped
(endive, radicchio, escarole etc all work great)
4 ounces of a firm goat cheese, broken into chunks
1/4 cup Meyer lemon segments
1/4 candied walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

4 tbsp LMR honey
4 tbsp champagne vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup EVOO
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients into a mason jar, shake up emulsified.

Assembly

Mix the chicories and arugula with the dressing adding it slowly until they are well coated
Garnish with the cheese, lemon, walnuts and serve immediately

March 20, 2019

Jess Arnsteen

MEET OUR CULINARY FARM MANAGER,
JESS ARNSTEEN

Originally from Colorado, Jess studied history and philosophy in college before starting a fair trade coffee roasting business with a friend. Eventually, he realized his true passion was in growing food rather than buying and selling it, so he started working on farms. After starting an edible landscape business where he ripped people’s backyard lawns and installed vegetable gardens, he moved on to managing larger and more diversified farms in Colorado. Finally, he moved out here to Northern California.

January 27, 2019

Chicken and Adouille Sausage Jambalaya

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

Pair with Long Meadow Ranch Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

E.J. Church Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
2 pounds boneless-skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups long-grain rice
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp ground black pepper, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Garnish: chopped green onion

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; add sausage and chicken, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned.
Add onion, celery, and bell pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes or until tender.
Add garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add rice, and stir about 3 minutes until lightly toasted.
Add tomatoes, and stir until juices are absorbed. Add broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
Garnish with green onion and parsley.

January 15, 2019

Balsamic Braised Grass-Fed Lamb Shanks

vella cheddar grits and gremolata bread crumbs

Pair with Long Meadow Ranch Merlot, Napa Valley

Long Meadow Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford

INGREDIENTS

Lamb Shanks

6 lb grass-fed lamb shanks (6–8 shanks, depending on size), trimmed
2 tbsp kosher salt plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp coarsely ground fennel seeds
7 garlic cloves, 1 grated, 6 minced
Zest from 1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, minced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1.5 cups balsamic vinegar
4 cups (or more) chicken broth or lamb stock
2 tbsp EVOO

Breadcrumbs

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup clarified butter or ghee
3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

Lamb

Season lamb shanks all over with 2 tbsp salt and generously with pepper. Mix rosemary, fennel seeds, lemon zest and grated garlic in a small bowl. Rub shanks with the mixture and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium-high heat.
Sear shanks on all sides in small batches and remove from pot.
Scrape any crusty bits from the lamb-searing off the bottom of your pot (don’t discard, just scrape them up to loosen them and prevent them from burning).
Next sweat onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden, 8–10 minutes.
Add minced garlic, flour, and red pepper flakes. Whisk to distribute the flour.
Gradually stir in 4 cups broth and balsamic vinegar. Simmer until flavors meld, 3–4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lamb shanks to pot in a single layer, pushing them down until they are at least 3/4 submerged.
Cover and cook, turning shanks occasionally, until meat is fork-tender and almost falling off the bone, 1.5 to 2 hours (time will depend on the size of shanks). Remove from oven and skim off fat from surface of sauce. Let shanks rest in liquid for at least 30 minutes. This will also benefit from sitting overnight.
Remove the shanks from the pot and strain the liquid into a saucepan. Discard the solids.
Cook the sauce over medium heat until it has reduced by half. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and more vinegar if desired. Then pour over the shanks when serving.

Grits

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Slowly stir in the grits.
Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender, 20 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheese, butter, and cream.
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Breadcrumbs

Heat clarified butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the fat is hot add the Panko and continually toss to keep from burning.
Once it is golden brown remove from pan and cool on a sheet tray.
Add a pinch of salt for seasoning.
Using a sharp knife, mince parsley and mix with remaining ingredients in a small bowl; toss to evenly incorporate. Add the cooled breadcrumbs and it’s ready to use.
Place grits in center of bowl or plate and rest lamb shank on top. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parsley, and drizzle with EVOO.

January 10, 2019

Pruning

Getting The Vineyard Ready For The Season: Time To Prune

Sauvignon Blanc, San Mateo Vineyard, Rutherford Estate

When we spoke with Pilo Villanueva, our Crew Foreman, for last month’s Beet, he shared that pruning season is his favorite time of year. Preparing the vines for the growing season is hard work but it is the year’s first critical step toward healthy fruit, and ultimately beautiful wines. It will take our entire vineyard crew a couple of months to complete the daunting task, but it’s well worth the effort.

Pruning is the practice of removing the previous season’s growth from the vines. By removing canes and opening the canopy, we create the right conditions for achieving each vine’s desired fruit quality and quantity. It is one of the most important vineyard operations of the year and sets the growth trajectory for this season.

Long Meadow Ranch workers pruning the vines

Typically we begin in January and continue through early spring. The timing is crucial as it must occur when the vine is completely dormant to promote growth and prevent disease.

METHOD

Pruning methods vary based on the type of trellis – the structure for training and supporting the vine – and because we use various trellis types for different vineyards and varietals, our team has become expert in numerous styles of pruning.

In our San Mateo Ranch Sauvignon Blanc vineyard at our Rutherford Estate the vines are cane pruned on an open lyre trellis.

View down the pruned branches of vines at Long Meadow Ranch

open lyre trellis, before pruning

With cane pruning, the optimal canes from the previous season’s growth are chosen to be the new fruiting canes, and we remove all other canes. Our crew looks for healthy canes that will promote ideal fruit orientation with open clusters, even light, and airflow. Our practice is to leave four canes per vine.

With over 150 planted acres of vines, pruning is no small chore. It is time and labor intensive for our crew, requiring technique and skill. After many weeks of work, we impatiently await bud break, hopefully after the last frost, and the start of a new growth cycle.

December 20, 2018

Gingerbread Ranch Cookies

Great with our Stumptown Farmstead Blend Organic Coffee

INGREDIENTS

18 oz all-purpose flour
6 oz brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup molasses
1 oz whole milk

ICING

1 lb powdered sugar
4 tbsp whole milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl: all-purpose flour, brown sugar cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cloves, and salt. Set aside.
Melt butter. Pour into mixing bowl with paddle attachment.
Add molasses and whole milk and mix together.
Slowly add the dry ingredients, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure it is well mixed.
Pat dough into a square and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Roll out dough using a small amount of flour to keep from sticking. Cut out shapes. Re-roll scraps and continue to cut out shapes.
Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes before baking.
Space out cookies on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 350F for approximately 8-12 minutes, depending on your preference for soft or crispy cookies.
Allow to cool completely before decorating.

ICING

Mix powdered sugar and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until spreadable (mixture will thicken slightly as it sets).

December 1, 2018

Harvest 2018

HARVEST 2018 WRAP UP

Around mid-summer we saw the first sign that harvest season was near: veraison! Veraison is when the red grape varietals start to change color from green to purple. We started seeing veraison in our vineyards towards the end of July.

Night harvest of Sauvignon Blanc in early September – Rutherford Estate

Harvest began at our Rutherford Estate with a late night pick of Sauvignon Blanc on August 26th. We pick Sauvignon Blanc at night because the cooler temperatures keep the grapes firmer and more stable, which is optimal for processing and fermentation. Our Sauvignon Blanc vineyards were picked over period of about one month.

Our team was on the move with a lot of ground to cover as our Anderson Valley Estate harvest of Chardonnay started on September 6th.

Anderson Valley Estate Winemaker, Stéphane Vivier, checks the quality of the Chardonnay grapes in the harvest bin after they have been picked.

Stéphane does a daily tank walk to quality check each tank of Rosé of Pinot Noir as it ferments.

NEXT UP: OUR NAPA VALLEY REDS!

Large containers of grapes during harvest

Early morning Merlot harvest – Rutherford Estate

In early October, it was time to harvest our Merlot and Sangiovese. We have Merlot planted at both our estates, and the Sangiovese is all in Peter’s Vineyard, located on our Mayacamas Estate, at 1000ft.

Prior to harvesting the grapes, our crew goes through the vineyard and removes all leaves in the fruit zone. They do this so that no leaves mix with the fruit in the large bins, allowing for a cleaner pick of the fruit.

Cabernet Sauvignon is always last to be harvested, as this grape varietal takes the longest to ripen. We harvested our Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards up until the 1st of November, with the Cabernet Sauvignon at our Rutherford Estate being the final pick.

Harvesting grapes at Bear Canyon Long Meadow Ranch

Arturo, crew lead, keeping bins clear of leaves during a morning pick of Cabernet Sauvignon – Mayacamas Estate

Moving grapes from tractor to production facility

Cellar Master, Isaac loading grapes into the crusher/destemmer

Man standing on a ladder in order to move grapes to ferment

Crushpad – Mayacamas Estate Winery

Winemaker, Justin Carr, and intern, Ben Buckingham, on the crushpad, crushing Sangiovese, harvested from the Mayacamas Estate vineyard. Grape clusters are loaded into the crusher destemmer, to separate the grapes from their stems.

Post destemming, the berries and juice are headed into fermentation bins

Small batch fermentation begins

November 1, the last day of harvest

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THE BEET: NEWS & NOTES FROM THE RANCH

PASTURE BREEDING

FROM NURSING TO GRAZING

GREENHOUSE 1: THE STARTER NURSERY

GREENHOUSE 2: THE COOL HOUSE

WHAT’S GROWING ON

TOMATOES

MICROGREENS

Early Spring Salad

Pair with Long Meadow Ranch Pinot Gris, Anderson Valley

INGREDIENTS

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

INSTRUCTIONS

Vinaigrette

Assembly

MEET OUR CULINARY FARM MANAGER, JESS ARNSTEEN

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

Pair with Long Meadow Ranch Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Balsamic Braised Grass-Fed Lamb Shanks

Pair with Long Meadow Ranch Merlot, Napa Valley

INGREDIENTS

Lamb Shanks

Breadcrumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

Lamb

Grits

Breadcrumbs

Getting The Vineyard Ready For The Season: Time To Prune

Sauvignon Blanc, San Mateo Vineyard, Rutherford Estate

METHOD

Gingerbread Ranch Cookies

Great with our Stumptown Farmstead Blend Organic Coffee

INGREDIENTS

ICING

INSTRUCTIONS

ICING

HARVEST 2018 WRAP UP

NEXT UP: OUR NAPA VALLEY REDS!

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MEET OUR CULINARY FARM MANAGER,
JESS ARNSTEEN