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.
Balsamic Braised Grass-Fed Lamb Shanks
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
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2 tbsp kosher salt plus more for seasoning
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Freshly ground black pepper
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2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
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1 tsp coarsely ground fennel seeds
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7 garlic cloves, 1 grated, 6 minced
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Zest from 1 lemon
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3 tbsp olive oil
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2 large onions, minced
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2 tbsp all-purpose flour
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1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
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1.5 cups balsamic vinegar
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4 cups (or more) chicken broth or lamb stock
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Gingerbread Ranch Cookies
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).
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!
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.
Arturo, crew lead, keeping bins clear of leaves during a morning pick of Cabernet Sauvignon – Mayacamas Estate
Cellar Master, Isaac loading grapes into the crusher/destemmer
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
Harvest Cake
Harvest Cake With Grapes and Grape Syrup
Pair with Long Meadow Ranch Late Harvest Chardonnay, Anderson Valley
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- Finely grated zest of 1 small orange
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups seedless red grapes
- 1-quart unsweetened grape juice
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the granulated sugar until pale yellow. Whisk in the milk, olive oil, melted butter, lemon zest, orange zest, and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture, followed by 1 1/2 cups of the grapes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 15 minutes. Dot the top of the cake with the remaining 1/2 cup of grapes and bake for about 40 minutes longer, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack, carefully remove the ring and let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, boil the grape juice over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 25 minutes. Let the grape syrup cool to room temperature.
- Remove the cake from the base and transfer to a serving platter. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Cut the cake into wedges and serve, passing the grape syrup at the table.
Tomato Pesto
Tomato Pesto
Pair with Long Meadow Ranch Rosé of Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
INGREDIENTS
- 4 pounds Early Girl tomatoes
- 1/2 pound tomato petals
- 1/2 cup Parmesan (finely grated, Parmigiano-Reggiano is recommended)
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 clove of garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Fill a large 7- to 8-quart pot with 1-gallon water. Bring water to boiling.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato. This encourages the skin to split during blanching so you’ll be able to slip off the skin easily with your fingers once the tomatoes have cooled.
- Working in 1-pound batches, immerse tomatoes in the boiling water.
- Cook for 30 to 60 seconds or until the tomato skins split open.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water.
- When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, use a knife or your fingers to peel the skin off the tomatoes.
- To remove the seeds, cut the tomato in half from side to side, not top to bottom. This keeps the seeds in their little compartments. Now using your finger, a tiny spoon or a butter knife, scrape out the seeds.
- Toss tomato petals in olive oil and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. You can dehydrate them in an oven at 150 degrees for about six hours or in a dehydrator.
- That will yield a half pound after they are dehydrated
- In a food processor combine all ingredients together until it becomes a paste-like consistency season with salt and pepper.
Honeybees
At Long Meadow Ranch, we believe honeybees are an integral part of a sustainable farm. Full circle farming utilizes all parts of the ranch to maintain the health of the whole. The crops at our Rutherford Estate are pollinated by the honeybees we have on property, plus we get to enjoy the honey these amazing creatures make.
We have 10 colonies at our Rutherford Estate, each with three kinds of honeybees: a queen, workers and drones.
Let’s start with the queen, as she is the largest and most important bee in the hive–she produces all of the progeny. There is only one queen per colony and her only job is to lay eggs. She can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day during peak season!
Next up, we have the worker bees. They are infertile female bees that make up the majority of the colony’s population and keep the hive going. Worker bee jobs change depending on where they are in their lifespan. Jobs include cleaning the hive, taking care of the larvae (nurse bee) protecting and feeding the queen, collecting nectar and pollen, making honey and wax, and guarding the hive.
And finally, we have the drones. All male, drones are the bees that come from unfertilized eggs. There are at least 100 drones per hive and they are kicked out by worker bees in the fall. They have larger eyes than the queen and worker bees, their bodies are larger and broader and they live longer than workers, and they are the only honeybees that do not have a stinger. Drones carry all of the genetic material for the hive. Their job is to build morale before they leave the hive and mate with virgin queen bees.
Beekeepers (ours is the uber-talented Rob Keller) use smoke on their hands and arms to calm the bees when entering a hive. The smoke masks alarm pheromones released by guard (worker) bees, creating an opportunity for the beekeeper to open the hive and work relatively safely.
There are more than 2,500 native pollinators in California, but only the honeybee genus (apis) produces wax. Worker bees produce wax from four sets of glands in their lower abdomen. The wax scales are passed from the abdomen forward to the front legs, then into the bee’s mouth. The bee then uses its powerful mandibles to masticate the wax for building the comb. The hexagonal shape of the comb is vital to the success of the hive, as it is used for rearing the brood and storing pollen and honey. The size of the cells determine the sex of the egg the queen lays inside the cell (drone or worker). It takes approximately 1 pound of honey to create 1 ounce of wax!
The forager worker bees fly around a 4-mile radius to collect sugary nectar (50% water) from flower blossoms to bring back to the hive. When their honey stomachs (they have a food stomach, as well) are full, they return to the hive to share the nectar with the other worker bees. They pass the nectar from bee to bee. The heat from this activity activates the enzymes that turn the nectar into honey. After it’s fully processed, the wet honey is transferred into one of the cells, which acts like a jar. To dry the honey, the worker bees fan it with their wings, until it becomes the sticky honey we know and love (18% water). At this point, the bees cap the cell with wax to keep it clean.
Each time Rob visits our hives, he not only checks the frames, but he is looking for any signs of unusual activity or disease, as well as the various pollens the workers have collected. He does this by reading the monitoring tray that sits below a screen under each hive. Particles fall onto the monitoring trays, often mirroring the lines of the frames. These particles tell the story of the hive.
Rob takes meticulous notes each visit and smears a little bit of the various pollens he collects, so we can track the differences through the seasons. Someday, we (the collective we) hope to be able to see where bees are actually foraging by studying the pollen they bring back to the hive.
Now for the part we all patiently await–the honey! Once 80+% of the comb has been capped, we can pull the frame and process the honey. We often keep the beautiful frames for events at our restaurant at Farmstead, but we extract most of the honey from the comb to produce the sticky, sweet, delectable stuff you can find at our farmer’s market and general store.
Rob uses a small basket press lined with a mesh cloth bag to extract the honey from the comb.
He then breaks up the comb and puts it into the mesh bag inside the basket of the press.
Next, he spins the handle at the top of the press, pushing the metal plate down into the basket, gently compacting the comb and extracting the honey.
The honey comes out into the tray and funnels through a fine mesh sieve to make sure no particles other than honey make it into the final product.
