An Open Fire Ranch Dinner
I'm sure many of you can attest to the fact that you've cooked at home much more this past year. Michael and I, both introverts at heart, haven't minded it a bit, and have in fact both rediscovered a love for cooking and grown to appreciate the creativity it allows for more than we ever have. It's been fun to explore it together, try new recipes, learn new techniques, try new food + wine pairings, watch documentaries, etc. It's a wonderful way to spend time together post-kiddo bedtime, with a delicious end result to boot, and I'm here for it.
We recently watched an episode of Chef's Table on Netflix about Francis Mallman and we were fascinated by his approach to cooking, not to mention all the incredible open fire meals he prepared on the show. It was so fun to watch and we were geeking out over how cool it was. So much so, that we decided to give it a try ourselves! We had plans to spend Memorial Day weekend at Our Father's Ranch in Oregon's Rogue Valley, and thought it'd be the perfect place to try out our open fire cooking skills.
The wonderful thing about the ranch is just about everything is right at your fingertips. Fresh eggs from the chicken coop, fresh produce from the garden, florals all over the place just waiting to be foraged for a bouquet, a beautiful backdrop of green grass and rolling hills. Pretty ideal for an al fresco open fire feast, if you ask me.
When planning the evening, we knew we wanted it to be simple, rustic, natural, and beautiful (and of course, delicious). Michael's been obsessed with perfecting his steak-grilling abilities, so having a big 'ol steak (sourced from a local butcher with the most beautiful cuts of meat) as the main course was a given. We decided to pair it with a big bunch of fresh, colorful veggies - because when is that ever a bad choice?!
As for appetizers and dessert, I knew I had to draw inspiration from my favorite book on entertaining, Pacific Natural by Jenni Kayne, and bring in two of my favorite recipes: the Crostini with Ricotta, Wild Mushroom & Rosemary and the Mixed Berry Crumble. They were a hit, as always. Jenni, you never steer me wrong.
Michael and I both love to entertain, so being able to bring this dinner to life was just so much fun. I have to say, the food all turned out amazing (look out, Francis), and being able to flex our entertaining muscles for the first time in a while was so energizing. Hoping this is the first of many special dinners to be had at Our Father's Ranch and beyond! What should we cook next?
"Our Father’s Ranch is a boutique working cattle ranch located on 112 beautiful irrigated acres of farmland in Southern Oregon. There are many opportunities and places here to be still… places to rest, retreat, renew, relax and recalibrate your heart, soul, body, mind and spirit."