A Visit to Pozzi Ranch and Grilled Pozzi Lamb Steaks

My Traveling Tales by Linda

"I dislike the thought that some animal has been made miserable to feed me. If I am going to eat meat, I want it to be from an animal that has lived a pleasant, uncrowded life outdoors, on bountiful pasture, with good water nearby and trees for shade."  ~ Wendell Berry

Joe Pozzi, owner of Pozzi Ranch.

    On the second day of our Team Build this past October, the day after my Team Leader group had visited Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, we took a trip into the hills of MALT protected land and visited Pozzi Ranch. In spite of a very busy schedule, Joe Pozzi graciously invited all of us to his ranch for a tour of the land, operations and a grilled lamb lunch. We were interested in learning all about how he raises his sheep and cattle, because we sell his local lamb in Whole Foods Market at our store in San Rafael. I love lamb, and Pozzi lamb is the best I have ever tasted, so I was very curious to see the reasons why Pozzi lamb is so superior in my view.

 

   Pozzi Ranch is located on the coastal California hills that overlook the town of Bodega in Sonoma County, California. For over 40 years, Joe Pozzi has raised natural, grass-fed lambs and cattle on the pastures of Pozzi Ranch and other grassland throughout Sonoma and Marin County. The land is protected by Joe and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust. For more information on MALT (an organization that I have great respect for) click here.
   Joe is one of eight children that were raised on this land, and he has continued on with the family business of ranching. His own daughter, Alex, was born here, and grew up working along side her Dad. She plans to return after college to help run the family business.

   Soon after arriving at the house. Joe invited us to all pile into his truck, and drive to a location at the top of his ranch that provides amazing vistas out toward the coast. I rode in the cab with Joe and we talked while we drove up the hill. He expressed to me how important is was to him that we see for ourselves that the land is the foundation of his business. All of the families that we visited on our three day tour of local farms and ranches related to us their deep reverence of the land, and love of the animals that they raise. We were to discover that one really can taste the terroir in the food they make or raise. Terroir is the set of special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place produce. This place interacts with the plant or animal's genetics and is expressed in agricultural products, such as wine, cheese and meat.

   On the top of the breezy hill, in the chill of the morning air, we could smell the salty sea air and how it mixed with the smell of the dry grass, trees, manure and animals. It took me back to my days growing up on a small farm in the Central Coast where we raised goats for milk, and both cattle and lambs for our food.

   After our trip up the hill, we drove back down to a herd of sheep, so Joe could show us how he works with his old pal Sam. Sam is an aging Border Collie who is one of the loves of Joe's life. Joe never said that to me in just those words, but it was evident in the bond between man and dog. In spite of his age, Sam spryly herded the sheep out of the holding pen that they were in, and guided them into the barn where Joe was going to demonstrate for us how to shear a sheep. The wool harvested from Joe's sheep is also an important product that is produced at Pozzi Ranch.

After Sam herds the sheep out of a holding pen, they wait for Sam to guide them into the barn.

No stragglers allowed.

Sam looks to Joe for further instructions.

A job well done.

   Then Joe, a practiced sheep-shearer, showed us how it is done. He demonstrated to us how he balances the sheep against his legs making the animal feel safe and secure while the fleece is quickly sheared off. The wool is sold and is also used to make several value-added products on the ranch including a beautiful felt and reusable dryer balls that naturally remove static from clothing. The whole process of wool shearing took less then five minutes.

Joe steadies the sheep against his legs and then quickly begins the shearing process.

 

Shorn and back to the rest of the herd in a flash.

Joe talks with us about the wool from his sheep.

 
   After the tour and the shearing we had worked up an appetite. It was time to turn the sheep back into the pasture, and help Joe get lunch ready. Grilled lamb leg steaks were the star of the menu for most of us, except for Shereen who is a vegan, but we had brought along salad and sides that she could enjoy. She did, however, really like petting the sheep and feeling the wool.
   Joe maintains a herd for breeding stock. The lambs that go to market for meat production from this herd are all less than eight months old, which is not the case for much of so called "lamb" that one finds that is raised in larger operations. Because the lamb is young and has been exclusively fed on its mother's milk and the rich grass of Pozzi Ranch, it has none of the gamey flavor that is commonly associated with meat coming from older lambs.

Shereen loves the feel of the freshly cut wool.

Maggie and Sam prepare to let the sheep back into the pasture.

Sheep and I share a moment of contemplating one another.

Our Team from the left: Bryan, Andrew, Thomas, Andrea, Meghan, Shereen, me, Clarke, Ruth, Elaine, Creg, Noe and Maggie. (Photo by Joe Pozzi)

      I spend very little time in my life envying others. I have so much to be grateful for, and I love my life in my downtown Petaluma neighborhood. However, I must admit to feeling a bit envious that day as we departed Pozzi Ranch. A simple life lived on beautiful ranch land while tending ones animals is a life that really appeals to me. Joe shared with me in our conversation in the truck ride up the hill, that ranching is a hard life, and it is not for everyone. I know this to be true from the five years that our family spent on our farm in Lompoc. But I can't help but remember wistfully, that there is something honest and true and incredibly soul-satisfying about raising your own food and living out on a piece of land. I remember well the days of fresh vegetables from our garden, fruit from our own trees, boysenberries from our bushes, eggs from our chickens, milk from our goats, and our lambs and cattle that provided us with meat.
   I think we all came away with a tremendous respect for the integrity, hard work and care with which Joe Pozzi and his family tend this ranch and treat the animals that they raise. It is of no small satisfaction to me to know that there are still sturdy souls who work in harmony with the land and who tend their animals with great care, in ways that are ancient and sacred. Moreover, it is a great comfort to know that this land and its inhabitants will continue on this way for the generations who follow, thanks to the protection provided by Joe and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust.

The best of friends... Sam and Joe.

Grilled Lamb Steaks from Pozzi Ranch

Linda's Cuba Libre Cocktail

by Linda

"There's naught, no doubt, so much the spirit calms as rum and true religion."

                                                                                       ~Lord Byron

   As we enter into our fifth year of writing Salvation Sisters, we sisters agreed that we would begin 2014 with our now established "tradition" of publishing a cocktail recipe on the last Sunday of the year. For the last several years, I have shared a recipe for one of my concoctions to celebrate ringing in the New Year.
   Among we sisters, I am the sister who is known as the cocktail maker... well, I take that back since Juliette can lay claim to the title because she actually was a professional bartender in her fairly recent past. While I have never made drinks to earn a living,  I do have a definite "penchant" (said by me with a French accent) for experimenting with cocktails at home and on the road. Michelle even refers to me as "The Transporter", because I am in favor of taking cocktails to go, such as our Strawberry Lemon Drop. At home, I love to experiment making various cocktails like my signature Cosmo, The Fort Bragg Blossom, our Fragolino Martini and my Blood Orange Cosmo inspired by a Sistercation in Las Vegas. Upon reflection, our very first post was written by Michelle about our Pineapple Martini, a.k.a "Happy Juice". This was a recipe that evolved from a famous Hawaiian restauranteur, but I had a desire to make it using real vanilla bean and no added sugar.

   So why am I doing a post on a rum and coke cocktail you might ask, since it would seem that there is little left to say on the matter involving such a basic cocktail? Perhaps it is because this classic cocktail evokes images of balmy nights, now that I am in the midst of Winter here in Northern California (I know, I can hear the collective gasps of disgust from those of you from much colder climes). However, cold happens to be what you are acclimated to, and to me, several weeks of nights this past December in the teens constitutes cold! So, here is a toast to Summer, which thankfully is returning, and I do in fact, have a few tips to share for making what I consider to be the best rum and coke ever.
   Happy New Year from the Salvation Sisters! Linda, Juliette and Michelle

Number One: Choose really good rum. I am a fan of Bacardi® Select. It is a premium crafted rum and it tastes better without the huge price tag.

Number Two: I am in the camp of those who think that Mexican Coca Cola tastes better. It also does not have HFCS. Maybe it is all in my imagination, but I think beverages made with cane sugar and no aluminum can just taste better.

Number Three: I like dark rum instead of the traditional light rum.

Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:
Bacardi® Select Dark Rum
Mexican Coca Cola® in a glass bottle ( I found mine at BevMo, but they can often be found stocked in Mexican restaurants and on taco trucks)
Fresh lime wedges

Procedure:
Start with a tall glass. Add 2 shots of the rum and fill the glass to the top with coke. Add a lime wedge to the rim of the glass for garnish. When ready to drink, squeeze the lime wedge into the drink and drop into the cocktail.

Visiting Tomales Bay, Hog Island Oyster Farm, Shucking Oysters and Mark's Mignonette for Oysters on the Half Shell

My Traveling Tales by Linda

"As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans." 

                                                                         ~ Ernest Hemingway, from a Moveable Feast

My son Jordan + fresh oysters from Hog Island Oyster Farm = ♥ 

   The summer before last, I moved an hour south from my home of Guerneville, California, to the city of Petaluma. As much as I loved the beautiful environs that frame the funky town of Guerneville, with the move to Petaluma I left the isolation and damp of the river town for the many amenities that one can find living in a small city. One such benefit, is being able to be at the Hog Island Oyster Farm in Marshall, by way of a short and scenic thirty minute drive. If you are planning a visit to California's famous Bay Area, Tomales Bay is well worth making the effort to visit.

Tomales Bay, California in Winter. .. stunningly beautiful and pristine.

   This past year, my son Jordan and I took a trip out to Marshall on the day after Christmas. Off we went on a dazzlingly bright winter's day in his very tall truck (yes... the one that I have such a difficult time climbing into) in search of oysters. Jordan was raised in close proximity to the ocean, and now that he lives in a mountain town far from the water, he was looking forward to spending some time on the coast.

  Oyster farming is the main industry on the bay (although the Giacomini family makes amazing cheese just up the road at the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company), and the oysters that grow here have the benefit of maturing to harvesting size in the clear, clean and cold waters of Northern California. Hog Island's Farm has a seating area with a view of the bay, and with the purchase of oysters, they will provide you with a shucking knife and the other accoutrements that you will need to have for the perfect seaside feast. Reservations are required.

The picnic area at Hog Island Oyster Farm in Marshall, California.

The oyster bar known as The Boat on Hog Island Oyster Farm.

   In recent years Hog Island has built an oyster shack which they call The Boat, where one can purchase oysters, barbequed oysters, cheese and the like. You can now order drinks and let the guys or gals behind the counter do the shucking or grilling while you sip on a cold beverage.

The lay of the land and sea.

This is where you catch the valet parking if desired, but there is usually 
plenty of parking on Highway 1.

Lucky me... lunch is on Jordan at Nick's Cove in Marshall. Merry Christmas to Mom!

   Jordan and I picked up our oysters, and stowed them away in an ice chest to take home. We then headed for Nick's Cove on Highway 1 in Marshall to have some lunch. Nick's is a very short distance from Hog Island Oyster Farm, and it is such a scenic place to have lunch or dinner, that it makes it easy to overlook the sometimes uneven service and pricey food. Let's face it... you are paying for that spectacular and tranquil view, also. Nick's does have a nice selection of local wines, and Jordan and I tried out a tasty Sauvignon Blanc from Jus Soli, which we both thought paired well with our fried calamari and Dungeness crab salads.

"Live to Shuck" is their motto at Hog Island Oyster Farm. This shot was taken at the
end of August on a day when no Winter jackets were needed.

Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib): At Home for the Holidays

by Linda

"The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roast beef; love, like being enlivened with champagne." ~ Samuel Johnson

The roasted and rested roast is ready to have the ribs removed. You can have your butcher
remove them and tie them back on, but this is an easy step to do at the end
(just before serving) and allows for a more moist and more flavorful roast.

   For many years I preferred to serve a Mexican fiesta-inpired meal on Christmas Day. It is still a great choice, and it is not only delicious, but economical if you are planning to serve for a large gathering. Last year was a game changer, though, and I decided it was time for me to cook my first prime rib roast ever. 

   In truth, I was alway a bit intimidated by cooking a standing rib roast. Prime rib has alway been one of my favorite meals to order when dining out, because I never made it at home. That all changed when I met Mark, who was a confident expert at cooking this King of Roasts.

   Prime rib refers to the king of beef cuts, the standing rib roast, “standing” because to cook it, you simply position the roast on its rib bones in the roasting pan, no need for a rack. 

Jordan and Mark in their Christmas morning hats… a present from moi!

Even the Aloe celebrated by blooming at Christmas!

Since my son Jordan was coming for Christmas and loves prime rib, I decided that we should have a go at serving it for dinner on Christmas Day. I purchased a beautiful three rib roast from my local Whole Foods Market. I think it is worth mentioning here, that it is important to know where your beef is coming from and how it is raised before it goes to market. Know your source.
   Most of the research that I have done, suggests purchasing at minimum three ribs. Otherwise, you are just cooking a very thick steak. A good rule of thumb is two servings per rib.

 A cozy fire blazes on Christmas morning.

My son Jordan, a wildland firefighter Captain in the Plumas National Forest, was finally getting some rest and relaxation after a very long fire season had come to an end.

   When the prime rib was cooked to perfection, and we served it up with uncut horseradish, which made Jordan a very happy man, since he thinks adulterated horseradish is an abomination. The sides were mashed potatoes and green beans. Jordan was so happy in fact, with this memorable feast, that he called Mark for the roasting instructions for Thanksgiving brunch at his home this year (dinner of course, was a turkey cooked by Grillmaster Steve and Nolan at their cabin in the woods that evening). Here you go, Jordan, with love from Mom and Mark… instructions at the ready for future celebrations tucked away in your virtual recipe box.

An orb spider gifted us with this beautiful web on our outdoor Christmas tree.

Standing Rib Roast: Prime Rib

Juicy and medium rare goodness… what a holiday treat!

Ingredients:

3 bone Prime Rib roast (aprox. 6+ lbs.)

fresh rosemary and thyme

4-5 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

olive oil

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 onion

2 bay leaves

1 cup red wine

Procedure:

Bring roast to room temperature (usually takes about 1 1/2 hours on kitchen counter)

Meanwhile, make a wet paste, or rub with the thyme, rosemary, and garlic and a small amount of olive oil. All chopped finely.

Liberally salt and pepper the roast while it is losing its chill. Apply rub all over the roast and cover in plastic wrap.

Mark made a rub from fresh minced garlic, chopped fresh rosemary and thyme. 
Salt and pepper the exterior well.

   While roast is coming up to temp, pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Chop the carrots, celery, and onions  in large dice and then add to a sauté pan over med-high heat with one tablespoon olive oil and the bay leaves. Sauté the vegetables until glossy and slightly cooked.  Put mixture into large roasting pan.

 

Chopped vegetables provided a base and added flavor for the roast.

   When meat is ready, put roast in the same roasting pan with the fat-side of the roast facing up. When the oven is hot, put the roast in and cook for 20 minutes to sear the outside of the roast. After 20 minutes turn the oven down to 325 degrees, and roast until the desired internal temperature is reached (see guide below). Cook roast for about 20 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer reads 120-130 degrees for medium rare. Cooking will carry over after removal from the oven. When at correct temperature, remove meat to carving board with a groove to catch any juices that run out.  Cover with foil and a bath towel and rest meat for 20-30 minutes.

   Meanwhile, pour the pan juices through a strainer and keep warm for serving. Check for salt and pepper before using.

   Carving the roast, which should be rosy and still very tender, will need a good carving fork and a long, sharpened carving knife.  Stand the roast with the bones pointing to the ceiling. While secured with the fork, carefully slice down and against the bones to remove them completely. Set aside for those who love to chew on the bones. Then, while slicing through the top, or fat-side, make slices to whatever thickness you desire. Serve with reserved pan juices.

Term (French) DescriptionTemperature range:
Extra-rare or Blue (bleu)very red and cold~ 115–120F
Rare (saignant) cold red center; soft~ 125–130F
Medium rare (à point) warm red center; firmer~ 130–140 °F
Medium (demi-anglais) pink and firm~ 140–150 °F
Medium well (cuit) small amount of pink in the center~ 150–155F
Well done (bien cuit) gray-brown throughout; firm~ 160–212 °F

Allow the roast to sit with foil and a bath towel (heavy weight and not pictured) for 20-25 minutes. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat and keeps the roast from getting cold.

The "rested" roasted is ready to be sliced. All side dishes should be finished and ready to go.

You will want to catch the juices to serve au jus alongside the roast.

Stand the roast up with the end of the rib bones pointing up. Slice down along the rib bones.

Set rib bones to the side and save for another use or for a guest who would 
like this serving on the bone.

Cut roast into desired width of slices and serve immediately. Don't forget the horseradish!

My Universalist-Unitarian views embrace all traditions. 

A toast to your health and Merry Christmas, Everyone!