Petaluma ranch dinners bring the fork to the farm

The upcoming Garden Valley Ranch dinner allows diners to see where their food comes from.|

Taking the idea of “farm-to-fork” back to its most basic level, ranch dinners give chefs, food and drink purveyors, and farm and ranch owners a way to celebrate their passions, while collaborating with each other in order to help introduce guests to the bounty of our incredibly rich region.

Although held at a rose garden, instead of a winery, ranch, or dairy, the upcoming Garden Valley Ranch spring dinner is a perfect example of three local businesses pooling their talents to offer a once in a lifetime dining experience. Set at a working rose farm, this dinner offers Barber Cellars the perfect setting to launch their two newest wines, pairing them with the excellent cuisine of Thistle Meats’ chef/butcher/owner Travis Day.

The Garden Valley Ranch spring dinner is the perfect way to wind down, following Butter & Egg Days Parade activities or Farm Trails spring tour adventures on Saturday, April 28. Held at their 498 Pepper Road rose garden, cocktails are served at 5 p.m., with a ranch tour at 6 p.m., and dinner seating at 6:30 p.m., with live music provided by Nouveau Flamenco guitarist Alec Fuhrman.

Barber Cellars has relied on treats from Thistle Meats since they first started offering light lunches and snacks and continued when they introduced their cheese maker dinners and wine release parties, so it is no wonder to see them teaming up again. Thistle Meats creates a special bacon jam just for Barber, as well as special salamis using Barber’s zinfandel wine. Barber also uses Thistle’s foie in a couple of their regular sandwiches.

Chef Travis Day is a well-respected Bay Area chef and butcher, and took over Thistle Meats just about a year ago, in May of 2017. He uses simple, clean and fresh flavors to create dishes that reflect the ranches and farms in our community. Travis focuses on whole animal butchery, using seasonal ingredients and local wine and beer that compliment the terroir.

Upon arrival at the Garden Valley Ranch spring dinner, guests are invited to whet their appetite with a rose liqueur cocktail, Thistle Meats charcuterie and local cheeses, along with Marcona almonds, house-made mustard, pickles, olives, and a selection of crackers and bread. Dinner will start with a fermented spring onion vichyssoise with flower pedals and leek ash, paired with Barber Cellar’s first ever chardonnay.

“This 2017 chardonnay is a lean and crisp expression, which is consistent with Barber Cellar’s style,” says co-owner Mike Barber. “The grapes come from a super cold vineyard site at the northern edge of the Petaluma gap. It’s very wind swept with compacted volcanic ash soil, creating a bright and Burgundian wine.”

Playfully named “Kitten with a Whip,” Barber’s rosé, will elegantly wash down the next course, which is a salad of radish, pickled eggs, cured pork, star flower, topped with seeded croutons and green garlic goddess dressing.

Barber’s 2016 cabernet comes from the slopes of Sonoma Mountain, which is still recovering from the drought. Because this 75 year old vineyard is giving barely any fruit, Barber’s production is very limited at just 50 cases of this wine. This year’s release of their Scuro cabernet has “very focused and silky flavors” coming by way of “dark cherry, tobacco, cigar box, and baking spices.”

Always spot on with their descriptions, this cab has a strong backbone, which will pair perfectly with the main course - herb roasted bone-in pork belly, with preserved lemon aioli, roasted roots and lentils, and fermented chickweed pistou, which is a type of Genoese pesto.

Rounding out our palettes, Barber’s “Dolcezza” zinfandel chocolate sauce will be drizzled over pumpkin ice cream, marshmallows, and calendula, a herbaceous daisy, also known as pot marigold because it is commonly used in German soups and stews.

We attended Barber’s wine release party last year at Stemple Creek Ranch, so are thrilled to get to be present for this year’s release party, in a different location and with a different local chef.

As Winery Sixteen 600’s Sam Coturri put it so eloquently at this year’s Stemple Creek Ranch dinner, whether someone makes wine, cheese, or beef, there is a shared appreciation for not only our locale, but also for our locals, because we go out of their way to support the extra work that it takes to keep these cottage enterprises thriving.

One of the premier rose growers in the United States, Garden Valley Ranch roses are preferred by Martha Stewart, having been featured both on her television show and in her magazine. Spread over five acres, Garden Valley Ranch grows over 8,000 rose bushes.

Siblings Jessica and Justin Yau acquired the ranch in May of 2017, which coincidentally is right when Chef Day was relaunching his newly acquired Thistle Meats. The Yau’s have a background in property management and were attracted to the ranch because of its rich history, natural beauty, and the untapped potential to expand on an already popular destination and event site.

“We offer field grown cut roses to both retail and wholesale customers,” says Jessica Yau. “We also have over 300 varieties of potted roses to plant at home, plus floral classes and workshops, and offer private event space to suit anyone’s needs.”

On the idea of hosting their first dinner, Jessica credits Loraine Barber from Barber Cellers, who is also the brains behind this June’s inaugural Petaluma Drinks event. (Visit www.petalumadrinks.com for more info.)

“Being new to town, Justin and I are always looking to work with others in the community. Loraine introduced us to Chef Travis from Thistle Meats, and we have really enjoyed collaborating with both. We all share a dedication to creating a sense of place in our community, supporting local growers, and producers and creating a high quality experience in our respective crafts.”

We are constantly amazed at how far Bay Area foodies are willing to travel in order to partake of our truly unique dining experiences. This speaks volumes about just how lucky we are to live where we do, and should remind us not to become complacent with our support for local business, lest we become yet another strip-malled town with no real connection to our food or drink.

As with all specialty dinners, tickets are extremely limited, and are likely to sell out, so check www.gardenvalley.com for yours. And if you missed the dinner, you can taste all of Barber’s wines and Thistle’s incredible cuisine at their respective downtown locations.

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