How To: Homemade Dog Treats

2020 continues with putting some serious effort into the Union Wine Co. FIELD NOTES   This is a part of their site that tells employee stories, showcases recipes and cocktails as well as a few cool How To’s…

This is one of those posts.  Check them all out in the above link.

Shelter in Place Projects:

Amazing Homemade Dog Treats

Meet Oliver, my bestest buddy and definitely my savior during these safe but oh so boring times.  Lets face it, most of us have already binged Tiger King and McMillions (spoiler alert- neither live up to the hype…). We’ve been reading, doing puzzles, cooking and finding myriad ways to stay safe but also stay busy.

One of my escapes from the house (while still maintaining social distancing) is to take Oliver to the dog park.   We both get some fresh air and also get to stretch our legs.  These dog park trips have really been keeping me sane, so I felt it was only fair to do something nice in return for his companionship. (Not to mention, a lot of the local pet stores are running low on essentials and getting dog treats is becoming more difficult.)

So I figured, why not do a little research and come up with a simple but healthy homemade dog treat that we can both feel good about. The recipe has  only 5 ingredients, is incredibly easy to make, and I swear your dog will go absolutely bonkers for them.

How cool do those look???!!!

Here’s all you will need:

Delicious Dog Treats

2 eggs

1/2 C canned pumpkin puree

1/4 C healthy peanut butter

1 cube of beef bouillon 

1/2 C water

2-3 C whole wheat flour (as usual, we recommend Bob’s Red Mill)

A few notes before we begin:

* Lets just be honest here... Everyone has a can of pumpkin puree in their pantry leftover from thanksgiving. This is a great way to use it up.

*Beef bouillon cubes are usually dissolved in 1 C of water. I only use half a cup to concentrate the flavor. You can leave this ingredient out entirely, but I promise your dog will love you if you keep it in the recipe

*As I will further explain, the flour will vary as per how wet the other ingredients are.

*Most people will have whole wheat flour that they had to buy for some random recipe and never used again- so check the back of your baking shelf before going to buy more.

Crack a can of Underwood Pinot Noir. (This is solely for consumption, not the recipe.) Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve one bouillon cube in 1/2 C of water and set aside to cool.

STEP TWO

Once bouillon liquid is cool, put eggs, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and bullion liquid into a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and blend well.

STEP THREE

While running mixer, slowly add flour, 1/2 C at a time until dough comes together and is no longer sticky.  When I did it, it took about 2 1/4 C of flour but this may vary.  Remove the dough, place on a large work surface dusted with flour and kneed for 2-3 minutes.

Puppy Interlude….

Here is an unnecessary but ridiculously cute picture of Oliver (and his sister Pretty Penny) just to keep you entertained…

STEP FOUR

Roll out the dough to your desired thickness (I went with a 1/4” because they tend to puff up in cooking.) Use a cookie cutter or just cut small squares- I promise your dog won’t know the difference- and place on a baking sheet with either a silpat pan liner or parchment paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes, rotating the sheet pans every 7-8 minutes for even baking.

The extra dough can be reshaped and used for a second and third batch.

Let the treats cool and keep in a dry place for up to a month.

Believe me, you will have one happy puppy, not to mention an incredibly productive afternoon!

Photography, Recipe and Text by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Fly Fishing, Social Distancing & Cooking En Papillote

2020 continues with putting some serious effort into the Union Wine Co. FIELD NOTES   This is a part of their site that tells employee stories, showcases recipes and cocktails as well as a few cool How To’s…

This is one of those posts.  Check them all out in the above link.

Embracing Social Distancing:

Finding Peace and Tranquility on the Sandy River

"Truth is stranger that fishin’.”  -Richard Brautigan, Trout Fishing in America

There is no question that right now the world is a scary and confusing place. As we each do our part to stay safe and healthy, those once simple actions require much more discipline than ever before.  A day off every so often to hide from the world and veg out on Netflix was once a welcome escape, but as it becomes more and more the norm, the novelty begins to fade. But just because we need to practice social distancing doesn’t mean we have to stay locked away in our homes.  We just have to think a little outside the box and a little outside the normal boundaries of our lives.

Besides from being a well know Portland personality and all around great guy, my friend Bob Rhoads is a true outdoorsman. So when I was thinking of things to do to get me out of the house but still steer clear of people, he was the first person I called. I requested something within a 30 minute drive from Portland and somewhat easy access.  He suggested we go fishing.  

I was raised fishing but it has definitely lost its appeal for me over the years. But I will tell you with all honesty that as I sat on the banks of the Sandy River in Oxbow Park and I couldn’t see another person in any direction (save for Bob, of course) I was filled with a peace and tranquility I had not felt- nor realized I had not felt- in many weeks. For the first time in a while I was at peace and the fears and uncertainty of life had momentarily faded. 

I HIGHLY recommend it.

 But enough introspection. Let's talk about Bob and fishing for Steelhead on the Sandy River. Some refer to fishing for Steelhead as ‘chasing the ghost’ because it can be a very elusive fish to catch (spoiler alert…we didn’t catch one that day) but fly fishing can be a very meditative and relaxing activity. I learned quite a bit from Bob that day.  

Steelhead are actually trout but look much more like Salmon. That is because they are Anadromous, meaning that unlike the smaller trout that live their whole lives in the local rivers,  Steelhead swim upstream in the freshwater to spawn but they reside in the saltwater, unlike rainbow trout that only stay in freshwater.  When fishing for Steelhead you are only allowed to keep the ones raised in local hatcheries, which can be identified by a lack of an adipose fin (the small fin just in front of the tail.) All other Steelhead must be caught and released.

Bob practices a style of fly fishing called Spey casting (named after a style of fishing developed on the River Spey in Scotland).  In short, this technique allows for longer casts without the overhead back casting motion and presenting larger flies. As for equipment, Bob has a collection of flies, some he has bought but many he has made himself. His rod is a custom made CF Burkheimer, (made for the specific technique just mentioned) a local company that Bob was an apprentice rod builder.  Once we found a suitable spot, we cracked a few cans of Underwood Pinot Noir,  Bob chose his fly and got suited up.

I was more than content sitting on the bank, documenting the day and imbibing the tranquility (and the Pinot Noir).  Plus, I've tried to fly fish and it is really freaking hard until you get the hang of it! Anyway, who would complain in such surroundings? As I mentioned, we didn’t catch any fish that day but just getting outside in the sunshine and fresh air made the whole adventure a complete success.

Even though we didn’t catch anything, I now had Steelhead on the brain and needed to cook some up ASAP. Luckily, Flying Fish Company just reopened about a mile from me and they have a wide selection of some of the freshest local fish around. I was in luck and they were stocked (no pun intended) with some gorgeous Steelhead fillets. As you can see,  although it is a trout, Steelhead very much resemble Salmon.

I decided to cook the fish “En Papillote” or in paper. The technique, which makes for an incredibly easy and delicious meal simply requires putting all the ingredients into securely wrapped parchment paper and then baked for about 15 minutes- easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

Steelhead and Vegetables En Papillote

1 Steelhead fillet, about 7 oz

Half a large zucchini

1 small pepper

3 slices of lemon 

5 sprigs of fresh oregano (reserve 2 for presentation)

1/2 t coarse sea salt

1/4 C Kingsridge Pinot Gris

Parchment Paper

TECHNIQUE:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay a large piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Place the fish on the lower part of a large piece of parchment paper so you will be able to have enough paper to fold over everything and securely crimp.  

Set the fish down, season with salt and place vegetables, lemon slices and oregano on and around the fish. Squeeze a little lemon juice on top and drizzle with white wine.

Tightly crimp the edges of the Parchment Paper, leaving a little space inside for the fish to steam.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Carefully cut through and peel back paper and Voila! You have a complete meal ready to eat.

The oregano will be pretty dark and wilted, so I recommend replacing it with a fresh sprig before serving.

Pour yourself a glass of Kingsridge Pinot Gris and dig in.  Bon Appétit.

 

My sincerest thanks again to Bob Rhoads, not only for his vast fishing knowledge, but for taking me out of my funk and filling me with a renewed sense of hope and happiness. 

Photography, Text and Recipe by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

You can follow Bob’s adventures on IG at @ptowndutch

Cooking with the Ruckers

2020 continues with putting some serious effort into the Union Wine Co. FIELD NOTES   This is a part of their site that tells employee stories, showcases recipes and cocktails as well as a few cool How To’s…

This is one of those posts.  Check them all out in the above link.

Chefs at Home Series:

Sunday Dinner with the Ruckers

It's safe to say that Gabriel Rucker is one busy guy. With 2 restaurants, 3 children, a creatively explosive wife with the drive of the Energizer Bunny, and a weekly run club,  there isn’t a whole lot of time in the day to relax. Throw in travel events and cooking demonstrations and life gets even more hectic. Anyone who knows Gabriel or has eaten at his restaurants knows that he is a tremendously talented chef who puts his whole soul into every dish. But Gabriel is also a consummate family man and in between all the craziness that fills his days, he always makes sure there is quality time for his family. I’ve personally been watching him do it for 10 years and it's quite an impressive balancing act.

So i considered myself and my wife very lucky to be able to spend a Sunday evening with him and his family as he created a delicious home cooked Sunday evening meal. Of Gabriel’s 3 children, the middle one (and only daughter) Babette, age 6, is the one who will most likely be following in her fathers culinary footsteps. At age 3 or 4 she was already shadowing her Dad in the kitchen, helping wherever she could. Now that her knife skills have improved, she is even allowed to cut and chop, which i must say she does with more acumen than a few OCI grads i know. So in organizing this project with Gabriel, he decided on three dishes that he often makes for his family on the weekend that make a well rounded, delicious and healthy meal that can all be done in just over an hour. Of course when you have a pro like Babette as your live-in Sous Chef, everything runs that much smoother.

On the menu for the evening was:

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, Onions and ‘Dad Rice’

Cast Iron Roasted Leeks with Garlic

Dinosaur Kale Salad with Apples and Warm Kumquat Vinaigrette 

Some kitchen tasks Babs can do on her own, others require a little extra supervision...

There were a lot of moving parts all going at the same time while dinner was being prepped so I will do my best to keep everything well organized throughout the post.  Also, Gabriel approaches all of his kitchen projects with a confident but laidback vibe which I will do my best to replicate here. There is little to no pomp and circumstance when Gabriel is in the kitchen, and no ingredient is off limits as you will soon see.

The first thing you want to do is get the chicken and rice going because that will take about 45 minutes in the oven. Gabriel cooks the rice, mushrooms, onions and chicken all together in a large ceramic dutch oven. Here, the ‘Dad Rice’ refers literally to the addition of a powdered Ranch Dressing seasoning that Gabriel adds because his kids love it (and its pretty freakin’ delicious!)

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, Onions and ‘Dad Rice’

1 whole chicken, separated into 1/2 breasts, thighs and legs

2 1/2 C rice (Gabriel uses sushi rice but feel free to substitute brown or white)

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 large package of mixed mushrooms (about 1/2 lb)

1 C Underwood Pinot Gris

4 C chicken stock or broth

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 C Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil in a deep dutch oven and carefully sear off all pieces of chicken. Remove chicken from the pan, add the onion, mushrooms and rice. Sauté for 5 minutes, add the Ranch Seasoning and salt and pepper to taste then deglaze with the Pinot Gris. Reduce slightly, add the chicken stock and all the chicken pieces, nestling the chicken pieces partway down into the rice and vegetables. Cover and put in the oven for 45 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is fully cooked.

This is what the finished product will look like:

Once the chicken is in the oven, it's time to deal with the leeks. Gabriel prefers to use his locally made Finex Cast Iron Pan, but any thick bottomed pan will do the trick.

Cast Iron Roasted Leeks with Garlic

10-12 full sized leeks

8 cloves of garlic, skins removed

1 T celery seed

1/2 T dried tarragon

1/4 C sherry vinegar

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Cut the dark green tops off of the leeks and remove the butt ends. Cut each leek longways down the center, trying to keep them together. Rinse gently under cool water to remove any dirt and gently dry. Chop your garlic cloves in half. Place the leek halves and garlic in the Cast Iron pan, sprinkle liberally with remaining ingredients, cover with tin foil and place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until leeks are tender.  *You do not have to heat the pan or do any searing ahead of time for this one.

Once the leeks are tender, remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.

While everything is cooking, its time to prep your salad and make the vinaigrette. Dad demonstrates the proper Kumquat prepping technique and then feels comfortable leaving Babette  to her own devices.

Dinosaur Kale Salad with Apples and Warm Kumquat Vinaigrette

For Vinaigrette:

15 kumquats

1/4 C Underwood Pinot Gris

1/4 honey

1/3 C apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Halve the kumquats longways, remove the seeds and pith and slice thinly.  Put all ingredients into a small sauté pan, bring to a boil and then immediately shut off heat.  Keep warm until ready to use.

For salad:

2 large bunches of dinosaur kale

2 honey crisp apples

1/4 of the hot liquid with kumquat slices

2T balsamic vinegar

1/3 C extra virgin olive oil

1/3 C grated parmesan cheese

Slice Kale and Apples. Put in a large bowl.  Just before you are ready to serve, dress with the warm vinaigrette, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese. By keeping the vinaigrette warm, it will soften the kale without wilting it too much.

And just like that… dinner is served!  Bon Appétit.

Photography and Text  by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Recipes by Gabriel Rucker (@ruckergabriel)

Expert Prepping and Tie-Dyed Good Vibes by Babette Rucker

Pasta in the Pink

2020 continues with putting some serious effort into the Union Wine Co. FIELD NOTES   This is a part of their site that tells employee stories, showcases recipes and cocktails as well as a few cool How To’s…

This is one of those posts.  Check them all out in the above link.

Pasta in the Pink:

A Harms' Family Classic Recipe

We have been posting stories, recipes, cocktails and more all year long, but we had yet to focus on the Paterfamilias, Founder and Fearless Leader the Union Family… Ryan Harms. We asked Ryan how we could get him involved and he suggested sharing a classic family recipe that he makes often with his sons, Noah and Ethan. Ryan also personally cooks and serves this dish every year to his harvest crew.

In Ryan’s own words, "I worked at Al Forno in Providence, Rhode Island, during the summer of 1998. This is where I learned to make grilled pizza’s and this recipe comes from my experience there. Working there was transformational for me in getting a great base of cooking. They were doing farm to table before that was even a term. George and Joan created an amazing culture that continues on today.”

This particular recipe that Ryan adopted, 'Shells Baked with Tomato, Cream and 5 Cheeses' makes use of a basic but delicious tomato sauce base that was used in many of the Al Forno dishes.  By adding a bounty of fresh cheeses and herbs, this simple pasta dish turns into something amazing. Its an easy recipe once you get the technique down,  which we will happily guide you through…

Before any of the prep begins, preheat your oven to 500 degrees and get a large pot of salted water boiling for the pasta.

Ryan specifically uses two different cans of tomatoes, one whole peeled and the other crushed. He begins by sautéing 4 cloves of garlic in a pan, and just as they start to brown, he adds a 1/2 C of chicken stock and a 1/2 C of Kings Ridge Pinot Gris.

As this cooks, Ryan’s son Noah opens the two cans of tomatoes into a large bowl, adds the garlic and liquid (once it has come to room temperature) and the gently mashes it all together.

Once the sauce is well blended, Ryan adds the following cheeses:

¾ c freshly grated Pecorino Romano ¾ c coarsely shredded fontina 4 tbsp. crumbled gorgonzola 2 tbsp fresh ricotta 

Keep this separate to top the dishes before baking:
2 small (4 oz. total) balls of fresh mozzarella, sliced

Then Ryan’s younger son, Ethan steps in and mixes all the cheeses as well as 2 C of heavy cream into the sauce, giving it a distinctive pink hue.

As this is being done, Ryan chops:

1 small bunch of italian parsley

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary 

8-10 springs of fresh thyme

This gets mixed into the sauce.

He also chops 4 scallions on a hard bias (diagonal cut) and places in ice water to keep from wilting. This will be the final garnish on the pasta.

Once all the prep is done, Ryan adds 1 pound of pasta shells to the boiling water and par cooks for five minutes. Immediately strain and add all the pasta to the sauce.

Ryan then mixes the shells until fully coated in the sauce and cheese mix. Then he scoops into a large baking dish or several small ceramic dishes for individual servings. He tops each one with a thick slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and a few small dabs of butter.  Bake for 10 minutes or until the pasta starts to crisp on top.

Remove the pasta, allow to set for 5 minutes, garnish with the fresh scallions and the dig in!

The finished product is nothing short of amazing!

Everyone in the Harms family: Kathleen, baby Mia, Noah, Ryan and Ethan wish you a hearty Bon Appétit!

Photography and Text  by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Recipe by Ryan Harms (@harmsryan)