Owner

Mac Magruder

The ranch has been in the family for 4 generations. Mac’s mother grew up on the ranch and Mac’s father grew up on a plantation in Mississippi, studied as a banker, and then went into the Navy before he married Mac’s mother and took up ranching.

Mac graduated from the University of Washington in 1976 with a degree in sculpture, a profession which he seriously considered pursuing full-time before returning to the ranch. Mac’s father had a substantial pear orchard, but Mac decided on a different route and devoted his energy to cattle.

The prospect of raising cattle the “right” way held his interest. He found that customers/restaurants were interested in and supportive of what he was doing, which he found affirming.

Seasons

Calves are typically born in the last winter or early spring, but Mac is beginning to calve in the fall as well. January – March are slow months for slaughtering.

Challenges

Getting the public to understand that without ranching, we will no longer have open space. Getting the public to understand that you are what you eat. That it is in everyone’s best interest for those who eat beef to eat beef from cattle raised in a healthy manner.

Principles

Mac employs a controlled, rotational grazing system, which is a sustainable way to graze. The idea is to take responsibility for the land. He does not use any hormones or antibiotics.

Practices

Mac markets cows of different ages. The taste of cow varies with age.

Length of relationship with Oliveto

2 years

Location

Potter Valley, Mendocino Country

Products

Cattle – 450 head

Secondary products: hill hogs – 100 head

Distribution

Restaurants, individuals who have storage for large cuts

“Never Enough” written by Ben Provan. Performed by Ben with very new wife Grace Magruder-Provan, along with Kate and Mac Magruder, at their ranch on the banks of the Russian River headwaters in Potter Valley, CA.

For this dish, Chef Canales will be using chicories that were grown by Rick and Kristie Knoll of Tairwa’ – Knoll Farms in Brentwood.  Rick and Kristie grew these chicories from seeds Oliveto co-owner Bob Klein brought back from one of his annual trips to Italy.  Bob had stayed with his friends, Armando and Rosalba of Masseria Il Frantoio, Ostuni in Puglia, and they offered him seeds from some of the more favorable chicories they grow.

In turn, Bob made a charming video about Armando and Rosalba that tells the story of their passion for community and a love of good food.  It is the basis for their incredible guesthouse and the motivation behind much of what they do.  Tonight, we’ll be serving some of those fabulous chicories with a nod to our friends.

Chef Canales also gives us a heads up on the porcini forecast for next week, tells us what “hard crack” means, and introduces us to Pablo “Tigre” Gavito.

If we’re out by the time you get here, we hope you’ll be consoled by ravioli tondi of fonduta Val d’Aostana with summer Chanterelles:

Ravioli tondi of fonduta Val d'Aostana with Chanterelle mushrooms

Most of the Chanterelles available this time of year are from Eastern Europe.  We’ve been holding out for the ones we get from Northern California and Oregon, and they’ve just arrived.  These Chanterelles are drier and more concentrated, with a nutty flavor.  In addition to the pasta, we’ll also be serving them in a ragûot with late summer vegetables and orange-scented black and white riso.

]]> http://www.oliveto.com/ourcommunity/farmers/brookside-farm/vitallone-chanetrelles/feed 0 http://www.oliveto.com/ourcommunity/ranchers/chef-canales-gives-a-tour-of-the-meat-locker http://www.oliveto.com/ourcommunity/ranchers/chef-canales-gives-a-tour-of-the-meat-locker#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:03 +0000 Catherine Meng http://www.oliveto.com/ourcommunity/?p=2626

We installed a large meat locker a few years back that finally provided the space for some more ambitious projects such as receiving whole sides of beef, as well as hanging and aging meat....

June 25th and June 26th

Essential to the Oliveto Wine in Time project is Aldo Vacca, Director of Produttori del Barbaresco. Beginning in 1998, he has helped shape our ideas about wine, introduced us to many other fine producers, found old wine for our list, been a great host and friend, and helped us acquire hours of video tape about the region. On June 25th and 26th, Chef Canales will offer a Piedmontese menu for Produttori del Barbaresco wines. Available are twelve vintages and single vineyards including a very elegant 1979 Ovello. We’ll be serving many of these wines by the glass, half-glass and taste.

Aldo Vacca & Chef Marco Forneris

And over the years, on our annual (truffle) trips to the Piedmont, we dine at Osteria Lalibera in Alba. Osteria Lalibera and Chef Marco Forneris’ food are stylish, genuine, and delicious. Marco will be giving a master class for our kitchen staff this next week, the results of which will be reflected on the menu. We’ll report to you on the details by email before the dinners.

Also on this menu will be some very special young adult beef, vitellone, from our Potter Valley rancher, Mac Magruder. These animals have been hanging in our meat locker for several weeks and will be at their optimum point for these dinners (see video). We will feature the rib eyes and loins, and the chuck eye rolls will make a fine Brasato al Barbaresco.

Here are some of the highlights of what Marco and Paul have planned for us:

Chicche alla crema al parmigiano
Truly lovely gnocchi from Valle Maira in the north. This dish of Marco’s grandmother’s is quite different from our usual smaller, more dense gnocchi. Marco taught the dish to our kitchen staff at a class held last Saturday.

Carpaccio of Niman Ranch beef tenderloin bagna cauda
This bagna cauda is the classic Piedmontese two-day preparation, served with meat only for very special occasions.

Brasato al Barbaresco of Magruder Ranch milk- and grass-fed vitellone chuck eye
This young adult beef, vitellone, from our Potter Valley rancher, Mac Magruder, will have been marinating in Produttori del Barbaresco nebbiolo for five days. The meat has been hanging in our meat locker for several weeks and will be at its optimum.

Aldo Vacca and Chef Marco Forneris will be in the restaurant on Thursday night only, so if you’d like to say hello, or chat, please reserve for the June 25th.

call 510-547-5356

or reserve online

A Visitor from Montalcino

Saturday, January 23rd, 2008

Traditional-style Brunello producer Francesco Ripaccioli, of the small, very fine estate Canalicchio di Sopra, will spend the evening with us.  Whereas his wines will be available throughout the dining room, we are also offering limited seating with Francesco where guests will dine with him, taste his wine, and talk about Brunellos in general and Canalicchio in particular.

At the winemaker’s table we’ll taste:

-the current release 2004 Rosso di Montalcino

-tastes of two great Brunello riservas: 1995 and 1999

-two excellent Brunello normales: 1998 and 1999

-and finally, we’ll taste the 2001 Brunello riserva along side the 2001 normale

Chef Canales has just begun to marinate Magruder grass fed beef in Canaliccho Rosso di Montalcino as a featured dish for our dinner tonight.

About the family: peasant sharecroppers until the 1950s, the family acquired a small property, began to make their own wines, helped establish the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino in 1967, and is now one of a very few traditional-style Brunello makers remaining.  Their wines are quite wonderful.

There’s a very sweet story about the winery on their website.