Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients: 2 ½ cups- A. p. flour ½ tsp. – Baking Soda ½ tsp- baking powder 1 tsp. – salt ½ lb. – unsalted butter 7 oz. – light brown sugar 1 cup – crunchy peanut butter 2 large – eggs 2 tsp. – vanilla 1 cup – dry roasted salted peanuts ground in a…

Italian dressing & grilled romaine

Ingredients: 1 oz.- balsamic vinegar 1 oz.- sherry vinegar 1 oz.- champagne vinegar 1 oz.- red wine vinegar 1 tbsp.- honey 1 tsp.- Dijon mustard 1 shallot- finely minced 3- cloves garlic minced ¼ – cup divina brand roasted tomatoes preserved in oil 2- tbsp- fresh basil 1- tbsp- fresh oregano 1 tsp.- Italian seasoning…

Empanada dough

Ingredients: 4 ½ cups – All purpose flour 3 cups – Masa harina 1 tbsp. – baking powder 1 tbsp. – Salt 12 oz. – melted butter 1 ½ to 2 cups – water Mix together the flour, masa, baking powder and salt in a kitchen aid mixer Slowly add in the melted butter on…

Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the bottomless cookie jar: Makes: enough to feed a ranch Ingredients 6 3/4 cups- all-purpose flour 3 tsp. – baking soda 3 tsp. – salt 1 ½ – lb. unsalted butter at room temp. 2 ¼ cups- granulated sugar 2 ¼ cups- light brown sugar 6- Eggs 3 tsp. vanilla 3 cup- semi-sweet chocolate…

Blondies

Makes: ½ sheet tray Ingredients 3 cups- all purpose flour 2 tsp. Baking powder 1 tsp. salt ¾ lb. butter 3 cups- brown sugar 4- Eggs 3 tsp. vanilla 2 cups- chocolate chips 1 cup- chopped pecans Let the butter set at room temperature for about a half hour, then cream it together with the…

Poblano butternut squash soup

Ingredients: 1- Bunch celery 4-small carrots 1- Yellow onion 3- cloves garlic 1- butternut squash 3tbsp. olive oil 4 shallots- rough chop 3- poblano chilies roasted ½ cup- tequila 1-cup cream Salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup- fresh cilantro 1-cup Cotija or parmesan cheese 1 gal- vegetable stock or water Method: 1- Rough chop…

Ranch Ramblings

We’ve officially closed out the summer dude ranch season, and the ranch has taken on a quiet mood this week.  Last week’s horsemanship clinic was wonderful.  We decided to rename it the Horsemanship retreat going forward, as it was more than just a clinic, and the quiet atmosphere of the ranch about to close down…

Fall Fun at Vista Verde

We officially closed on Sunday, but do have a group of folks coming in today for a 4 day horsemanship clinic. In the days between the close of the regular season and this clinic, we took some time to regroup, process the season and have a little fun. Sunday night the staff hosted a VVR…

The New West and the Old West

Vista Verde is a unique ranch in many ways.  We work really hard to provide amazing food and accommodations, service and hospitality.  But, when people ask me what makes us different, I often single out the diversity of activities.  There are so many great aspects of the ranch, and we are very multidimensional in our…