Rancho Azul y Oro ~ Surviving the Dream

We've enjoyed this salad that we created often over the most recent heatwave.  It can be served as an entrée, appetizer, or as a side, but it's delicious!  Grill some bread, slathered in olive oil, with a touch of Kosher salt and some finely chopped rosemary, et voila, a meal.  Enjoy!   RANCHO AZUL y ORO’S ARUGULA SALAD WITH OLIVE OIL/LEMON   DRESSING   1/4 cup 1/4 cup 2 tsp. 2 tsp. 6 cups ½ cup 1 cup 1 pkg.     olive oil (preferably AyO’s extra-virgin) fresh lemon juice grated lemon peel 1/2 fennel bulb, shredded (I just use the same grater as for the lemon & save the other half of the fennel bulb for the next salad; coarsely torn arugula 1 package of prosciutto Parmesan cheese flakes Croutons Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.   Heat oven to 350.   Put parchment paper on cookie tray; lay prosciutto on parchment; cook for approx...

In the old days (three or four years ago), there were down times at the ranch, such as summer and winter.  It could be said that it was because the plantings were not so mature and required far less work, which is, in part, true.  Experienced farmers, wine grape growers, and vintners probably know better.  Slowly, it is becoming evident that free time was abundant because we did not know we were supposed to be doing certain things on a regular schedule, such as spraying the vines, olives and lavender (yes, even the lavender) for disease and pests, thinning the shoots and fruit early in the season, regularly testing the grapes approaching harvest, performing regular chemical tests on our wine, adjusting the SO2 level, topping the barrels, then adding inert gas, all the while planning yeast choices for harvest, calculating harvest estimates and ordering barrels for the wine, bottles, labels, and corks for the oil and the wine. With all those lesso...