Stephanie Scherzer of Rain Lily Farm and FarmHouse Delivery
Pickled veggies, homemade mustards and chutneys were a highlight at all the meals
Big commercial size kitchen allows for many cooks like Rachel Lomas and Kim Beal of Rain Lily Design
Hatch green chile pork stew by Rachel Lomas
Elizabeth Winslow of FarmHouse Delivery and Michael Brantley of Eastside Showroom
Red Peppers. 4 different farms were present at the gathering
Our weekend host Loncito Cartwright, owner of Loncito’s Lamb and Twin Oaks Ranch
Last weekend we trekked out to the Wild Horse Desert Twin Oaks Ranch in Dinero, Texas. The invitation, sent by owner Loncito Cartwright, invited several growers, cooks, bloggers and lovers of food out to his ranch to celebrate “all that is local.”
Cartwright, a sixth generation Texan, raises sheep on his family’s land in South Texas. Loncito offers his lamb for sale every Saturday morning at both the Sunset Valley and downtown farmer’s markets in Austin.
His ranch, which is in a beautiful part of South Texas and is filled with mesquite and weesatch trees, was a perfect setting for all of us to meet, become more acquainted, cook, drink and eat together.
It was a weekend full of comforts; the food was only half of it. A commercial size kitchen was perfect for all of us to cook and be creative in. The bunk bed wing of the ranch house, where we slept, was so comfortable, with Tempurpedic mattresses in every bunk.
But the real kicker for me was the safari we went on Saturday afternoon. Our safari vehicle was a big retro-fitted truck that had an open-air deck on top with enough room for 12 adults. The weather was amazing that day. We sipped on spicy bloody Mary’s and listened to satellite radio as we toured this beautiful ranch. I had a smile on my face the entire ride.
The lamb served all weekend was from Loncito and it was tender, juicy and full of flavor. Rebecca Rather of Rather Sweet Bakery & Café in Fredericksburg, Texas brought amazing pastries for the weekend and the vegetables supplied by all the farms present were incredible. Boggy Creek Farm, Tecolote Farm, Rain Lily Farm and Utility Research Garden all showed big love.
We left there Sunday afternoon with such an incredible feeling of happiness. It was such a gift to spend a weekend with such talented, passionate, creative people who are so dedicated to their work. I’ll be re-living that weekend for a long time!
Late afternoon safari, touring the ranch and sipping bloody mary’s
Smoking lamb ribs and grilling vegetables for the Saturday evening dinner
Marshall Wright of EatThisLens Smoked lamb ribs
Saturday evening spread
It’s wonderful to see this past weekend through your eyes, Penny! Thanks for bringing your real camera. I was beginning to wonder if your iPhone was really behind all those magazine spreads…
Gorgeous photos of what was by all accounts a wonderful weekend. I only hope I can be at the next one.
Penny – I’d had heard about the weekend from Marshall but your beautiful images only made it more real for me. Thank for sharing your perspective in both pictures and words.
I just adore that shot of the jars….it looks like a fun event
Do you ever see photos that you would like to actually step into? Well, these are a perfect example of that!
What an amazing get-together. You have whet my appetite for lamb ribs. I’ve never heard of such a thing — how do they compare to pork or beef ribs? Thank you for sharing your adventures, Penny!
Penny- what a great weekend. Your photos make us want to jump back into those delicious lamb ribs (thank you Loncito and Marshall), Rachel’s stew, and Rain Lilly pickles. And thanks for the asa/f-stop lesson! Who knew…!
Looks like it was a lovely weekend! Your photos make it all so real.
This looks so cool. Through your words and pictures, I almost feel like I was there (but that is the case with all your work and what makes you so great). Thanks for sharing.
Perfect wrap up of the Food Salon weekend. So great to share food and drink with such incredible people. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Amazing as always!
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The next time I visit Chase Field in Beeville for Sikorsky business, I want to stop in and see Lon who I met in Pittsburgh touring Carnegie Mellon Univ. I’ve never eaten a lamb rib.