The Orchard House and Williamson Vienyards

07 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Brocolli, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Idaho Trout, Idaho Wine, Local Markets, Locavore, Meatloaf, Orchard House, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Restaurants, Restaurants To Try, Salmon, Seafood, Special Dinners, Special Events, The Orchard House, What's For Dinner?, Williamson Vineyards and Orchards, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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Idaho Trout, idaho wineries, The Orchard House, trout, Williamson Vineyards, Williamson wines

What a great time last night at The Orchard House for dinner and Williamson Vineyard and Orchards serving their wines. The Orchard House is a favorite of ours when we are in the Snake River wine area. And Williamson Vineyards have some fantastic wines and their fruit in season is awesome! We highly recommend these two businesses. Here are some photos from the evening. Truly a Homestyle meal! Enjoy.

Patrick Williamson, Orchardist, explains to the Orchard House customer about the Williamson wines.

Patrick Williamson, Orchardist, explains to the Orchard House customers about the Williamson wines.

(L-R) 201o Williamson Viognier and a 2012 Williamson Blossom. Both are delightful wines.

(L-R) 2010 Williamson Viognier and a 2012 Williamson Blossom, a rosé of Sangiovese. Both are delightful wines.

More wine offerings.

A flight of Williamson wines.

Chicken Nugget Appetizer. Breading was a little heavy and they are spicy.

Some really good Onion Rings.

Some of the best Idaho Trout in the state!

I know. No one makes a Meatloaf like your Mother. And you can not find a good meatloaf when traveling. Until now. Outside of my kitchen, and my Mother’s kitchen, this has got to be the best anywhere. And if you are here for lunch, try the Meatloaf Sandwich!

What else can I say? The meal was a Plus 4-Star dinner (out of 5-Stars) and the wines went extremely well with the dinner. If you are in the area, stop in at both places. You may need reservations at The Orchard House – they get very busy for dinner. And try their breakfast or lunch. And don’t forget the appropriate wine with dinner. Say Hi to Kris for us! Cheers!

Holiday Season Wine Dinner

12 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Buy Idaho, Cheese, Coffee, Dinner With Friends, Friends, Green Beans, Hamburger, Koenig Vineyards, Meatloaf, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Food Network, Recipes, Soup, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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Baked Alaska Meatloaf, Dill Pickle Soup, Mediterranean Green Olive Soup, recipe meatloaf, recipes

The Holiday Season was started last night at The Buzz and their monthly wine dinner. Many seasonal ideas were presented: Wrapping, fun gifts, culturally correct gift giving: Brazil – avoid giving gifts of black or purple or in South Korea – never anything made in Japan or North Korea. Just a few of the suggestions.
Good job in paring the wines with the dinner. The dinner was a surprise. Things we have never thought of or tried before, Dill Pickle Soup for instance. Actually, it was surprisingly good. (Here is but one recipe for Dill Pickle Soup.) Much like a Mediterranean Green Olive Soup, which is very good, but a Dill Pickle Soup is more of a Polish soup! And the Baked Alaska Meatloaf was a surprise. (Meatloaf baked, then cooled and mashed potatoes all over then broiled. Here is a Recipe for one variation. There are several.) Here is what we had and the wines to accompany the meal. Enjoy!

Wrapped Meatballs Quick Crackers A strange appetizer. I don't know what the cheese was. 2012 Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon 15.7% alc. high alcohol sometimes is a distraction. this is not. great with the main course and the meatballs. [19]

Wrapped Meatballs
Quick Crackers
2012 Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon
15.7% alc. high alcohol sometimes is a distraction. this is not. great with the main course and the meatballs. [19]
A strange appetizer. I don’t know what the cheese was.

Dill Pickle Soup 2010 Bastile use de Beauvert 13.5% alc. good sparkling wine and pared well with the soup. [17] This is a strange soup, but surprisingly good.

Dill Pickle Soup
2010 Bastille use de Beauvert
13.5% alc. good sparkling wine and pared well with the soup. [17]
This is a strange soup, but surprisingly good.

Orzo Squash Salad
NV Cruzat nu Brut Classico
12.5% alc. good, refreshing wine. went well with the salad. [19]

Baked Alaska Meatloaf
Green Beans
Twice Baked Potatoes
2012 Pinnacoli Primitivo
14% alc. good paring but the Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon went much better. [19]
We found the green beans under cooked and the potato was slightly under cooked, too. The meatloaf was strange.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Loaf
2008 Quinta Do Noval Port
19.5% alc. went well with the chocolate [18]
Good dessert.

And then there is always a good cup of coffee, if you so desire!

And here are some events that are coming to the Buzz. December 19 and 20: Buzz Wine Dinners – New Year’s Resolutions (get your reservations in!). Then on January 9, 2015, the return of Classical Jam Night! Do you play a string or wind instrument? Bring it and join in. This is always an awesome evening of some really great music. Order dinner at the counter – they usually have something special. Cheers and see you there at The Buzz, 2999 N Lakeharbor Ln., Boise (208) 344-4321!

From Scratch Meals with Local Products

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Canning, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Comfort Food, Heirloom Tomatoes, Idaho Beef, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Main Dish, Meadowlark Farms, Meatloaf, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Relish, Rice Family Farms, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

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Boise Farmers Market, eat local, herbs and spices, Local products, Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Really not difficult to do and sooooo much more tasty! Beats any pre-packaged meal – I control what is in the dish: Salt, sugar, herbs and spices. You say you don’t have the time to make a “from scratch” meal? These two meals took about 30 minutes and they were on the table. Local products whenever possible – beef, potatoes, tomatoes, bread, gravy (made from scratch) and onions. And the Tomatillo Salsa Verde was definitely all local and made from scratch. 12 half pints made and canned! The end of the tomato season is upon us, so what better use than to make salsa. In this case, from tomatillos. Check with your local farmers market – that includes local produce stands – for locally grown and produced beef, potatoes, tomatillos, onions, peppers and herbs. It’s just so much better than commercially produced produce. The Boise Farmers Market moves indoors this week and runs through mid December. Then it closes until next Spring. Can and freeze those products and have “fresh” all winter. Here is what you can make for dinner and breakfast. Enjoy!

Scrambled Eggs
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Sausage
Acme Bake Shop Toast

The eggs come from Meadowlark Farms and the other products from various local farmers.

Housemade Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Peas
Sliced Heirloom Tomato

The beef was local beef; potatoes local; peas were frozen; tomato was local. Gravy made from Idaho products.

Take the time to Eat Local! Support your local farmer!

Use The Left-Overs

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop Breads, Beef, Breakfast, Buffalo, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Hunters and Gatherers - Left Overs, Meatloaf, Photos By: Bob Young, Sourdough Bread, Spaghetti Squash, What's For Dinner?

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Acme Bake Shop, Buffalo Meatloaf, Poached eggs

Nothing better than finding use for the left-overs in your refrigerator. In our case, Lamb and Buffalo Meatloaf, at least for dinner. Breakfast was a little different. Here, take a look. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Lamb and Buffalo Meatloaf Housemade Marinara Shaved Pecorino Romano Acme Bake Shop Ciabatta

Spaghetti Squash
with
Lamb and Buffalo Meatloaf
Housemade Marinara
Shaved Pecorino Romano
Acme Bake Shop Ciabatta

A really yummy dinner!

Poached Eggs
on
Acme Bake Shop Toasted Ciabatta
Housemade Heirloom Salsa

Grilled Meatloaf

05 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Bread, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Grillin' and Chillin', Grilling, Main Dish, Meatloaf, Orchard House, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Ravenswood Winery Zinfandel, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Sourdough Bread, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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forestville ca, garlic mashed potatoes, meatloaf, ravenswood winery, russian river valley

The late Joe Swan, winemaker Swan Vineyards, Forestville, CA in the Russian River Valley, once said that you can not get a good meatloaf away from home or in a restaurant. (The Orchard House in Marsing, ID makes an awesome meatloaf!!) After I made this meatloaf, Robin said, “Joe would have loved this!” That is the greatest compliment I could ever receive. The photo above, is the meatloaf on the grill cooking. It was not wrapped in the aluminium foil. The foil was just laid there to reduce the flare ups. It worked. First hour at 350 degrees F – low heat. The second 45 minutes to an hour, raise the temperature to 450 degrees F. Look for a probe temperature of 165 – 175 degrees F. Let rest before cutting. Here is the menu. Enjoy!

Grilled Meatloaf
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Green Salad with Fresh Garden Tomatoes
Lyonnaise Sauce
Fresh Acme Bake Shop Sourdough Bread
2009 Ravenswood Winery (Sonoma, CA), Old Hill Vineyards, Zinfandel

Yum-O!! If you would like the recipe, look here for Grilled Meatloaf. Cheers and enjoy!

Meatloaf and Sea Food

28 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Comfort Food, Main Dish, Meatloaf, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood, Shrimp, The Orchard House, Traditional Food, Trout, What's For Dinner?

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bang bang shrimp, bonefish grille, forestville ca, orchard house, sunny slope

Actually, the Meatloaf and Seafood were two different meals. Let’s start with the Meatloaf. Either you like it or you don’t! I like it. I like a good meatloaf. And Robin does, too. So, outside of your kitchen, or my kitchen, it is, as Winemaker Joe Swann, Swan Vineyards, Forestville, CA, would say, “You can’t get a good meatloaf at a restaurant.” Well …. I will say it is very difficult to find one, but not impossible. Tommy’s Meatloaf, at the Buzz here in Boise, is one place, out of all the restaurants in Boise, to get a good meatloaf. It is awesome!! There is, though, another place that is near Boise, actually at Sunny Slope in Marsing, to get a super meatloaf. At the Orchard House! Both the Buzz and the Orchard House make theirs from scratch. No frozen, make believe meatloaf. Just fresh and usually local ingredients. And when you go, let them know you saw this article on this blog!

And then, for an evening dinner, we went to the Bonefish Grille for seafood. A good dinner. Look at these.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Trout with Twice Steamed Green Beans and Garbanzo Beans.

To sum the day up – A Yum Day!! And of course while we were at Sunny Slope, we had to stop in at Fujishin Family Cellars and get six bottles of their Merlot, six bottles of their Cabernet Sauvignon and a case of their Viognier. The merlot, a 2009 vintage, is awesome. Cheers!!