This past December, Urban Farmer’s bartender Scott Watson competed and won the “On Deck with the Captain” Challenge where his new rum creation won first prize against other local Portland bartenders.  Next time you come into see Scott, ask for  “Morgan’s Mutiny” .  When you are at home, you can make this captain creation to enjoy!

Morgan’s Mutiny

2 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

1 oz Applejack

1 oz cinnamon syrup

½ oz lime juice

¼ oz simple syrup

½ oz of egg whites

for garnish – dash of bitters

Method:

Combine all ingredients in empty shaker and give a good shake to froth the egg whites.  Then add ice and give a good shake again.  Strain into chilled martini glass and finish with a dash of bitters.  Garnish with a lime wheel.

 Urban Farmer decked their halls and celebrated the holiday season with delicious desserts from Pastry Chef Sean Sasser. With the holiday spirit as his muse, Sean and his team created mouthwatering miniature desserts aplenty, as well as a handful of one of a kind, final courses that had us and our guests wishing the holiday season could last year round.

Chef Sean Sasser’s Holiday Offerings at Urban Farmer:

Gingerbread Brown Butter Cake, poached pear, honey chestnut ice cream

 Rustic Apple Galette, almond nougatine, spiced caramel cream, green apple sorbet

Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding, cranberry fig compote, blood orange sorbet

Cinnamon Creme Brulee , pomegranate, creme fraiche, green apple sorbet

 Caraibe Chocolate Tart, cocoa nib nougatine, malted vanilla ice cream

Almond Pear Pithivier, blood orange sorbet, caramel, almond cream

 Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding, malted vanilla sauce, coffee ice cream

Ginger Pear Cobblers

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Cinnamon Crème Brulee

Pumpkin Walnut Cheesecake

Caramel Pot de Cremes

Holiday Sugar and Gingerbread Cookies

Beginning November 28^th, Urban Farmer is featuring 100% pure Wagyu Beef raised here in Oregon at LDR Ranch. Chef Matt Christianson has been involved in the full process of the cow being raised locally for the specific use in our restaurant.  The local rancher raises only 4 cows a year, and we are the first restaurant to purchase a whole animal from him.    Unlike other Wagyu beef enjoyed in many restaurant in this country, this will be 100% pure Wagyu and aged 21 days.  After receiving the bull in 4 pieces, Chef Matt and team began to break down the entire animal with specific cuts and utilizing the offal for other dishes in the restaurant.  In addition to some photos of Chef Matt with “Colin” and Bob, you can see General Manager of Food and Beverage David Marsh pitching in to butcher Colin as well. 

Chef Matt began a relationship with local rancher Robert La De Route back in the Spring when we purchased half a cow from him and sold out the menu in 5 days in April.  This is when Matt arranged the purchase of “Colin” – number 61.  Bob takes great care in raising only 4 bulls at a time and grows some of the food he feeds the animals on his own land, thus creating an amazing single source, locally raised product for Urban Farmer.  The many different menu items of Wagyu will be available while supplies last, and we are looking to purchase another bull early 2012.

There’s nothing like a Portland Autumn. The leaves turn golden yellow, the evenings become brisk, and foodies’ appetites prepare themselves for warm, hearty and fulfilling indulgences. So is the case at Urban Farmer. In celebration of all things cozy and comforting, Chef Matt Christianson has created decadent bites for our Private Events hors d’oeuvres menu which he showcased on FOX 12 with Stephanie Kravelich from our Library.  Check out Chef Matt with Stephanie here:

http://www.kptv.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6324129  

Just in time for the cooler weather, our Urban Farmer bartenders have crafted seasonal cocktails that are perfect for imbibing while embracing the season’s change. The well-paired creations epitomize Urban Farmer’s stance for supporting locally sourced purveyors by utilizing the freshest seasonal ingredients directly from the source.

New Hors d’Oeuvres:

Roasted Fig, blue cheese, hazelnut

Celery Heart Salad, fromage blanc, orange

Roasted Beets, orange preserves, goat cheese, grilled bread

Deviled Eggs, dill crunch

Grilled Potato, fennel sausage, pear butter

Honey Glazed Acorn Squash, spiced cashew

Pecorino Cheese Puffs, spiced butternut aioli

Grilled Hawaiian Blue Prawns, celery root remoulade

Crab Puffs, louie dressing

Seared Scallop, coriander pesto

Roasted Turkey Slider, open faced, cranberry mayonnaise

New Barman’s Cocktails:

Lavish Russian
Lavishmint, Kahlua, Baileys, Cinnamon, Whisky Barrel Bitters

Sugar Plum Fairy
Vodka, Plum Pureé, Navan, Powdered Sugar

The Flying Dutchman
Captain Morgan, Amaretto, Grand Marnier, Cinnamon Syrup, Cream

Winter Break
Deco Ginger, Pineapple, Lemon, Cardamom & Maple Serum

The Big Deal
Bombay Dry, Sweet & Dry Vermouth, Averna, Orange Bitters

Winter Manhattan
Old Forester Signature, Fernet, Antica Formula

Huntsman’s Toddy 
Black Grouse, Cider, Lemon

The Bonnie Shrub 
Drambuie, Weller 107, Chartreuse, Seasonal Shrub, Rosemary

Last Fall
Clear Creek Apple Brandy, Grand Marnier, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey

Chef Matt Christianson and Urban Farmer took a field trip up to Welches, Oregon this September to participate in the 11^th annual Wild About Game cook-off, a meat-lover’s dream come true, sponsored by local purveyor Nicky USA. The event took place on Sunday, September 18, 2011 with some of Oregon’s most influential culinary talent.

The premise was simple: chef against chef in an all-star lineup to see who can create the most delicious and creative dish with Nicky USA sourced game birds and meats from local family farms and ranches. To add to the challenge, the event was formulated with an exciting Iron Chef style black box competition with each chef blind to the type of ingredients they used in the cook-off.

Participants this year included: Beaker + Flask, Beast, Gilt Club, Heathman Bar and Restaurant, Little Bird, Metrovino, Olivar, Resort at the Mountain, Timberline Lodge, and Urban Farmer.

Chef Matt, a third year contender, created Quail Schnitzel, with mustard spatzle, and huckleberry, and was accompanied by Senior Sous Chef Ryan Sturmer of Urban Farmer. His dish tied for 3^rd place, while Beast was 2^nd and Metrovino claimed the top prize.

A unique part of the Urban Farmer experience is a visit to your table from our cheese steward Lindsey Walton. Lindsey joined the Urban Farmer team two years ago as a host. While hosting, she became more and more curious about our cheese cart. After recognizing Lindsey’s growing passion, we promoted her to cheese steward.  She immediately began putting her own touches on the program by creating house made accompaniments as well as crackers to perfectly pair with her cheese selections.  Just this week Lindsey baked house made graham crackers to serve with a triple cream cheese along with house-made applesauce and fresh thyme.  We can’t wait to see what she has in store for the cheese cart as spring ingredients arrive.  Five nights a week, Lindsay navigates the dining room by rolling her Boos butcher block cart filled with 14 unique cheese selections for tableside service.  Lindsay takes every guest on a journey through the cheese cart describing flavors, the history of each cheese and the idea behind the pairings with each table.  Our guests have repeatedly complimented Lindsey for enhancing their dining experience. We are proud to have Lindsay as an integral part of the Urban Farmer guest experience.

Urban Farmer’s Executive Chef, Matt Christianson debuts live Alaskan king crabs.  The crabs are also known as brown king Crabs and are 8-14lbs each.  They are caught in the waters surrounding the Aleutian chain, golden king crab are the smallest of the three main species. Their shells are golden-orange in color and have the mildest flavor of the Alaska’s three commercially-harvested types of king crab. Golden king crabs have a lower percentage of meat “infill” inside their shells, and therefore cost less than blue or red. Urban Farmer currently features these exclusive crabs for their surf and turf options in dishes such as crab Oscar, crab cannelloni, crab ravioli and butter poached legs accompanied with their dry-aged steaks.  Check out Chef Matt cooking up crab ravioli and the beautiful crab legs with Fox 12 correspondent Stephanie Kravelich.

Where’s the beef? A butcher’s view from the back-of-the-house! Urban Farmer sources 1/2 a cow bi-weekly from local Oregon Farm, Highland Oak Farm. Chef Ryan is charged with wrestling this hind quarter and separate short loin in preparation for the UF menus. The Highland Oak Farm can be enjoyed in a number of ways; New York strip, bone-in ribeye, filet, fried beef short rib with horseradish aioli and house-made brisket, pastrami, beef liver pate, Philly cheese steaks and all of their house ground beef.

Urban Farmer, our Modern Steakhouse has been busy playing with their food! Chef Matt is incorporating elements from their seafood offerings into platters for sharing; these offerings include tuna Carpaccio with caviar and pork rinds, their Urban Farmer shrimp cocktail, oysters and a smaller version of their famed crab salad with hearts of palm and orange.  This offering will be coming soon for large in-house groups due to popular demand!

Q&A With Matt Christianson, Executive Chef, Urban Farmer Restaurant, Portland, OR

How long have you worked for Sage Restaurant Group?

Chef Matt: I began working for Sage Restaurant Group on March 17^th, in 2009

What are your favorite foods and drinks at Urban Farmer & Departure restaurants, located at The Nines Hotel?

Chef Matt: As the Executive Chef of the Nines I enjoy many different styles of food on a daily basis. For instance Departure’s jasmine tea is perfect for calming down & Urban Farmer’s Stumptown coffee is great for ramping up for a busy shift. I also enjoy Departure’s carrot and avocado salad for sweet richness and bright acidity. If I am in the mood for something on the comfort side I enjoy Urban Farmer’s brussels sprouts with almond brittle, it reminds me of eating popcorn followed by a Butterfinger =). Also, I can’t forget Chef Sean, his chocolate chip cookies are delicious & to blame for the extra pounds I could stand to lose.

Where did you work before you joined SRG?

Chef Matt: The Hotel Bolderado in Boulder, CO and previous to that I worked in San Francisco with Bradley Ogden.

What do you like to do when you are not cooking delicious food?

Chef Matt: I enjoy riding & exploring the Portland, OR area on my road bike and playing with my 4 and 6 year old sons.