Living off the land
High-country retreat plans menus around local bounty
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Story by Deborah Frazier, Photos by Marc Piscotty

SMITH FORK RANCH, Colo. - The wilderness views inspire. Fly fishing, horseback riding, river adventures and mountain wanderings enliven the days.

Breakfast at the ranch may include quesadilla with scrambled eggs, black beans and cheddar cheese, served with salsa, sour cream, fresh fruit and a blueberry muffin.

But it’s the exquisite meals that originate in the North Fork Valley’s farms, orchards and ranches that define a stay at the Smith Fork Ranch.

"We wanted that feeling of visiting someone’s private ranch and we wanted to provide really good food from this garden center," said Linda Hodgson, who owns the ranch with her husband, Marley Hodgson. (The Hodgsons’ son, also Marley, co-owns MAD Greens restaurants in the metro area.)

The crunchy-fresh herbs and greens, the sunsweetened tomatoes and fruit are harvested daily at area farms. The chicken, elk, rainbow trout, buffalo and beef hail from nearby ranches.

"It’s great to serve guests great food, but for me the best part is doing business with the people who raise the food and who are also my friends," said Bob Isaacson, the executive chef who selects the produce.

Isaacson, formerly sous chef at the The Little Nell’s Montagna in Aspen, also relies on cheese, eggs and cream from neighboring entrepreneurs. He plans menus months ahead based on what the growers say will be ready.

"I’ll take a protein, like elk, decide what flavors to use, see what local producers say will be ready and bring it together," he said.

Guests won’t forget the meals that Isaacson and Zach Stillwell, the ranch’s sous chef, prepare from the local bounty, which is often organic.

"The food was the deciding factor," said Bob Cudd of Taos, N.M., who picked the Smith Fork Ranch to celebrate his 70th birthday with his wife, Carol, their four grown daughters and their families.

A friend of the Cudds’ from Louisiana sent a cooler of fresh figs as a birthday present. Isaacson created an appetizer with a local mild blue cheese atop the halved figs and topped with a drizzled balsamic reduction.

"We are from Santa Fe and Taos, so we are used to eating well," said Carol Cudd. "We don’t lavish praise, but this is special."

Sweet corn soup, pumpkin-seed encrusted trout, elk steak atop roasted sweet potatoes, homemade peach ice cream and plum strudel have been popular with families.

The Smith Fork Ranch opened in 2002 on the edge of the Gunnison National Forest. The Hodgsons bought the ranch in 2000 and neighbors nudged them into restoring the former dude ranch.

The Hodgsons, who founded the luxury leather goods company Ghurka, had taken family vacations at the A Bar A Ranch in Wyoming. The Vista Verde Ranch and the Home Ranch near Steamboat Springs were Colorado influences, Linda Hodgson said.

The couple hired knowledgeable locals who rebuilt the cabins, added slate-tiled showers, planted flowers for fresh bouquets in the rooms and installed antler horn door handles and other unique fixtures.

At this standout establishment, there’s one staff member per guest, including a counselor for each youngster during the day. Reservations are limited to 26 guests.

Each guest is matched by skill with a horse they’ll ride for the week. On the first day, there’s a fly-tying and casting clinic for beginners.

Guides also offer insights for accomplished anglers, tips for the six stocked ponds on the ranch, the two-mile private stretch of the Smith Fork and the gold-medal section of the Gunnison River.

July and August are the busy months for guests and the time that Isaacson said "the produce comes on like gangbusters."

Each day starts with fresh muffins, hot coffee and granola laced with dried apricots, cherries and other local fruits.

Smith Fork Quesadillas Makes 4 servings 2 tablespoons canola oil 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup cooked black beans 1/8 teaspoon cumin 8 ounces cooked chorizo 8 eggs Salt and pepper 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup Salsa Fresca (see recipe) Oil a griddle. Place the tortillas on the griddle, and cover the tortillas with cheese. In a separate pan, heat the black beans, the cumin and the cooked chorizo. Season the eggs, and scramble them in a nonstick pan. When the cheese has melted, place the beans and chorizo on four of the tortillas, and add the scrambled eggs. Season to taste. Place the other four tortillas on top of the eggs. Garnish with the sour cream and salsa fresca. Nutritional information per serving, not including salsa fresca: 773 cal., 52g fat (19 g sat.), 508 mg chol., 36 g carb., 1276 mg sodium, 7 g fiber, 40 g pro.

And then, there’s breakfast, prepared by Andrea Brown, who graduated from Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts in Denver: ricotta corn cakes, eggs scrambled with chorizo, black beans and cheddar between two corn tortillas and elk sausage for starters.

As the families decided between kayaking, white-water rafting and skeet shooting, they filled out lunch requests for sandwiches and salads. When they returned from morning outings, individual picnic baskets greeted them.

New afternoon excursions, a sojourn in the treehouse, reading, board games and a few naps filled the time until dinner.

"You have to stay active because the food is so good," said Bret Hale, the Cudds’ son-in-law and a landscape designer in Taos.

For dinner, Isaacson and Stillwell shared the tasks of browning the pheasants, finishing the scallops atop black truffle and fava bean risotto with tomato garlic butter and mixing the orange and Muscat jus for the rosemary gnocchi and chanterelle mushrooms.

The final half-hour was a smooth flow of motions that included dishwashers who made pans vanish and waiters who glided away with the photogenic food.

"It’s a lot of people in the kitchen, but it’s a lot of fun," said Stillwell, also a Johnson & Wales graduate.

At a long, family table on the pavilion, the extended Cudd family enjoyed the results. Wine added to the pleasure of great food, family and tales of mountain forays.

The wine cellar boasts about 3,000 bottles and 300 varieties, including a few of Colorado’s own.

Orange Muscat Jus Yields 4 ounces 2 teaspoons canola oil 1/2 onion 1 carrot and 1 stalk celery 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1/4 cup Muscat 2 cups rich pheasant stock (see recipe) 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 thyme sprigs Juice of 1 orange 2 teaspoons butter Caramelize the onion in the oil in a sauce pan, then add the carrot and celery and cook until soft. Add tomato paste; stir for 30 seconds. Deglaze with the Muscat, and reduce until syrupy. Add pheasant stock, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Reduce over medium heat until it is sauce consistency. Add orange juice and reduce once again to sauce consistency. Strain. Stir the butter into the sauce just prior to serving. Serve with pheasant and side dishes. Nutritional information per serving: 136 cal., 6 g fat (3 g sat.), 16 mg chol., 8g carb., 63 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 3 g pro.

The Hodgsons said most summer guests are families, often two and three generations. Couples favor the fall for aspen viewing and romantic riverside dinners. Professionals on corporate retreats and hunters who like luxury with their sport fill the fall guest list.

Most guests come from New York, California, Texas, New England, Chicago, the Carolinas and Colorado’s Front Range, she said.

There’s a smattering of notables from Hollywood, corporate executive suites and the upper tiers of Washington, D.C.

"They come here to relax and be anonymous and enjoy their families," said Linda Hodgson, a discreet hostess who doesn’t provide names.

The guest book tells no tales, but the comments mention the staff, the countryside, the fishing and the food.

"It’s a lovely location," said Leslie Hale, one of the Cudds’ four daughters. "The staff is wonderful, but the food puts it over the top."

Smith Fork Ranch Fourth Annual Culinary Weekend

• When: Sept. 7-10
• What: Hands-on cooking with chef Bob Isaacson, formerly sous chef at Montagna at The Little Nell in Aspen. He and other chefs will demonstrate a selection of ranch recipes using Colorado lamb, elk, trout, pheasant, chicken and produce from local organic farms and orchards. The weekend will include visits to a nearby elk ranch, wine tastings and cooking classes, as well as fly fishing, horseback riding and other ranch activities.

• Cost: $1,490 per person, double occupancy, for the three-night, four- day package, including food, lodging and activities. Alcohol, except for wine tastings and welcome party, isn’t included. A 15 percent service charge and taxes also apply.

About Smith Fork Ranch

• Size: 265 acres in the Gunnison National Forest
• Location: in the Smith Fork River valley near Crawford, which is midway between Aspen and Telluride. Elevation: 7,100 feet.
• Capacity: never more than 26 guests
• Who goes: Summer favorite for families with activities for all ages. Early fall favorite for couples. Hunting season favorite for gourmands.
• The view: Cabin, lodge and dining room porches face the 11,000-feet peaks of the West Elk Wilderness.
• best unique touches: handwritten individual welcome notes from owner Linda Hodgson; the Boot Barn, which offers freshly polished and sanitized cowboy boots; and a fly-tying table in the lodge, complete with lures and other fixings fish can’t resist.
• Cost: Weekly rates during peak season vary widely, starting at $5,800 for a two-person room in the guest lodge to $19,500 for a six-person cabin. Off-season packages available for seven-, four- and three-night stays, May 25 to June 17 and Sept. 5 to Oct. 15. Not included in rates: alcohol, some off-site activities, massage and overnight horse pack trips.
• Information: 1-970-921-3454 or www.smithforkranch.com

Working off the calories

Activities at the Smith Fork Ranch include:

• Fly fishing, guided or unguided, on the Ranch’s ponds, rivers in the Gunnison National Forest and the backcountry
• Horseback riding
• Hiking on 150 miles of trails
• Team cattle-penning on horseback
• Archery
• Visits to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park for fishing, hiking, climbing and scenery
• Tours of local vineyards, orchards, organic farms, buffalo and elk ranches and other food producers
• Overnight pack trip to backcountry camp
• Local rodeos
• Trap shooting with sporting clays
• White-water river rafting
• Hot-air ballooning
• Romantic riverside dinners
• Nightly smokeless (gas-powered) campfires
• For kids: a swimming pond, a tepee with bedding for overnight adventure, fly tying, Frisbee golf, homemade cookies, roping and more
• Best unlisted activity: stargazing from the arborsheltered hot tub

Rainbow Chard and Chanterelle Mushrooms Makes 4 servings 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 ounces chopped fresh chanterelles 1/2 julienned Vidalia onion Kernels of 2 ears Olathe sweet corn 2 bunches Living Springs Farm shredded rainbow chard 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper to taste In a large sauté pan, add the oils, then the chanterelles. Toss mushrooms to coat well with the oil, season with salt and pepper and sauté until nicely browned. Add onion and corn. Cook until onions are translucent and corn a little toasted. Add the chard a handful at a time, tossing the entire time. Add balsamic vinegar and butter; adjust seasoning. Serve with Pheasant, Gnocchi and Orange Muscat Jus; recipes follow. Nutritional information per serving: 169 cal., 14 g fat (5 g sat.), 15 mg chol., 12 g carb., 122 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 3 g pro.	Rosemary Gnocchi Makes 4 servings 3 pounds russet potatoes, chopped and peeled 2 cups all purpose flour 1 egg 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper Butter for sauteing Cook the potatoes, as you would for mashed potatoes, until soft. Strain and pass through a ricer onto a work surface. Make a well in the center of the potatoes. Sprinkle with the flour. Put the egg in the well along with the rosemary and salt and pepper. Using a fork, stir the egg into the potatoes as if making pasta. Continue to knead the flour into the dough until dough is slightly tacky. Roll the dough into 1⁄2-inch logs, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Place gnocchi in a large pot of boiling water a few at a time to prevent lumping together. Simmer until the gnocchi floats to the surface and remove. Sauté in butter until golden brown. Season to taste. Nutritional information per serving: 488 cal., 2 g fat (0 g sat.), 53 mg chol., 99 g carb., 1403 mg sodium, 8 g fiber, 16 g pro.
Stuffed Pheasant Breast with Orange Muscat Jus Makes 4 servings 2 (Four Directions Farms) pheasants 1 egg 1/4 cup cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves 2 tablespoons canola 1 cup chicken stock Remove breast from pheasant, leaving the skin on and removing the tenderloin, and set breast aside. Clean strip of silver skin from the tenderloin. Remove thigh meat from leg bone; remove silver skin or skin from meat. Rough chop meat of the tenderloin and thigh meat. Place meat in a food processor; pulse. Add the egg, cream, salt, pepper and thyme and process until smooth. Place mixture (a mousseline) in a pastry bag. Make an incision in the breast by inserting the blade of a boning knife into the thicker end of the lobe, slicing a pocket into the center of the breast. Fill the pocket with the mousseline. In a hot, oiled, ovenproof sauté pan, place the breast skin side down, and sear until golden brown. Flip and brown the flesh side. Add chicken stock and place in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Nutritional information per serving: 544 cal., 34 g fat (10 g sat.), 183 mg chol., 3 g carb., 328 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 53 g pro.	Pheasant Stock for Jus Makes 4 servings 2 roasted pheasant carcasses 1/2 large onion 1 carrot 2 teaspoons canola oil 1 celery stalk 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon black peppercorns Roast pheasant carcasses until golden brown; cool. Sauté the onion and carrot in oil until some caramelization occurs, then add the celery and cook until soft. Add the pheasant carcasses, bay leaves, peppercorns; cover with water. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 4 to 6 hours, skimming the impurities off the top periodically. Strain and reduce remaining liquid over medium heat by three-quarters. Nutritional information per serving: 115 cal., 9 g fat (3 g sat.), 21 mg chol., 4 g carb., 36 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 5 g pro.
	Salsa Fresca Makes 4 servings 2 small diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons stemmed, seeded and minced jalapeño 2 tablespoons small diced red onion 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro Juice of 1⁄2 lime Salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients together and adjust seasonings. Nutritional information per serving, not including salt: 17 cal., 0 g fat (0 g sat.), 0 mg chol., 4 g carb., 4 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 2 g pro.

Contact: Smith Fork Ranch
P.O. Box 401, Crawford, CO 81415
Tel. (970) 921-3454 or Fax (970) 921-3475.
Email: reservations@smithforkranch.com