Out in Malibu…on a ranch? Heck, yes. You may more quickly associate Malibu, California with expensive sushi and well-styled surfers, but our few visits to the idyllic One Gun Ranch (the first was our Sunset Magazine shoot last fall) have totally transformed our ideas about the stunning sea-side city.
Sprawled atop the Malibu hills with an expansive view of the Pacific, One Gun is a property full of all-natural wonders. From a zoo’s worth of rescue animals – Waffle, the mini burro included – to a biodynamic farm that has us ready to garden ASAP, Alice Bamford and Ann Eysenring have created a unique ecosystem on their property and we’re more than happy to spread the word about it.
We gathered with a few dozen of Ann and Alice’s closest friends (Demi Moore and Orlando Bloom among them), plus a few of our favorite L.A. ladies last month to celebrate the new One Gun Ranch cookbook. Guests enjoyed an afternoon filled with foraging, herbal cocktails and a stunning slow-food feast pulled right from the dirt.
The ranch’s breathtaking setting and holistic values attract a unique crowd that is Chalkboardy to the core — there’s nothing that feels more like our version of L.A. than seeing Orlando Bloom bump elbows with an alpaca and an overall-clad farm neighbor.
Pin your way through all the stunning images of the ranch above and then enjoy these two root veggie recipes straight from the book’s biodynamic pages…
ROASTED BEET CARPACCIO WITH CUMIN + HONEY
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 large beets, trimmed and scrubbed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp raw local honey
large pinch of cumin seeds
handful of micro cilantro or fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Roast the beets whole with the skins on — no need to add oil — until tender, about 45 minutes. Set the beets aside to cool.
Using a vegetable peeler, thinly slice the beets into carpaccio strips and lay the strips across a large plate.
In a jar, combine the olive oil, vinegar and honey. Close tightly and shake well. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the beets and let marinate for 10 minutes.
Garnish with the cumin seeds and cilantro and serve.
Dark Chocolate + Beet Brownies
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 lb beets, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/2” dice
7 oz dark chocolate (best quality, at least 75 percent cacao)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour or rice flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder
3 large organic free-range eggs
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
Optional add-ins:
handful of sour cherries
1 Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
1 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
juice of 1 ripe passion fruit
ginger powder for dusting
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Meanwhile, bring about 1/2 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan and fit a steamer basket into the pan. Add the beets to the basket ad steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then put in a blender and process to a smooth and silky puree. Set aside.
Bring about 1 inch of water to a gentle boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Break up the chocolate into the top pan and add the coconut oil. Nest the top pan in the bottom pan over, but not touching, the boiling water. Stir until the chocolate melts. Once the chocolate has melted, stir well. (Alternatively, bring 1 inch water to a boil in a saucepan and melt the chocolate in a glass or metal bowl that nests into the saucepan without touching the water.)
Sift together the cocoa, flour and baking powder into a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the coconut sugar until pale and fluffy. Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then fold in the flour mixture and ground almonds.
Finally, add the beet puree and fold to combine well. Gently stir in any of the optional ingredients you like.
Pour the batter into a lightly coconut oil-greased 9-inch round or square baking pan. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides, 40 to 45 minutes.
Let cool. Dust with the cocoa powder and the ground ginger, if you like. Cut into squares and enjoy!
