Summer Meals Mean Grilling, Seafood & Lemon

Posted on July 10, 2012 by admin

The best summer meals are inspired not only by the seasonal produce freshly picked from the fields, but also the smells and tastes of long, hot days and vacations. Lazy sunny days at the shore and thirst-quenching fruit and citrus and herb gardens baking in the sun all influence what we’re eating. As these dishes start popping up in restaurants and backyards across the country, all you have to do is find the right wine, then sit down and dig in.

 Summer meals: Grilled vegetables from Trattoria Uliveto

I love this grilled Mediterranean vegetable plate above from Trattoria Uliveto in Orcutt, California. A great vegetarian summer meal.

Summer meals: Mussels & clams from Trattoria Uliveto

The taste of the sea, perfect for a summer meal: mussels + clams from Trattoria Uliveto.

Summer meals: Tomatoes & salami from Trattoria Uliveto

I ♥ tomatoes: cherry tomatoes with olive oil + cured pork plate above from Trattoria Uliveto.

Summer meals: Salmon pops from Blacklake Resort catering

Food pops are everywhere: smoked salmon pops above from Blacklake Resort catering.

 Summer meals: Lemon Rosemary cupcakes from Central City Market

Lemon goes well with herbs in summer desserts: Lemon Rosemary cupcakes from Central City Market.

Don’t forget the rosé to perfectly complement your summer meal and enjoy those hot days, late sunlight and great vacations!

Posted in Market Driven, Outdoor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thank God It’s Foieday: Foie Gras Lives on in Dordogne, France

Posted on July 1, 2012 by admin

In Périgord (Dordogne) France, it’s always foie day. It happens to be the foie gras capital of France (and the world), producing 90% of all foie consumed in France. And the French consume a lot of foie: 18,450 tons (78.5% of the world’s estimated total production). This region also produces good-quality almost-Bordeaux wines at a fraction of the cost, sometimes tasted in the wine maker’s own kitchen.

Foie Gras capital of the world: Dordogne France

Ducks and geese are inclined to eat as much food as you give them, so force-feeding is not a necessity (similar to the US population residing in middle America). Producers should give up force-feeding machines and let the birds eat three times their weight naturally so we can still eat foie in California! With the foie gras ban enacted in California this year, we now have to travel to nearby Los Vegas, where it is plentiful and permanent (no one cares about morals there), or preferably to the Dordogne in France.

It was there that I actually ate 5 different kinds of foie gras in one day. And it just might have been the best day of my life.

La Tour des Vents, restaurant in Dordogne France

After visiting Bergerac’s town market that morning, we found the only Michelen-starred restaurant in the area: La Tour des Vents. We sat on the outdoor deck, overlooking the valley of grapes and geese.

Foie Gras Mousse at La Tour des Vents in Dordogne France

First course was traditional foie gras mousse served in a small ramekin, with a hard brûlée top and a bite of salad on the side, shown above. It was like foie gras creme brûlée…quite possibly the most delicious thing I will ever put in my mouth.

Trio of Foie Gras at La Tour des Vents in Dordogne France

For my main, I ordered a trio of foie gras — just to make sure I tried them all! All three were terrines: marbelized black pepper, maple and spice cake with mango chutney accompanying and finally, traditional on toasted brioche with seasonal fruit chutney and old balsamic. It was heaven, especially paired with the local sweet wine that actually works better than Sauternes: Monbazillac.

Foie Gras with lentils and cured duck

And for dinner, when we returned to the hotel where our hosts were busy cooking for us, I had several pieces of homemade foie gras served with lentils and cured duck slices, shown above.

Thank God for Foie.

Posted in French Food, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Culinary in the Country: Gourmet Food & Wine in North Carolina

Posted on May 28, 2012 by admin

Twenty One & Main - Elkin North CarolinaThere’s at least one winery in every state, but that doesn’t mean you should taste the local wine when you’re driving through Oklahoma.

But in North Carolina, they’ve been slowly converting tobacco crops to grape vines over the last 10 years, thanks in part to an incentive by the state government to do so. In this state, the wines go gloriously with the local gourmet cuisine. You can find gourmet food and wine in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley.

Yes, I found some lovely things to eat in the boonies of North Carolina. One place was Twenty One & Main in Elkin, a bistro serving up some incredibly tasty lunches and dinners in these here parts. On this day, the lunch special was a salmon tartare sandwich, with edamame paste, grilled pineapple, and wasabi cabbage, shown above. And it pairs perfectly with a crisp, white Italian wine from Raffaldini vineyards.

Grilled Romaine SaladThe next night for dinner, my hosts served me another local wine (or was it cider?) on the deck as the sun was setting over 12 acres of green crops and wooded fields. Then they proceeded to fix a grilled romaine salad, with a chipotle-caesar dressing, alongside grilled beef and buffalo with a Cabernet reduction sauce.

Fired Okra StrawsBut the best thing I ate in the North Carolina countryside was fried okra straws, with produce picked straight from the garden just moments before. I never liked okra as a child…it seemed like everyone in the Midwest breaded and fried okra the exact same way and then smothered it with ketchup. It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever eaten.

But these were glorious. My hosts sliced them thinly, lengthwise, to look like straws. Then, they dipped them in spicy corn meal mix, and flash fried them in a deep fryer.

North Carolina country living & local wineThese spicy fried okra straws were the best okra I’d ever eaten! I never thought someone could fix okra for me that I actually liked! And now it was fixed…along with the best summer evening, in the woods, on a deck, I’d had in a long, long time.

Posted in Comfort Food, Down Home Eatin, Outdoor | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Favorite Breakfast Now: Farro & Eggs

Posted on April 14, 2012 by admin

Breakfast/Brunch is probably my most favorite meal of the day. I love the morning sun, the smell of pork belly, coffee and mimosas. Levain sourdough toast with butter and strong coffee with cream is all I need to feel happy and well-fed. Add a fried egg on that and it’s gonna be a special day.

So I am very familiar with all the traditional and regular breakfast/brunch menus and dishes. And frankly, a little bored. So now that farro appears on breakfast and brunch menus all over town, I am again excited about the first meal of the day.

This ancient grain is most often grown in Italy, where the people have the lock-down on how to eat fresh, delicious and healthy. And it’s perfect with eggs.

Canele Brunch - Fried Farro with Egg & BaconAt Canelé in Atwater Village, I had this fried farro with egg, bacon, kale and sriracha. Farro is the perfect nutty platform for fried egg, kale and bacon. It satisfies any craving for that classic eggs-and-bacon-breakfast, while adding a dimension of flavor. And sriracha never disappoints.

Lazy Ox Brunch - Creamy Farro with Mushrooms & PecorinoAt Lazy Ox downtown, I had this creamy farro with wild mushrooms, fines herbs & pecorino. Savory, creamy and perfectly salty-sharp, this dish feels more like a pot roast than a simple whole-grain dish.

Thanks farro, for making my day.

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Restaurants | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Cooking with Wine: Roast Chardonnay Chicken Recipe

Posted on December 23, 2011 by admin

2009 Alta Maria ChardonnayI love French food and wine…and I love eating and drinking local. These two loves inspired me to create a local version of a typical French dish: oven-roasted chicken with vegetables and herbs de Provence. Of course, this is using local Chardonnay – in the dish…and in my glass.

In a Santa Barbara County garden you can find rosemary, lemon thyme, basil and chives. And garlic, of course! Also, fennel is a bountiful crop on California’s central coast, which you can usually substitute for celery, instead of a traditional mirepoix (French base of onion, carrot and celery). Browning the chicken before roasting gives it a richer flavor than more simple roasts and the end result is a savory, delicious one-pot meal that pairs perfectly with the subtle body and flavors of Alta Maria Chardonnay.

Also, try this Winter Squash Chardonnay Risotto.

Print
Roast Chardonnay Chicken with Santa Barbara Herbs
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6
 

Ingredients
  • 1 4-pound chicken
  • 3 cups Chardonnay (2009 Alta Maria Chardonnay)
  • 1 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8 cloves garlic: 6 whole, 2 diced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (like lemon thyme, rosemary, basil, chives, marjoram) or 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
  • 2 lemons: 1 sliced, 1 juiced
  • ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb, chopped
  • 1 small green cabbage, cored and quartered

Instructions
  1. In large bowl, combine the Chardonnay, 1 cup olive oil, diced garlic, herbs, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 6 hours. Turn occasionally.
  2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat remaining olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel and garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. When the vegetables are caramelized, spoon them along the sides of the pan.
  3. Remove chicken from marinade and add to the middle of the pan. Sear each side until slightly brown, about 3 minutes per side. Arrange the quartered cabbage around the sides of the chicken and pour the marinade into the pan over the chicken and vegetables.
  4. Cover the pan with a lid and roast in the oven for 60-70 minutes, until the chicken is done (meat is cooked through when cut, leg separates easily from the body, or 170 degrees on meat thermometer). Remove lid and let it rest at room temperature 10 minutes.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Roast chardonnay chicken with santa barbara herbs recipe

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Posted in Comfort Food, French Food, Wine Country | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment