Monday, November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving Recipes


Thanksgiving is here, and it’s time to go shopping for fresh, local ingredients to make this your best Thanksgiving ever! This year we bring together some of our favorite traditional dishes like herb-roasted turkey, combined with sweet potato gratin, sautéed Brussel sprouts, and horseradish mashed potatoes. Finish with ginger pumpkin pie and old-time apple pie. Savor this Thanksgiving, and enjoy with your friends and family.


Herb-Roasted Turkey


Brine:

1 ½ cups salt

4 cups brown sugar

4 sprigs of rosemary

6 sprigs of sage

2 lemons, halved

2 gallons boiling water


Turkey:

1 fresh or thawed turkey (about 18-20 lb.)

2 pounds of butter, melted

2 sprigs rosemary, thyme and sage, chopped

Salt and pepper


Place turkey in brine for 10-12 hours in a container large enough to cover the turkey with brine, and keep it cool in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove turkey from brine, pat dry with paper towel and place in a roasting pan. Combine melted butter, honey, and herbs and rub butter over turkey skin. Insert several sprigs of sage and 1 rosemary sprig inside of turkey (along with stuffing, if using). Place turkey, uncovered in oven. Every 30-40 minutes, baste with herbed honey-butter. When the thickest part of the thigh is 160 degrees then the turkey is done. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it cool from about 20 minutes. Garnish with Rosemary and sage, dressing, or roasted vegetables.


Sweet Potato Gratin


6 Sweet Potatoes

1 pint of cream

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 shallots finely chopped


Combine shallots, garlic and rosemary sprigs with cream. Peel potatoes and slice on a mandolin, then place directly into the cream. Layer a casserole dish with sweet potatoes, salt, cracked pepper and cheese mixture. Repeat layers until you reach ¾ up the casserole dish. Pull out rosemary sprigs and pour cream over top. Finish with cheese mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until firm. Gratin should be golden brown on top.


Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Pancetta


2 lb Brussels sprouts

2-3 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

4 tbsp. shallots, chopped (about 2 large shallots)

1 tbsp. garlic, chopped

3-4 slices of Pancetta, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste


Boil Brussels sprouts in 8 cups salted water until tender, then place into ice water bath. Sauté pancetta and garlic in butter for several minutes over medium heat. Remove Brussels sprouts from ice water and cut (vertically) in half. Next, add Brussels sprouts and shallots to pancetta and garlic and cook over high heat until brown on sides, adding more butter if needed. Add chopped thyme, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Serves 6-8.


Rustic Horseradish Mashed Potatoes


6 red or new potatoes

3 tbsp. Sour cream (optional)

1 cup (low-fat optional) milk, buttermilk or whole whipping cream

½ stick butter

3-4 tbsp. prepared (creamed) horseradish

Salt and pepper to taste


In a large pot of salted water, boil potatoes until very tender, leaving skins on for a more rustic texture. Smash potatoes in pot and add (warmed) milk or cream, and butter. Blend until creamy, and add sour cream, horseradish, and salt and pepper. Serves 6.


Ginger-Pumpkin Pie


1 unbaked and chilled 9-inch pie shell (use basic pie crust recipe below)

1 medium pumpkin, cooked and pureed, about 1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

3 large eggs

3/4 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 teaspoon vanilla


Turn oven down to 350 degrees and position an oven rack in the center of the oven. In a mixer, combine the pumpkin and the brown sugar. Then add eggs, evaporated milk, spices salt, flour, butter, and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Next, pour the filling into the chilled pie and place on the center oven rack. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until set. Check after about 35 minutes. When the filling is set, place the pie on to cool.


Old-Time Apple Pie


Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter

¼ cup ice water


Sift flour and salt together. Cut the chilled butter and margarine into small bits and add to the flour. Work flour and butter together. Add ice water slowly to the pastry, and press pastry together into a ball.


Pie Filling

About 9 apples, peeled and sliced

½ cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 lemon, juiced

3 tbsp. butter, cubed


Make pie crust pastry according to directions. Roll out on to floured surface and place into a 9 inch pie plate and crimp edges. Place sliced apples inside pie crust, sprinkle with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and dot with cubed butter. Roll out remaining pie crust and cut into leaf shapes with a cookie cutter or traced leaf shapes and cut with a knife. Brush with oil or melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Cover pie with pastry leaves and place pie in refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in oven for around 45 minutes, or until crust is brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.


Recipes by Chef Emily Buller and Karen Grimes

On Thanksgiving, Versatility is Key

Choosing the wines for Thanksgiving dinner can seem like a monumental task. How do you find the perfect pairing for the multitude of dishes that make their way to the Thanksgiving table? Don’t worry, there are many wines that will pair with everything from Brussels sprouts to turkey. The key is to find wines that are versatile enough to pair with such a wide range of flavors. Our favorite Thanksgiving wines are great food wines like Riesling and Pinot Noir. And don’t forget the bubbly. It’s always a great addition to the Thanksgiving festivities!

Here are a few of our Thanksgiving wine recommendations...mostly local but a couple from farther away that we just can't resist.


Domaine Carneros Brut Rose – loaded with great fruity and floral characteristics, this sparkler pairs perfectly with almost any appetizer and its vibrant pink color helps set a festive mood. $36

Dr. Loosen Riesling – this is always a favorite of ours, especially for Thanksgiving. You can’t beat the quality for the price (about $13 a bottle) and it pairs well with almost any dish. $13

Trefethen Riesling - Riesling is relatively hard to come by in the Napa Valley. Trefethen is one of only a handful of Napa Valley wineries making a riesling from about 20 acres planted in the Oak Knoll district. This is a dry riesling with great mineral flavors and some nice hints of citrus and tropical fruit. $22

Ponzi Pinot Gris – we’d recommend staying away from heavier California or Italian Pinot Grigio for Thanksgiving but the lightness and slightly tart characteristics of Oregon Pinot Gris, make a good pairing. Recently we enjoyed the Ponzi Pinot Gris. $18

La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - this is a classic Sonoma Pinot Noir and a great value at around $24 a bottle. This should be a relatively easy wine to find and will make a great Thanksgiving pairing.

Etude Pinot Noir – Pinot Noir is a great turkey pairing and Carneros Pinot is no exception. We love Etude Pinot Noir and this wine will definitely be making its way to our table. $40

Wine Suggestions by Linzi

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Distinct Wines from Petaluma Gap


I keep hearing references to Sonoma’s Petaluma Gap and the wines that are coming from this Sonoma winemaking region. It’s not a defined AVA but the Sonoma wine industry adopted the name to help define this geographically distinct area located near the town of Petaluma in Sonoma County. The gap is known for its wind and fog (it’s literally a wind tunnel) and there are some excellent Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays coming from the area.

Recently I had the pleasure of tasting the 2007 Pinot Noir and 2007 Chardonnay from Pfendler Vineyards. Pfendler Vineyards is owned by Kimberly Pfendler and the fruit for the wine comes from vineyards planted by Kimberly’s late husband in the Petaluma Gap area in 1992. Winemaker Greg Bjornstad takes a very minimalist approach in the winery, hand sorting the grapes for each wine and allowing native yeasts to begin the fermentation process.

The result is extraordinary wines that seem to reflect well the unique characteristics of the Petaluma Gap. The 2007 Pinot Noir has lush flavors of cherry pie and plum and the 2007 Chardonnay has lots of bright green apple flavor and nice well-balanced acidity. Both of these wines would make great pairings for Thanksgiving dinner.

Learn more about Pfendler Wines at http://www.pfendlervineyards.com/.
Learn more about the Petaluma Gap at http://www.petalumagap.com/.

Written by Linzi

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Perfect Apple Pie


Nothing says fall like apple pie eaten warm from the oven a la mode. There are plenty of apples to choose from right now. We recommend selecting a crisp, tart apple for your pie making. Granny Smith are easy to find in your grocery store but Braeburn, Fuji and Pink Lady are all excellent choices.

We’ve topped our pie with festive pastry leaves – a great way to put some extra special attention in your pie…especially if it’s making its way to your Thanksgiving table. Try pairing apple pie with a late-harvest Riesling or Muscat wine.


Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter

¼ cup ice water


Sift flour and salt together. Cut the chilled butter and margarine into small bits and add to the flour. Work flour and butter together. Add ice water slowly to the pastry, and press pastry together into a ball.


Pie Filling

About 9 apples, peeled and sliced

½ cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 lemon, juiced

3 tbsp. butter, cubed


Make pie crust pastry according to directions. Roll out on to floured surface and place into a 9 inch pie plate and crimp edges. Place sliced apples inside pie crust, sprinkle with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and dot with cubed butter. Roll out remaining pie crust and cut into leaf shapes with a cookie cutter or traced leaf shapes and cut with a knife. Brush with oil or melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Cover pie with pastry leaves and place pie in refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in oven for around 45 minutes, or until crust is brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Macarons Straight from Paris


The French, it seems, know what they are doing when it comes to macarons. These delicate airy cookies are not to be confused with the macaroon. The macaron is a traditional French pastry that looks like a little sandwich filled with cream or ganache while macaroons are dense cookies made, traditionally made with almond or coconut. It’s the delicate, airy meringue-type macaron that come in a variety of flavors and brilliant colors that the French do best. And I for one definitely appreciate the effort!


On a recent trip to Paris, my parents brought back several tiny black boxes filled with macarons from the famed Ladurée bakery. I immediately ate them in one sitting because anyone who knows macarons knows that you have to eat them fresh. And they made the trip from Paris to Napa well. Delicate, airy macarons in flavors like blackberry, lemon and of course chocolate. I was ready to jump on the plane and move to Paris just so I could indulge in macarons every day.



But luckily for me, I live right down the street from Bouchon Bakery in Yountville and they can definitely hold their own with this little cookie. The macarons at Bouchon Bakery are indeed inspired by the famed Paris macarons and come in traditional flavors like chocolate, caramel and vanilla with a wonderful seasonal flavor always thrown into the mix. My favorite is the pistachio macaron. If you visit now, you’ll find pumpkin macarons on the menu…delicious!


If you want to make macarons at home, Epicurious has a recipe for Laduree’s Chocolate Macarons. I have not attempted to make them myself as I found myself walking down the street to Bouchon Bakery for a Pistachio macaron before I even managed to purchase the ingredients. But if you try it out, let me know how it goes.


Written by Linzi