Labor Day – Don’t Give Up on Summer, Don’t Give Up on Chardonnay
We know summer is nearly over because the local sweet corn has lost its magic; big kernels, and sometimes even mealy. We can’t help ourselves, we still buy it. Just like the photo below, the sweet corn goes into the background. Luckily, the veggies in our garden and CSA box are still going strong. In … Continue reading
Dinner on the Farm
Have you attended a farm dinner yet? There are some pretty fancy ones that are also very expensive. $200 per person? Sorry, not here. However, there are likely some in your area that are reasonable, and you’re sure to have a good time. Meet your farmers, and learn where your food comes from! One piece … Continue reading
Basil Tasting
I always go overboard with the basil in our kitchen garden. We have 5 plants, 3 varieties for two people! How different do the various types taste? Tonight, we did a basil tasting. We made little skewers of cherry tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sunflower oil. Did you know that … Continue reading
A Meal Made for Pinot Noir
Pork Chops Stuffed with Cherries & Mushrooms, Grilled Salad on the Side If there ever was a meal constructed for Pinot Noir, this would be it! The combination of cherries and mushrooms echo the main aromas and flavors of the wine. The pork is a nice medium body, not too heavy, not too light, also … Continue reading
“Learn to Love Beets” Pizza
Beets on Pizza? Why? Growing up, beets were a regular item at our dinner table. Let’s just say I did not grow to be a fan. When I left home to go to college I thought: “I never have to eat beets again!” After 35+ beetless years, I decided I should really give them a … Continue reading
Do Big Rich Cabs Really Go With Steak?
A wine dinner is a great opportunity to challenge your assumptions. With an open mind, you might be surprised! My confession? I thought I would hate all the big, rich cabs. To my surprise, several were very nice. Now I just need to figure out how to ferret them out. After juggling multiple work schedules, … Continue reading
CSA Box Meets Kitchen Garden
One of the best challenges with the CSA has been figuring out how to use new ingredients, not necessarily the ones we would choose while shopping at the farmers market. Watermelon radishes are beautiful and they offer a nice crunch. The radish tops make nice hearty salad greens. However, they are pepper bombs when raw! … Continue reading
Watermelon Radish Salad & Lioco Rosé
A refreshing glass of rosé and a nice salad are just right on a hot summer night. Continuing on our local theme, much of this salad is built from a our CSA box and local farmer’s market produce. The combination of peppery crunch from the radishes, the sweet fruit and the salty feta provide satisfying … Continue reading
Spring Pea Basil Risotto and a Pair of Piedmont Wines
I might not choose to serve risotto on the hottest day of the summer, but it makes a fine dinner on days when the A/C is off and the windows are open. Risotto’s historic home is the Piedmont area of Italy, so we decided to match the meal with wines from the same area. We … Continue reading
CSA Meatless Monday: Wines for Sriracha Sauce
One Pan Curried Kale Medley Today’s Meatless Monday recipe is a spicy one pan meal featuring ingredients from our CSA box. Sriracha sauce is pretty spicy, but we found a couple of wines that gracefully handled the heat. Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorees Beaujolais 2011 ($14) There are very few red wines that pair nicely with … Continue reading
