Recently in Vegetable Category

Recipe Name:  Fresh Corn Salad with Redwood Hill Farms Goat Feta
Wine Pairing: Kenwood Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Brandon Sharp, Solbar, Solage Calistoga

"Asparagus season is to California eaters what Opening Day is to baseball fans.  Add smoked pork, grilled chicken, or blackened fish to this one for a meal." - Chef Brandon Sharp, Solbar

(four servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 bu jumbo asparagus
• 1/3 C Dijon mustard
• 2 hardboiled eggs, chilled and roughly chopped
• 2 T capers
• 6 cornichons, chopped
• 1 t fresh chopped tarragon
• 2 t fresh chopped parsley
• 2/3 C olive oil

Submitted by Flora Springs Winery
Executive Chef Christopher Ludwick, Grapevine Catering Company

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Butternut Squash (grated)
• 1 ea red onion (chopped)
• 1 ea red pepper (chopped)
• 1 ea carrot (grated)
• ½ bu Italian Parsley (chopped)
• 1 ea egg
• 1 cup flour
• 2T sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Panko

By Deirdre Bourdet

To Pea, Or Not To Pea... Right now in California, that is no question.  Plump English peas are at their peak, sweet, fresh and vibrantly green.  They taste of spring and sunshine, and because of their brief window of perfection, they should be ordered on sight.

Fortunately, wine country restaurants tend to do more with the peas than classic (and aptly named) English "mushy peas."  Many gorgeous and delicious creations await those who aren't afraid of a little green vegetable in their diet.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Asparagus gets a bad rap.  Far too many people think of it as the limp, stringy, soggy, slimy, and stinky green-grey stripes garnishing a "fancy" continental cuisine plate of tastelessness.  But when it's not boiled or steamed beyond all recognition, asparagus has a sweet, unique flavor, a cheery spring color, and fantastic crunch that make it one of the most versatile vegetables out there.  "Continental" cuisine is the appropriate culinary tradition for asparagus only if it refers to Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas as well as Europe.  And at this time of year, the spiky green palisades are at the sweet peak of their season, waiting to be rediscovered.

By Deirdre Bourdet

My brother Andy does a killer pulled pork.  Every time he makes it is cause for celebration... and fevered, uncontrollable gorging by every family member and friend within driving distance.  My brother consistently stuffs himself to the point of needing Mylanta intervention, but thanks to my own iron will and samurai-like discipline, I limit my own consumption level to only slightly over the one-pound mark.  Smoky, succulent, and richly seasoned, it cries out to be stuffed into corn tortillas with mango salsa and cotija cheese... or piled onto little Hawaiian rolls with a dab of barbecue sauce... or shoveled directly from plate to mouth with the assistance of leafy green vegetables.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Winter vegetables are notoriously time consuming and obnoxious to prepare.  Few people are willing to double their usual meal preparation time in order to accommodate the stubborn nature of cold weather veggies.  While I love greens and root vegetables at least as much as the next person, I'm also tremendously lazy and don't like spending every night of my life on the prep work and cooking necessary to transform them into something tasty and tender enough to eat.

Summer is here and that can only mean one thing (okay, maybe a couple) . . .

First - Throw as much as you can on the grill because who wants to slave all day cooking and cleaning in the hot kitchen?! 

Second: Your kids will tire of hot dogs and hamburgers every night for lunch and dinner so why not try out some new things on the grill. The banana and nutella panini sounds delicious for a snack or dessert!

Third: There is more to life than just grilling meat!  Vegetables, fruits, bread and a slew of other things can be grilled too!

That being said - check out some of the recipes below. Let us know how they turn out and don't forget to pair them with wine!  White Wines for Summer or Best Wines for BBQ. Happy Grilling!

• Apple-Glazed Barbecued Baby Back Ribs
• Kansas City-Style Barbecued Chicken
• Peach-Mustard Pork Chops
• Moroccan Grilled Salmon
• Grilled Quick-Brined Jumbo Shrimp
• Grilled Corn w/ Seasoned Butters
• Grilled Zucchini/Summer Squash Salad w/ Citrus Splash Dressing
  
• Grilled Potato and Onion Salad w/ Blue Cheese and Bacon
• Grill Baked Brownies w/ Bing Cherry Ice Cream
• Grilled Banana and Nutella Panini
  

Submitted by Timber Cove Inn ~ Sonoma

8 smoked Roma tomatoes (cut in half and smoked for ½ hour, or fresh tomatoes if desired)

Ingredients:

• 1 large Walla Walla sweet onion
• 2 oz. Vegetable oil
• 2 to 4 Chipotle peppers (chopped)
• 1 zucchini (diced)
• 1 yellow squash (diced)
• 2 stalks celery (cut on a bias)
• 2 small carrots (peeled and cut on a bias)
• 1-cup pork stock (use chicken if unavailable)
• 1-cup tomato juice
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Kosher salt to taste
• 20 sprigs fresh cilantro

Sonoma County is famous for their year-round abundance of produce. Each season Ferrari-Carano's culinary gardens offer Rhonda Carano's inspiration for new and delicious recipes as well as tried and true recipes from her Italian ancestry. With farmers' markets spreading across the country and people's desire for fresh fruit and vegetables, it's becoming easier for today's cook to create fresh and diverse menus that are not only delicious, but also nutritious.

This ever-changing bounty of ingredients makes entertaining fun and pleasing for every palate when paired with the perfect wine. Below are two such recipes...

Grilled Lamb Chops with Wine-Mint Marinade
Wine Pairing: Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon

Pasta Butterflies with Asparagus and Snowpeas
Wine Pairing: Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay

Ferrari-Carano also offers several other recipes online. Or use their Wine and Food Pairing Guide to assist you in selecting the ideal wine for all your entertaining needs.

Recipe by Chef Andrei Litvinenko
Kendall-Jackson Winery

Heirloom Black Bell eggplants are sliced thin, brushed with garlic olive oil and grilled. We then layer our roulade with roasted sweet Italian heirloom peppers, sun dried tomato pesto, sweet basil leaves and Matos Family St. George cheese. The combination of the concentrated flavors and smokiness of the vegetables with the aged cheese pairs well with the rich tannins and complexity of the Highland Estates Grizz Ridge Merlot, as well as our Stature Merlot.

You will find Morel Mushroom and Goat Cheese Toasts on page 23 of "Mustards Cookbook," the acclaimed winner of the James Beard Award for the Best Americana Cookbook. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn is well known though out the United States, but can be mostly found at her signature restaurant, Mustards Grill, in Yountville and at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena (CA).

Grilled Plums, Pickled Fennel, Pecan Crusted Chèvre

Mixx Restaurant & Bar
Executive Chef : Dan Berman
Sous Chef : Bridget Pollock
Line Cook : Patrick Hickey

Herb Crème Fraîche, Fennel-Red Onion Slaw,
Four-Minute Quail Egg and Caviar

A feast for all the senses, the Wente Vineyards Restaurant's open architecture allows the kitchen's rich, savory aromas to greet you at the door. Vineyards and gardens surround the restaurant, reinforcing the Wente philosophy of using the best possible seasonal ingredients. The restaurant and the winery are wonderful showcases for a re-emerging and vigorous Livermore Valley wine region.

You can do this with just about any veggies that you happen to have and any type of cheese that melts. Try Fontina or Gruyère, you and your family will be begging for more.

Ingredients

• 4 medium (about 3 inches in diameter) portabella mushrooms, dark gills scooped out
• 1 red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise
• 1 yellow bell pepper, quartered lengthwise
  
• 4 slices medium to large zucchini, cut into rounds
• 4 slices medium eggplant, cut into rounds
• 4 slices fresh mozzarella
• Olive oil
  
• Salt (preferably kosher or sea salt) and freshly ground pepper
  
• 1 cup Roasted Tomato with Balsamic Savory Condiment
• 4 rosemary branches 4-5 inches in length, bottom two-thirds of leaves removed

Chef Tom Hudgensen
Moosse Cafe

We are lucky to have a company that grows delectable fresh shiitake mushrooms in our area--the Little River Mushroom Company. They deliver a big basket to us each week. We usually grill them with other vegetables to be served over creamy polenta with a shallot cream sauce and a scattering of fresh herbs for a meatless entrée. The following Savory Mushroom Tart makes a great appetizer or light entrée--and tastes wonderful with Syrah.

BY ROBERT CURRY | WINE SPECTATOR GREYSTONE RESTAURANT

The first appearance of local sweet corn is the inspiration for this heavenly soup. Capturing the fleeting flavors of summer, Chef Curry likes to create layers of interest in his food by creating both complementary tastes (that of the corn and the crab) and those flavors that act as contrasts (the sweetness of the corn and the smokiness of the bacon). The herbal undertones suggest the verdantness of the garden and the lightness that is life in the Wine Country in July and August.

Grilled Hanger Steak with Potato Roesti, Charentais Carrots, and Cabernet Reduction

This recipe comes from our Executive Chef, Kelly McCown, to pair with the newly released 2002 Rubicon.  Like skirt steak, it is full of flavor but requires careful preparation to remain tender.   A Cabernet reduction provides a simple and elegant backdrop that will pair beautifully with the 2002 Rubicon.

Submitted by St. Francis Winery Chef, Todd Muir

Salt, Pepper and Dijon! Add zip and zest to spring with this Lamb delight. Chioggia beets and turnips turn into a heavenly wonder when paired with thyme and honey. Enjoy Chef Todd Muir's specialties when you visit St. Francis Winery.

Try this simple warm salad from Fort Bragg's Mendo Bistro at home. The warm dressing just wilts the leaves, and makes for a savory, decadent start to any WineCountry meal. Pair with a Gewurtztraminer, like the local Navarro 2004 Gewürztraminer, Estate Bottled.

Roast Half Guinea Hen, Green Garlic Spaetzle & Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Recipe by Chef Darren Robey
Harmony Restaurant

The light and delicate flavors of this dish are a perfect combination to usher in spring. The mild but flavorful hen is plated atop robust garlic spaetzle, verdant broccoli rabe and tangy sun-dried tomato pesto. The combination of bold and sweet flavors pairs beautifully with the fruit and slight spiciness of this Italian varietal wine, which is similar to Zinfandel.