Dressings, Sides

Orange Herb Vinaigrette

A wine inspired feast…

the story

Several months ago, I was invited to a wine tasting at The Boerne Wine Company. Featured that evening were the wines listed below as well as the vintner. She, with her Italian flavored English, spoke with great affection about her family’s wine business. The wines have mineral notes, smooth tannins, nice color and are excellent paired with cheeses, braised meats and chocolate. Decanting the wines also is recommended. So, feeling inspired by a lovely Italian accent, wines were purchased and a dinner party was in the works. This week, I will showcase preparation and execution of our Nebbiolo inspired evening. “Cin Cin!”

the wines

From the Piedmont region of Northern Italy

Grape: 100 % Nebbiolo

Coste della Sesia, Gattinara Tre Vigne,

Gattinara Riserva, Il Sogno Vino da uve stramature

the menu

{Menu items were chosen to complement and contrast the wine selections.}

pepper stew served on grilled bread

pecorino romano with sliced pears, honeycomb & marcona almonds

braised pork shoulder and mushrooms served over soft rosemary polenta

roasted baby carrots & brussels sprouts

arugula, radicchio, shaved parmesan, toasted walnuts & lemon vinaigrette

bittersweet chocolate pudding, vanilla panna cotta, drunk cherries & amaretti cookies

{When you undertake a large menu like this, preparation and organization are key. Breaking the project down into smaller pieces helps avoid stressful circumstances. Here is the game plan:}

day 1

sear off pork and braise for three hours…while that cooks…

make pepper stew

make vanilla bean panna cotta

make bittersweet chocolate pudding

make drunken cherries

toast walnuts

make garlic oil

bake amaretti cookies

{total prep time: 3 1/2 hours}

day 2

set table

prepare bread dough and bake

prep salad and dressing

grill croutons for pepper stew

roast carrots and brussels sprouts

warm pepper stew

warm pork and mushrooms

make polenta just prior to service

B U O N A P P E T I T O !

{ REGULAR POSTINGS/RECIPES WILL RESUME NEXT WEEK. NEEDLESS TO SAY, MY HANDS WERE FULL THIS WEEK!}

Curry Yogurt Sauce

(makes about 1 1/2 C of sauce)

3/4 C Greek yogurt

2 T chutney

Juice from one lime

1/2 C mayo

2 t curry powder

1/4 bunch of cilantro

1/2 t salt

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Using the steel blade, process until smooth.

Chunky Guacamole

(serves 4-6 as an appetizer)

3 large avocados

Zest and juice from half of a large orange
Zest and juice from one lime

1/2 C white onion diced small, rinsed and dried
1 large jalapeño, seeds and membranes removed, diced small
1/4 C cilantro, finely chopped
1 t salt
1 T EVOO

Crumbled Queso Fresco and finely diced radishes for garnish

Using a knife, remove pits and scoop avocado out of skin. Place into bowl and add juices and zest from the orange and lime. Using a masher, gently mash avocado into chunky pieces. Add onion, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and EVOO. Fold into the mashed avocado. Garnish with Queso Fresco and diced radishes. Serve with corn chips.

Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 pound wedge of blue cheese, divided in half

2 C mayo
2 C heavy cream
2 T white wine vinegar
1 1/2 t salt
2 t black pepper
1/4 ounce of chives, snipped into chunky pieces

In the bowl of a food processor, combine half of the blue cheese, mayo, cream, vinegar, salt, black pepper and chives. Pulse machine until mixture is well combined and more or less smooth. Place the dressing in a bowl. Take the remaining half of the blue cheese and break it up into small chunks. Add the chunks to the dressing and stir well to combine.

The recipe can be cut in half.

Use this with your veggie tray. Delicious.

Zesty French Dressing

makes 1 1/2 C of dressing

1/2 C mayo
1/2 C red wine vinegar
1/4 C sugar
1 T Dijon
1/2 t salt
1 t paprika
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 bunch of cilantro, leaves only

1 C vegetable oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except vegetable oil. Process until smooth. Slowly drizzle in vegetable oil through the feed tube while machine is running. Process until well combined. The recipe can be cut in half. Stores well for several days.

Orange Blossom Vinaigrette

gourmet neighbor strikes again….

2 T orange blossom champagne vinegar

2 t Dijon

1 t honey

pinch of salt

fresh cracked black pepper

zest from half an orange

1 T chopped fresh dill

6 T olive oil

In a small bowl, add vinegar, Dijon, honey, salt, pepper, orange zest and fresh dill. Whisk well. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while vigorously whisking. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.

TAPAS GATHERING

So here is a menu we shared several years ago at one of our cooking classes. Inspiration comes from a Spanish cookbook. Some tweaks have made this menu friendly and delicious. I realized the other evening while dining with neighbors how much more interesting it is to share many small bites instead of larger portions of two or three items. Many of these recipes can be made days ahead. In fact, they improve with age. A lesson for us all.

Bornos Verdejo and Lechuza Granacha accompanied the tapas. Don’t forget the crusty bread. A Spanish Cava opened the evening with Manchego, quince, and Marcona almonds.

Give this a try.

SALUD !

Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Olives & Thyme

Potato Salad with Capers and Dill

Roasted Peppers in Vinaigrette

Pickled Cucumbers

Meatballs in Saffron Sauce

Olives and Thyme

1 7-ounce jar of large green Spanish olives

¼ C olive oil

1/2 t red chili flakes

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 T dried thyme

Combine all ingredients in a container and mix well. Cover and keep at room temperature for 24 hours. Then, refrigerate for several days. Bring to room temperature before serving. The olives will keep well for several weeks.

Roasted Peppers in Vinaigrette

Recipe photos show a doubled recipe.

Serves 4-6

3 tri-color sweet peppers whole

½ t paprika
1 T water

3 T EVOO
2 T red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1 t freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T minced parsley
1 t orange zest
2 bay leaves
1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced

Place peppers on a foil lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 17 minutes. Turn peppers over and continue cooking for another 17 minutes or until skin is browned and wrinkled. (See photo) Place cooked peppers in a bowl and cover allowing them to sweat. Once cool enough to handle, remove skin/seeds and coarsely chop.

For vinaigrette, dissolve paprika in water. Add paprika mix to the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Pour vinaigrette over peppers and allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Bring to room temperature before serving.

Pickled Cucumbers

1 English cucumber, peeled and quartered lengthwise

Marinade:

1 C white wine vinegar
2 C filtered water
½ small sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
2-3 bay leaves
Fresh tarragon leaves

Mortar and pestle:

2 t Kosher salt
4-6 peppercorns
1 t fennel seeds
2-3 cloves

Cut each quarter slice into 1 inch chunks. Place cucumbers, onion, bay leaves, tarragon leaves and garlic in a non-reactive container. Add vinegar and water. Place salt, peppercorns, fennel seeds, and cloves in a mortar/ pestle and grind. Add spice mix to cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate. These are best made a couple of days prior to consumption!