Festa De Fondo

Here's the menu and photos from the Festa de Fondo, the gala opening night of the Gran Fondo at Paradise Ridge Winery.

 

Opening

Sweet Potato Coins with Chèvre and Tapenade

Zucchini Pancakes with Roasted Apple Relish

Fall Figs with Blue and Balsamic

Sundried Tomato and Cannellini Stuffed Crimini Mushrooms *

Fried Squash Blossoms with Chickpeas and Cashews

 

First Course

Compressed Tomato and Basil with Watermelon with Sherry & Wild Baby Arugula

Artisan Bread Basket

Marinated Olive Plates

 

Family Style

Carved Filet with Chimichurri

Pacific White Sea Bass with White Miso and Shitake Mushrooms

Green Pea Risotto *

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Rainbow Chard with Pine nuts*

Zucchini and Pepper Ragu*

*vegan

 

Dessert

Fall Pear Tart with Cinnamon

with

French Sipping Chocolate

and

Fresh Whipped Cream

 

 

The Big 5 Herbs

Here is my Petaluma Post column from September.  Enjoy.

Sweet Basil, Opal Basil and Thyme

One of the most common questions that I get asked is what herbs pair well with what foods.  It is such a broad question that it could take a book to answer properly.  Part of the answer is easy; herbs are often associated with dishes of certain countries, like cilantro with Mexican, basil with Italian, and dill for Mediterranean and Russian.

 

Fresh herbs will add a brightness and freshness to any dish, so remember to clip those pots that you have sitting on your windowsill and experiment.  Dried are fine, but fresh pack more pop.  But that being said, dried herbs are more concentrated, so as a rule of thumb use twice as many fresh herbs.

 

Cilantro, most commonly used in Mexican cuisine in salsas, is also known as coriander (the dried seeds) or Chinese parsley.  Another common use is in many Asian dishes.  Add a touch to a Chinese chicken salad or fresh spring rolls. Cilantro is very tender and most of the pant can be used down to the tougher stems, try chopping and adding to a green salad for flavor.

 

Basil well known for uses in Italian sauces and pesto is also used the world around. Originating in India over 5000 years ago is one of the most used herbs in the world.  It is very easy to grow and comes in a variety of hybrids.  Sweet basil is most commonly seen in Italy and the US, however Thai basil with a sweeter flavor and a purple hue is growing in popularity.  There is also lemon basil that can be a great addition to seafood dishes.  One concern when using basil is that it bruises easily, so when using fresh basil make sure to take care to cut it at the last minute, and into long thin strips (a chiffonade).

Lemon Basil Cream Sauce
1 small shallot, minced
2 Tbl olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbl Chiffonade of lemon basil
Salt and pepper

Sauté the shallot in olive oil until translucent, then add the cream and reduce by half, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Sauté your fish of choice.  Then, just before serving add the basil and season with salt and pepper, and Ladle over the fish.  Enjoy.

Dill, one of my favorites, is known for Mediterranean and Russian cuisine; however it is probably one of the most used herbs in the world.  From its use in Gravlox in Sweden to borscht in Romania, it is also heavily used in Vietnamese cuisine. We all know the traditional use of both the seeds and the fronds in pickles.

Dill Tomato Cream Sauce 
4 cups diced tomatoes (canned is fine)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tsp fresh dill
1 oz olive oil
¼ cup cream
½ oz honey
Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.  Add the cream, honey and S&P and blend well with a beurre mixer.

Thyme is very underused here in the US.  With its earthy flavor it is often over looked.  Most people think to bring it out in the winter months to add to soups and stews.  Yes a pinch can add a great flavor to your French onion soup, but it is also a great addition during the summer to your fresh vegetables.  Just a pinch will add depth.  When using with meats it is great with both pork and chicken.  Unlike the other herbs that we discussed the leaves are edible, however the stems are not.  In my opinion it is ok the throw a branch in, allow the leaves to cook off, and then retrieve before serving.

 Summer Succotash

1 small yellow onion diced
½ lbs zucchini, small dice
3 ears of corn cut off the cob
½ lbs green beans cut into 1” pieces
2 to 4 Tbl olive oil
1 large sprig fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Sauté the onion and thyme in olive oil, then add in the rest of the vegetables and sauté will tender.  Remove thyme stem.  Season with salt and pepper enjoy.  We had this at home just the other day and everyone loved it.

Oregano another one of our popular Italian herbs is also commonly used in Mexican cuisine.  Often used in pasta sauces and stew.  It is a close cousin of sweet marjoram that is used more in the northern Italian cuisine. Try adding a touch to your stews and soups for a bit of added flavor

Here’s a handy cheat sheet.  Just don’t be limited by it.
Cilantro – Mexican, Asian and with chicken
Basil – Italian, Indian, and with seafood
Dill – Mediterranean, Russian, Vietnamese, and with seafood
Thyme – French and with vegetables, pork and chicken
Oregano – Mexican, Italian and with soups

Peachy Keen

Sorry I've been a bit remiss about my blog lately; it has been (and still is) a very busy season.  But here is my Petaluma Post Column from August, I hope you enjoy it: 

August brings to Sonoma County one of the sweetest tastes of summer, PEACHES!

The cooler spring that we have puts us locally behind the valley by a couple of weeks, so our local peaches don’t come in until August.  Peaches are one of the fruits that are truly best the closest you can get them from harvest.  With their delicate flesh and short shelf life, fresh from the tree are the very best.

 

Peaches and nectarines are the same fruit, it is often thought that nectarines are a cross with a plum.  But they are actually peaches with a recessive gene that drops the fuzzy exterior.  However they are usually smaller and have a bit more color to the interior.

 

White vs yellow peaches:  Both fruits come in two flesh colors. The white is far tenderer, but usually very sweet.  Due to their delicate nature these should be handled very carefully and eaten quickly as they bruise very easily and have a very short shelf life.  The yellow flesh tends to hold up well and can be stored and shipped.

 

What kind of peaches?  wow this is huge.  With the increase in heritage varieties there seems to be a different peach at the farmers market each week, so get them while you can.  There are some fun ones to look for “doughnut” don’t actually have a hole but are very flat and round.  O’Henry are the classic canning peach used for years.

 

If you are canning, freezing or making jam another thing to look for are “free stone” or “clingstone” peaches though the terms sound opposite they are the same.  This refers to how easily the stone (aka the pit) will come away from the fruit.  With these types the pit should easily just twist out.

 

Peaches are a great cooking and storing fruit.  It was one of the first things that I learned to can.  My grandmother would can jars every summer while we were camping.  She would blanch the peaches to remove the skin, stuff them in quart jars and then add boiling hot sugar water to cover.  Top with boiled flats and rings then turn over to help seal the tops.  I remember lying awake waiting as the jars popped to signal that they were sealed.

 

One of my favorite recipes is for a Peach Cobbler.  This recipe is more cakey than the typical crumbly variety.  I’ve had it a long time, coming from the Culinary Institute of America where I went to school.  We served it in the American Bounty restaurant there with a Bourbon Vanilla Sauce.

Peach Cobbler
2 peaches, skins on cut into slices (any seasonal fruit will do)
1cup flour
1 cup sugar
¾ cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Lightly butter an 8” pie pan (or equivalent).  Place the fruit in the bottom.  Stir the dry ingredients together, and then add the wet ingredients.  Pour over fruit and bake at 350 degree till golden and firm.

A great summer cocktail that we often make for wedding is White Peach Sangria.  A great beverage for those hot summer events

White Peach Sangria
Serves 4-5
3 lbs white free stone peaches
1 cup lemonade concentrate
½ liter ginger ale
1 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 bottle light white wine or rose

A light white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.  Or use a Rosé to add touch more fruitiness to it.

Puree the peaches with grapefruit juice in the blender, and then combine all the ingredients in your serving container.  Serve well chilled, and garnish with fresh peach slices.

Peaches are sweet and delicate, and they won’t be around for long. Enjoy them today.

 

Bruschetta and Crostini

Here's my column from the Petaluma Post for July:

Whether lounging by the pool, picnicking at a winery or bring food to a potluck, bruschetta and crostinis are a great way to go.  You’re probably thinking that bruschetta is that great tomato concoction on top of a crostini, and you are partly right.  That’s the common American definition of this Italian classic.  Crostini is a toasted slice of bread, while technically the bruschetta is a toasted sliced of bread that has been drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic.  Very similar, both are a great blank canvas for any ideas you might have.

How to make a basic crostini

Take one baguette; I prefer a denser bread that can be cut thin.  Slice on the bias, to get about 35 slices out of the baguette slice.  The thinner the slice, the easier it will be to bite through.  Place the slices on a cookie sheet and brush lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper if savory or sugar if sweet.  Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes till the edges just brown.

That first thing everyone thinks of is classic tomato bruschetta.  An Italian salsa of diced tomatoes, basil and more.  My favorite for this one uses cherry tomatoes.  Roast your cherry tomatoes with just a touch of olive oil to bring out the sweetness then toss with the other ingredients.

Tomato Bruschetta

2 cup small cherry tomatoes, if larger cut in half
2 Tbl olive oil
Pinch kosher salt and pepper

Toss together and layout single layer on a sided cookie sheet, then bake at 350 degrees for about 8 to 12 minutes.  The tomatoes should just begin to pop, the longer you roast the sweeter the flavor.

4 stems of basil, chiffonade

1 small onion, caramelized
2 stems Italian parsley, chopped
1 small spring rosemary, chopped
1-2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Allow to meld for 2 to 4 hours before serving

Grilled summer fruit is another great topping.  Peaches, figs, plums and apricots lightly tossed in olive oil and grilled, then served with a smear of Chèvre or brie will be a big hit.  For a sweeter side use crostinis that have been toasted with sugar and add a drizzle of honey.

For a party think of doing a bruschetta bar, toast 3 or 4 different crostinis, such as sweet, garlic, and olive seeded.  Then go for the smears, hummus or white bean puree, roasted garlic, goat cheese, blue cheese, brie, and pesto.  Then hit the toppings – this list can be huge! Roasted peppers, grilled eggplant, grilled summer fruits,  tapenades (black or green olives), tomato bruschetta, smoked salmon anchovies (I love the Italian white anchovy).  Let people have a great time and experiment.

White Bean Puree
1 cup dried white beans - Navy or cannellini
Water to cover by 3 times- allow to sit over night
Rinse and drain
Cover with water by 2 times and bring to a boil
Simmer till very tender
Cool and drain
From here have fun; season with salt and pepper, roasted garlic, pesto anything you want.

Crostinis don’t just have to be for nibbles and hor d’oeuvres, larger cuts of bread can be used as open face sandwiches.  Using a firm artisan bread slice ¼” thick slices, rub with olive oil and garlic and toast.  By doing this you are creating a barrier so the bread will not get soggy.  Think of spreading with some fresh ricotta, a few sliced of prosciutto and some arugula for a lovely snack.  Make it an addition to a bowl of soup.

Cheese Spread

1 cup grated hard cheese- parmesan, romano etc.
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Puree all together, and spread on a small or large crostini.  Then broil till golden and bubbly.

Enjoy

Can you say Vegan?

Last night we catered an incredible wedding at Hans Fahden Vineyard near Calistoga.  The Bride and Groom came in with a request of a vegan menu that no one would know was vegan.  Vegan is definded as no animal products, no butter, eggs etc.  They had spoken with two other caterers that had turned them down.  I took it as a challenge. 

They gave me a lsit of their favorite foods and we worked to creat the perfect menu.

We started with our Farmer's Market Crudites.  Simple enough, just lots of fresh veg with Cumin Hummus and Baba Ganoush, Artisan Breads, Roasted Beet Relish and Tapenade.  Plus our Vegan Spring Rolls of Avocado, Cucumber, Red Bell, Thai Basil, Tofu, Enoki and Bean Sprouts with Ponzu and Peanut Sauce.

Then on to dinner, this is were a vegan menu is most challenging.  We did it in two courses, everything served family style:

First Course

Wild Arugula Salad

with Heirloom Tomatoes, Champagne Mustard Vinaigrette

Artisan Bread Basket

with Caramelized Onion Mori Nu Spread

Country Style Marinated Olives

Second Course

Stuffed Squash Blossom Fritters

Cashews, Chick-peas, Eggplant with

Horseradish Ceram & Avocado Salsa

Green Pea Risotto

Arborio Rice, Green Peas, Onions and Green Pea Puree

Wild Mushroom Ragu

with Oysters, Chanterelle, Crimini

Summer Vegetable Ragu

Sweet Corn, Bells, Haricot Vert

Lemon, Basil and Olive Oil

The highlight of the night was the squash blossoms, the filling had the perfect tooth to feel hearty plus a touch of Cumin in the tempura battered added a great smoky spicy taste.

Thanks to Geoff and Alannah for giving me a great menu and inspiration.