Since we were bottling our 2012 Frambelle and the vineyard weather was absolutely gorgeous, we decided to pair the new bottling with a small but decadent dessert. The main menu was a celebration of summer with local produce and grilled chicken. The salad, bread and spread paired well with almost all of our whites and even our Rose. The Orange Muscat continues to pair surprisingly well with foods.
1 lb. spring greens
1 lb. snow peas, trimmed, halved, blanched & shocked
1.5 lb strawberries, hulled & sliced
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 C. almond slivers, toasted
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. Perennial Vintners Verjus
1/4 C. fresh Genovese basil leaves
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 C. strawberries, hulled
1/4 C. Perennial Vintners Verjus
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. honey
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Puree all marinade ingredients in a blender. Trim excess fat off chicken and place in a gallon ziplock with marinade. Massage together then squeeze out air and place in a bowl or pan in the refrigerator 2 hours to overnight.
Place the vinaigrette strawberries in a single layer on a baking pan. Roast the strawberries in a preheated 450F oven until their juices start to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool, then add all other vinaigrette ingredients to the pan, scrape off juices then puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate at least one hour.
Grill chicken 20 mins or until 165 degree internal temperature. Let sit 10 minutes covered with foil. Cut into 1/2" strips.
Gently toss together greens, snow peas, sliced strawberries, green onions, almonds and vinaigrette. Arrange on serving plates and top with sliced chicken.
Serves 4-6
1 lb. feta, crumbled
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
2 T. Perennial Vintners Verjus
12 oz. roasted red pepper
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 T. paprika
1 t. red chili flakes
Blend all ingredients together. Refrigerate overnight.
Serve with crusty baguette slices.
Serves 10-12
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 C. unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into pieces
1/4 C. Grand Marnier
1 C. hazelnuts, chopped & toasted
2 T. fine orange zest
1/4 t. sea salt
Powdered sugar for dusting.
Combine chopped butter and chocolate in a large bowl in the microwave and melt at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. (Can also be done in a double boiler or a pot over very low heat.)
Stir in the orange liqueur and mix until combined and smooth.
Add the toasted nuts, salt, and orange zest, mixing until evenly combined.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate about 1 1/2 hours, or until mixture has firmed up a good bit and is moldable, but not crumbling. Longer is better but not too long. Microwave at 30 second intervals if it's too firm.
Sift ~2 C. powdered sugar into a large bowl. Pinch off about a tablespoon of the mix, roll into grape sized balls and drop into the powdered sugar. Roll around to coat entirely. Repeat, adding more sifted sugar to coat if necessary. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until entirely firm.
Gently re-roll the balls to seat and remove excess sugar, then put into air-tight storage container. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Serves 10-12