The final bottling party for our 2013 wines showcased fresh local farm produce in a vegetarian menu. Since we were bottling our lighter whites, we went with French inspired dishes, paired with our 2013 Isletage.
12 oz. box tri-color penne
1 each small red, orange & yellow bell pepper, cut into 2" long strips
1 large sweet onion, cut into 2" long strips
2 green & 2 yellow zucchini, cut into 1/2" x 1/2" x 2" sticks
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C. Perennial Vintners Isletage
Very generous pinch of saffron
1 C. heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
1 pint multi-colored cherry/grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 C. fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade
Saute pepper and onion strips in 2 T. oil over medium high heat in a very large pan for 1 minute. Add zucchini, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and saute another 3-4 minutes or until just al dente. Set aside and cool until warm.
Saute garlic in remaining 1 T. oil in a saucepan over medium heat 30 seconds without browning. Add wine and saffron. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add cream and bring back to a simmer. Adjust seasonings, remove from heat, stick blend until smooth, and set aside to cool until warm.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook penne until just al dente. Drain and cool until warm.
Fold together pasta, sauteed vegetables, sauce, tomatoes and basil in a large bowl while everything is still warm. Refrigerate, folding a couple more times to distribute sauce. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Serves 10-12
1.5 C. French green lentils
1 bay leaf
1 t. dry thyme
1 t. salt
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
2 quarts vegetable stock
3 rainbow carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 small turnip, peeled and finely diced
1 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1/4 C. Perennial Vintners Verjus
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 large shallot, peeled & minced fine
2 T. minced fennel fronds
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 C. finely chopped Italian parsley
1 C. hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 C. crumbled Chevre (fresh goat cheese)
Rinse lentils and drain.
Bring lentils, bay, thyme, salt, pepper and stock to a boil in a saucepan. Add water if needed to cover lentils by 3-4". Reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes. Add carrots, turnip, onion and celery and cook another 5 minutes until lentils are just tender being careful not to overcook. Drain and gently spread on a large plate to cool completely.
Whisk together Verjus, olive oil, mustard, shallot, and fennel. Adjust seasonings - note that the lentils are salted and the goat cheese is salty.
Fold together lentils/vegetables, dressing, parsley, hazelnuts and goat cheese.
Refrigerate, then let come to room temperature before serving.
Serves 10-12
12-15 pickling cucumbers
2 T. butter
1/2 t. salt
Couple grinds of white pepper
2 T. Perennial Vintners Verjus
2 T. fresh mint, cut chiffonade
Cut ends off cucumbers, then peel. Cut into quarters lengthwise, use a spoon to scrape out seeds and soft flesh, then cut the quarters in half lengthwise then across.
Melt butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add cucumbers, salt, pepper, and saute 5 minutes.
Raise heat to high, add Verjus, and cook another 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, add mint, and toss together. Serve warm.
Serves 10-12