California Wine Spot

A RECIPE FROM ROTTA VINEYARD & WINERY

A loyal Rotta customer, Zoe, supplied this recipe to go with Rotta Cabernet Sauvignon.  “I got the Baked Ziti recipe about three years ago, but it called for bottled spaghetti sauce and I don't do bottled  spaghetti sauce, so I put it together my way. I have been making the pasta sauce for about 30 + years I tweak it from time to time.    In fact, I just got a request to make it for my daughter's friend's baby shower.”

Baked Ziti                                                    
1 pound dry ziti pasta (or penne pasta)                
6 ½ cups pasta sauce (recipe below)
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.   Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8       
   minutes; drain.
2 In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add pasta sauce, and simmer 
   15 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream,
  1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. 
  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4 Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Zoe’s Pasta Sauce
Note:  For most robust flavors, make the sauce a day ahead of time, before you make the casserole
1 lb. Italian sausage (casings removed)
2 Tbl. Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbl.  Italian seasoning
1 large can tomato puree (28 oz.?)
2 cans tomato paste (or 1 large)
1 Tbl. Sugar
2 bay leaves
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 cups water + or - (or half water and half good red wine)

Brown sausage, add olive oil, onion and garlic – sauté until tender.   Add remaining ingredients.  Use amounts of water and wine to your taste and the consistency you like.  Simmer (the longer the better) and remove bay leaves before use.  Or – use two 26 oz. jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce,

Enjoy with your Rotta Cabernet Sauvignon.  Salud!

A Favorite from Daniel Gehrs Winery

Beef Magnifique

“Dan and I both love to cook,” says Robin Gehrs. “Truth be told, Dan actually cooks more than I do and he is fabulous in the kitchen! This recipe was in a cookbook we received for a wedding gift in 1973. Dan was pre-law in graduate school and I was a new teacher. The book was entitled “Favorite Recipes of California Winemakers.” Did someone know something we didn’t know? We of course recommend it be served with a glass of Daniel Gehrs Syrah. Bon Appetit!

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. bacon, diced
2 dozen small white onions
4 lbs. lean beef, cut in 2” cubes
1 tsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 slice orange peel
1 bouquet garni (see below)
2 cups Daniel Gehrs Syrah
1 cup fresh small button mushrooms
Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preparation:
Brown the bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp. Remove bacon, and brown onions in remaining fat. Remove onions. Brown meat on all sides in same fat. Sprinkle the bacon with flour; return to Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, orange peel, and bouquet garni. Heat wine; pour over meat. Cover and place in slow oven (250-300°) about 3 hours. Add more wine (including the glass of wine you are enjoying while cooking) as necessary. Meanwhile, sauté fresh mushrooms in a little butter until soft. Add mushrooms and onions 15 minutes before beef is done. Before serving, remove herb bouquet and orange peel; sprinkle lavishly with parsley. Serve with hot, buttered, crusty, sourdough French bread and Daniel Gehrs Syrah!

To make bouquet garni: Tie 2 small bay leaves, 1 sprig thyme, 1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. marjoram and small bunch parsley in piece of cheesecloth.

A Scottish Favorite Featuring Sulla Boca Chardonnay

Chicken Saute with Artichokes and Sun-dried Tomatoes                                                              

Straight from Edinburgh, Scotland’s famous restaurant, Leith’s, comes this poultry recipe designed specifically as a companion to California Chardonnay by chef Caroline Waldgrave.  Sulla Boca Chardonnay adds a flavorful zest to this tasty dish.  Serve it up by a roaring fire, with a glass of wine at the ready, with bagpipes playing if you’ve got ‘em!

(Serves 6)             

Ingredients:

6 Large chicken breasts, skinned and boned
plain flour seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper
½ Tablespoon oil
4 oz. pancetta or rindless, streaky bacon, chopped
5 Tablespoons Sulla Boca Chardonnay
1 14 oz. tin of artichoke hearts, drained and halved
2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
1 Tablespoon finely chopped sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Garnish: 1 oz. pinenuts, toasted

Preparation:

1. Trim the chicken breasts of any fat and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Toss in the seasoned flour and shake off any excess.  Put the chicken pieces onto a plate in a single layer, without touching each other.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the pancetta or bacon and fry until brown.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

3. Add the chicken pieces, a few at a time, to the hot pan and fry, turning, until golden-brown and cooked through.  Keep warm with the pancetta or bacon.

4. Add the wine to the pan and bring to the boil.  Reduce by boiling rapidly until syrupy.  Return the pancetta or bacon and the chicken to the pan together with the artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and sage.  Reheat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

A TROPICAL DELIGHT FROM RAYMOND VINEYARDS

Game Hens with Pineapple Glaze

"The tropical flavors of the Monterey fruit pair extremely well with the pineapple glaze,” says Vickie Andreassi, Raymond’s Director of Marketing.

Ingredients:                                                                                                                                (serves 4)
2 Cornish Game Hens
2 tablespoons melted Butter
1  8 ounce can Crushed Pineapple, drained
1⁄2 cup Maple Syrup
1⁄4 cup Lemon Juice
3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

Preparation:                                                                                                                                                         Preheat oven to 350˚.  Place the hens in a roasting pan. Brush them with butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.   

Whisk the pineapple, maple syrup, lemon juice, mustard, and soy sauce in a saucepan.  Baste the hens with some of the pineapple mixture and continue roasting for about 30 minutes or until the juices in the thighs run clear when pierced with a knife. (Continue basting occasionally with the pineapple mixture, about every 10-15 minutes.)

When done, place the hens on a serving platter, and cover them with foil to keep warm.  Scrape the pan juices into the remaining pineapple mixture, bring to a boil and simmer (stirring occasionally) until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup.

Serve the hens with the additional sauce and of course, Raymond Estates Monterey Chardonnay.

A RECIPE FROM ST. SUPERY WINERY

PAN ROASTED DUCK BREAST WITH MERLOT SAUCE

“This quick cooking, this elegant dish really brings out the rich berry flavors and smoky aromas of the St. Supery Merlot.  If you can’t find duck breasts just buy whole ducks and remove the breasts.  You can use the legs and thighs for other preparations.  You could also substitute chicken breasts. “ says winemaker, Michael Beaulac.

For the duck:
4 duck breasts – about 8 ounces each
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Make a series of cuts on the fat side of the duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern. Do not cut all the way down to the meat.  (These cuts will allow the fat to channel away and help the skin to crisp up.)  Season liberally with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large, oven proof, sauté pan over medium heat and add the duck skin side down.  Cook until the skin is golden brown.  Turn the duck over and place the pan into the oven.  Cook for about 10 minute for medium rare and remove from the oven.   Slice and serve with the sauce.

For the sauce:
3/4 cup St. Supéry 2000 Merlot
1/4 cup Port wine
1 tablespoon shallots – chopped
½ cup chicken stock – or low sodium canned broth
1 tablespoon butter – unsalted
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients except the butter in a non-reactive saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half.  Add salt and pepper to taste, swirl in the butter and spoon over the sliced duck. 

Enjoy with your St. Supery Merlot!

A Recipe from Ballentine Vineyards

Rib-Eye Steaks with Wine Sauce

“Our family loves rib-eye beef steaks,” says Ballentine Vineyards proprietor Betty Ballentine. “They are flavorful, juicy cuts from the beef rib section. When we get together, this Rib-Eye Steak with Wine Sauce is one of our favorite meals. We hope you enjoy this shared recipe.”
(serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons butter, divided
12 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup minced shallots
1-1/2 cups Ballentine Merlot, divided
3-1/4 cups beef broth, divided
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons fresh minced thyme
4 to 5 rib-eye steaks, each about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots; sauté about 4 minutes. Add 3/4 cup Merlot and boil until reduced to glaze, about 4 minutes. Add remaining 3/4 cup Merlot and boil another 4 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and thyme sprigs and boil until sauce is syrupy and coats spoon, about 20 minutes. Add minced thyme. Sprinkle steaks with black pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in another heavy skillet over high heat. Add steaks and brown about 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium and cook steaks to desired doneness, about 3 minutes longer per side for medium-rare. Transfer to warm plates. Pour off drippings from skillet with steaks. Add remaining 1/4 cup broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Add mushroom sauce to same skillet. Bring to simmer. Whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper and discard thyme sprigs. Spoon sauce over steaks and sprinkle with chopped thyme. Enjoy with your Ballentine Merlot. Salud!

A Mouthwatering Recipe from Baywood Cellars

Mediterranean-Style
Rib Eye Steak

“This is a great traditional family recipe of ours,” says Baywood owner John Cotta. “Soaking the steak in olive oil overnight gives the meat a wonderful flavor and texture.”

1. Soak a rib eye steak in extra virgin olive oil with fresh garlic and crushed red pepper overnight.
2. Over the top, sprinkle some oregano, black pepper, crushed bell pepper and garlic.
3. Grill at 450° 5 minutes per side for medium rare or more if desired.
4. Serve with your Baywood Cabernet Sauvignon!

www.baywood-cellars.com

Comfort Food from Nine North Wine Company

Cinnamon Apple Pork Tenderloin

“Having the resources of three separate families involved in our company is like having lots of cooks in the kitchen. Here is a favorite recipe of ours that has been passed around by various members of our extended families,” says Nine North Partner, James Harder. “We can’t recall where or who originated it, but it is one we all love. We hope you enjoy it and will see that it complements our Proprietary red or white blend quite nicely. Enjoy! 

Serves: 4, Preparation time:  1-2 hours

Ingredients:

1 pound pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 apples—peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons raisins

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place the pork tenderloin in a roasting pan or casserole dish with a lid. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir. Spoon the apple mixture around the pork tenderloin. Cover and bake 40 minutes. Remove the lid and spoon the apple mixture over the tenderloin. Return to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes longer until tenderloin is browned and cooked through.

A Recipe From Ledgewood Creek

Grecian Goddess Pork

“We’ve had this recipe from Chefs.com on hand at the winery for some time. We use it personally and frequently for special events. Quite simply it just works with both our red and white wines,” says James Frisbie, winery owner.  We call it the modified “Grecian Goddess Pork”. Modified because with all due respect to Grecian women, we would never use anything but whole yogurt in the recipe,” says James.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dry rosemary, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 pork chops, 1-1/2 inch thick
1 cup plain whole yogurt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. scallion, sliced

Preparation:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Pour over chops in heavy plastic bag and seal. Marinate in refrigerator 4 to 24 hours. Combine next 5 ingredients and pepper to taste in a bowl. Stir well and refrigerate, covered, several hours to allow flavors to blend. Prepare covered grill with drip pan in center, banked by medium hot coals, or turn on broiler. Remove chops from marinade. Reserve marinade. Grill or broil chops 12-15 minutes, turning once, and basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Spoon yogurt sauce over grilled chops and serve remaining yogurt sauce on side. Wonderful with your Ledgewood Creek Merlot!

A Recipe from Handley Cellars -Bursting with Flavor

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic

“These roasted tomatoes are bursting with pure tomato essence, seasoned with their truest companions, garlic and basil, “ says Sindy Sellers, “The Cook” at Handley. “The bold flavors of our Zinfandel naturally pairs with the classic flavors of tomatoes, garlic and basil.”

Ingredients:

6 Roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1/4 cup grated asiago or parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt & pepper
Simple Crostini (recipe follows)

Preparation:
Cut tomatoes longitudinally, remove seeds. Place halves in a oiled baking pan. Divide garlic, basil and cheese between the 12 tomatoes. Drizzle with good quality olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 1 hour or until the tomatoes collapse in on themselves. The more delicate home grown heirloom tomatoes need less heat (400 degrees) and less time, about 1/2 hour. Serve on simple crostini.

Simple Crostini:
Cut 12 1/2 inch slices of a good baguette. Place slices on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until toasted, but still soft in the middle. There should be some chewiness in the center. Cool. Best served immediately.