Eight bottles down with a steady flow of delicious BBQ over an eight hour period. Burgers and portabella mushroom wannables pasted with red pepper maynonnaise capped the night. Coupled with a grilled nectarine feta starter, the meal fit the weather (hot) and Sauvignon blanc perfectly.
The only things missing from the picture are the incredible meal & the other four bottles we kicked.
The wonderful potpurri cheese encilades and slighty spicy spring salad perfectly fit some Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc & Domaine Chandon Chardonnay. We started the evening with champagne and lightly seared unshelled cajun shrimp.
Great company and night.
It doesn't look like much but give it a couple of months and we will have more tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and eggplant than we personally can consume. The real beauty of it, beyond the health and natural order benefits, is it marks the beginning of a new season and the dawn of summer just around the corner. It's the rhythm of things like this that give one joy, and j certainly am no different.
Michael David Family of Winds is a Lodi based winery that started in 1984 under the Phillips Ranch logo, then in 2000 they launched the 7 Deadly Zins label that was an immediate hit.
I tasted the syrah and petite sirah's, as I had previously tasted their zins. I liked them all, though little stood out. The Inkplot Petit Verdit 2005 was distinctive, it had a nice bite to it without being painful.
Their tasting room, located just off highway 12 (a few miles east of highway 5), has a little cafe, outside picnic area and small food. It was a nice easy stop, free tasting and pleasant wine.
We celebrated my future brother in law's 30th birthday today with a family lebanese recipe of chicken & rice. We coated it down with a wonderful bottle of 2005 Pinot Noir from Ojai Vineyards, in the Santa Barbara region.
The boutique winery makes outstanding Syrah and consistently good Pinot, this bottle was no different. Combined with a deliciously flavorful meal, it was an excellent evening. We topped off the celebration with german chocolate cake and crackle cookies, compliments of FestinsBakery.
My mother in law is coming to stay with us next week to help us transition into the world of parentdom. Tonight was a kind of dry run where she came and made a four course gourmet, delicious meal.
I love larabars, especially the cashew cookie, which are all natural, raw energy. The chocolate series, called Jocalat, are good b/c they are natural, raw, all organic. But as a true chocolate substitute? No way, it's not even a fair comparison.
I'm up in Tahoe tonight and had some leeks and carrots left over from this week's csa box. I wasn't sure how I wanted to prepare them but got an idea from earlier in the afternoon when I experimented with day old, homemade scones. Earlier I took some nice, fluffy scones, cut crosses in them, spread thin slices of butter and raspberry preserves over it. Heating my oven to 350, I placed the scones on a baking sheet for about five to ten minutes (depends on elevation).
Continue reading "Raspberry Candied Carrots & Leeks with Sauvignon Blanc" »
I got home tonight from the gym at 7ish, and I was on my own for dinner. I wanted to use some of our CSA leftovers - specifically russet potatoes, carrots, and collared greens that didn't have too much longer. So I looked up recipes for the potatoes, and found a delicious looking horseradish mashed potatoes recipe.
Continue reading "Dijon Mashed Potatoes w/ Mango Lime Carrots & Greens" »
Last night I made a wonderful wheat pasta kale and lentil dish that I served with a 2002 Raspay Primitivo Spanish wine that was delicious. It's wine with great food that began my love for vino, and nights like yesterday that sustain.
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