With Memorial Day Weekend here, if you are looking for a special recipe, check out this one for Tasty Saffron Clams from Stoller Family Estate in Oregon. Hope you are having an enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend.

Cheers, Kathy

Ingredients:

• 2.5 c chicken stock
• generous pinch of saffron threads
• 2 T butter
• 1/2 c orzo
• 1 c brown or white rice
• 1 plum tomato seeded and chopped
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 lb bulk chorizo
• 1 c roasted corn kernels (available for purchase at Trader Joe’s)
• 1 Serrano chile pepper
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 c dry white wine , preferably SV Chardonnay
• 3 lbs manilla or venus clams, scrubbed and rinsed
• handful of chopped parsley

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan heat the stock and saffron threads and steep about 5 minutes.

2. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pasta and brown until nutty and fragrant. Stir in the rice, then the tomatoes and saffron stock, bringing to a boil.

3. Lower the heat, cover and simmer about 18 minute until tender.

4. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and brown. Stir in the corn, chile pepper and garlic. Cook 2 -3 minutes to soften the garlic. Add the rice mixture and the wine to the chorizo mixture in the dutch oven and add the clams and parsley.

5. Cover the pot tightly and cook until all the clams open. Toss it all together and serve with SV Chardonnay and crusty bread.

Recipe prepared by Shelly Cooper, a friend of Stoller Family Estate, Oregon.

Recipe provided by Stoller Family Estate.

Wollersheim Winery, Wisconsin

If you’re looking for a special way to celebrate Mother’s Day with your mom, checkout this recipe below for Chocolate Fondue from Wollersheim Winery in Wisconsin. Many moms would appreciate a relaxing afternoon dipping an assortment of fruit or perhaps pound cake into a fondue pot filled with chocolate.

Cheers! Kathy

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
16 oz. milk chocolate
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons Wollersheim White Riesling or River Gold Wine
Fresh fruit or Pound Cake for dipping (grapes, bananas, pineapple, oranges)

Directions

1. Over a double boiler, melt the ingredients while constantly stirring.
2. Pour the sauce into the fondue pot and keep at lowest heat.
3. To serve, dip the fresh fruit into the sauce and enjoy.

Recipe provided by Wollersheim Winery, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin

Blackberry Wine Cake

Next weekend is Mother’s Day Weekend! Will you be providing breakfast, lunch or dinner for your special mom? Check out these recipes that have been  generously provided by numerous wineries. More than 200 recipes that use wine as an ingredient are included on the Wine Trail Traveler website at
http://winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/food.php.

Breakfast or Brunch Ideas

Eggs Florentine
Messina Hof Winery, Texas

Tipsy Fruit Pancakes
Chateau Chantal, Michigan

Lunch Ideas

Fruited Chicken Salad
Pearmund Cellars, Virginia

Fruit Salad in Strawberry Wine Syrup
Duplin Winery, North Carolina

Roasted Beet, Blood Orange and Goat Cheese Salad  with Champagne Vinaigrette
Chateau Ste Michelle, Washington

Creamy Crab Bisque
Bastress Mountain Winery, Pennsylvania

Chicken Artichoke Soup
Pentamere Winery, Michigan

Dinner Ideas

Lemon Fish
The Winery at Wilcox, Pennsylvania

Petite Sirah Braised Short Ribs
B Cellars Winery & Tasting Salon, California

Syrah-Braised Lamb Shanks and Rice Pilaf
Chumeia Vineyards, California

Dessert Selections

Blackberry Wine Cake
Daniel Vineyards, West Virginia

Mixed Berries w/Caramel Ice Cream and Syrup
Domaine Serene ,Oregon

Chocolate Cabernet Sauvignon Tart
Round Barn Winery, Michigan

Stoller Family Estate in Dayton, Oregon

The following recipe for Stuffed Flat Iron Steak is from Stoller Family Estate located in Dayton, Oregon. The recipe uses one of Stoller’s wines, Cathy’s Reserve Pinot Noir. An article review with photos is available on Wine Trail Traveler.

Enjoy!
Kathy

Traeger Grilled Stuffed Flat Iron Steak

Ingredients

1 large flat iron steak
1 c chopped onions
1 c diced peppers (use 2-3 different types)
2 c sliced chanterelle mushrooms
1 T chopped garlic
1 t Parmesan cheese
½ c Cathy’s Reserve Pinot Noir (save the rest to enjoy with dinner)
string to tie up the meat
seasonings — garlic powder, B.C. rub, black pepper, cumin
olive oil for basting and cooking the stuffing

Directions

1.Heat your Traeger grill on high.
2. Begin to prepare the dish by filleting your flat iron steak creating a pocket. Then lightly coat entire steak in olive oil inside and out, topping it with desired amounts of seasonings. Let stand while preparing stuffing.
3. Heat small amount olive oil (1 tablespoon) to high temperature in stove pan and add your onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook onions until they begin to brown. Carefully add 1/2 cup wine and cook until it has dissolved and the onions caramelize. Remove pan from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
4. With a spoon, place stuffing mix into flat iron steak. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of stuffing. Then carefully wrap with string and tie it up in four or five places depending on length of steak.
5. Grill on high heat until it reaches your preferred taste (rare, medium rare, etc.). Let sit for five minutes after removing it from the grill. Slice into one inch cuts.
6. Serve with grilled asparagus and sweet potatoes, and enjoy with Cathy’s Reserve Pinot Noir.

Recipe provided by Stoller Family Estate, Oregon
Recipe by Mike and Stevie Whited, franchise owners of McMinnville Express Employment Professionals.

While many areas of the country continue to have cold winter weather, this recipe for Apple Bacon Tomato Soup with red wine is a great way to warm up. My family knows that I love bacon so this is going to be one of my personal “keeper” recipes.

This recipe for Apple Bacon Tomato Soup is from Flying Otter Vineyard and Winery in Adrian, Michigan. Please note that the recipe is from Sharon Anway who made the soup using Flying Otter’s Noiret.

Apple Bacon Tomato Soup

Recipe from Sharon Anway, made with our Noiret.

Ingredients

5 slices bacon
½ white onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium apple, peeled and chopped
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef stock
1 (15.5-oz) can pinto beans (drained)
1 (14.5-oz) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the apples in the red wine until soft, don’t overcook.

2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon from pan, coarsely chop, and set aside.

3. In same pan, sauté white onion, garlic and celery in the bacon grease over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender.

4. Stir in beef stock, pinto beans, tomatoes and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat.

5. Add the bacon, apples and red wine into the soup mixture.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until well blended.

7. Can be topped with cheese if desired.

Serve with Italian or French bread.

The owners of Flying Otter note, “It says it serves 8, but I’d say 4 is more realistic.”

Recipe provided by Flying Otter Vineyard and Winery in Adrian, Michigan

This recipe for Potato Mushroom Pie with Caramelized Onions, from Idaho® Potato Commission, would be extra delicious on a cold winter day. Since the recipe calls for a splash of dry white wine, enjoy the leftover wine with dinner.

Potato Mushroom Pie with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients for Potato Mushroom Pie

3C Prepared mashed Idaho® potatoes
1C Button mushrooms (stems intact), sliced 1/3 inch thick
1/2C Portobello mushrooms, cut 1/3 inch thick
1/3C White onion, grated
1 t Fresh lemon juice
3 T Butter
1/2 to 3/4C Sour Cream
1/4C + 1/4C Grated parmesan cheese
To taste salt and pepper

Ingredients for Caramelized Onions

1 Large sweet yellow onion
1 T Olive oil
1 t Light brown sugar
Splash Dry white wine
To taste salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute mushrooms and onion in butter. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper. Place 1/2 the prepared potatoes in a buttered casserole dish, top with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, the entire mushroom mixture, the sour cream, and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, in that order. Cover with remaining potatoes. Bake 35 to 45 minutes. While the pie is baking, prepare caramelized onions.

Caramelized Onions:

1. Peel and slice onion. Place onions with olive oil into a heavy duty saucepan, cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, (or until softened).
2. Toss often while cooking. Sprinkle onions with sugar and wine and saute until onions are caramelized, as desired.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with Potato & Mushroom Pie.

Recipe provided to Wine Trail Traveler by Idaho® Potato Commission

Will you be ready for Super Bowl Sunday?

No matter which football team you are cheering for at this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers, you will need to have something to eat. Finger foods are the way to go. Below are five recipes to prepare for your Super Bowl celebration. May the best team win!

Enjoy! Kathy

Super Bowl Party Recipes

Mini Mushroom Tart (Pinot Noir)

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Crostini (Chardonnay)

Bruschetta with Black Mission Figs and Gorgonzola (Merlot)

Roasted Red Pepper, Almond, and Garlic Dip (pomegranate vinegar, olive oil)

Crispy Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes & Mint (olive oil, goat cheese)

Keep this recipe on your summer “recipes to try” list. Fresh Summer Sweet Corn can’t come soon enough so we can enjoy this recipe Wine and Butter-Sauteed Fresh Corn. The recipe is from Sunshine Sweet Corn’s website.

Wine and Butter-Sauteed Fresh Corn

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup dry white wine
4 ears fresh Supersweet corn, shucked and halved

Directions

1. In a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter.
2. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth and wine; bring to a boil.
4. Add corn; cover and cook until corn is tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Serve garnished with chopped parsley, if desired.

Recipe from Sunshine Sweet Corn

While on Long Island this past week we saw numerous rows of cabbages and brussels sprouts. Later we learned that Long Island not only once well known for potatoes also has cabbage and brussels sprouts. As we drove along the country roads we saw the tall brussels sprouts standing like soldiers at attention. You might want to check out the Wegmans website that includes a list of nutrients of numerous foods. The information about vegetables including brussels sprouts is included in an online PDF.

The recipe below is for German Brussels Sprouts Soup and includes a little white wine. Enjoy a glass of the wine with dinner. This recipe is provided by Ocean Mist Farms.

German Brussels Sprouts Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds of Brussels Sprouts
2 tablespoons butter
1 small, chopped Onion
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thin
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves, crushed
dash of black pepper and nutmeg
2 cans (10 1/2 ounces) condensed chicken broth
1 egg
1 cup whole milk or half and half
2 tablespoons dry white wine

Directions

1. Rinse the Brussels Sprouts and remove any loose leaves.
2. Trim ends and cut large Brussels Sprouts in half.
3. In large saucepan, over medium-high heat, melt butter.
4. Add Onion and Carrot slices, and cook and stir until just tender (about 3 to 5 minutes).
5. Stir in flour and seasonings.
6. Add chicken broth and cook and stir, as you bring mixture to a boil.
7. Stir in Brussels Sprouts. ??Reduce heat, cover and simmer until Brussels Sprouts are just tender (about 5 minutes).
8. Beat together egg, milk and wine, and stir into soup.
9. Heat until soup returns to a boil.

Recipe provided by Ocean Mist Farms.
Website: Ocean Mist

This recipe has three sections that include preparing the crab fritters, coating and cooking the fritters, and preparing the tomato sauce. The recipe was created by Waldy Malouf, Chef/Co-Owner, Beacon Restaurant, Bar & Bakery, New York City and made available to us by the Idaho® Potato Commission.

Blue Crab, Idaho® Potato & Almond Fritter with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

For crab fritters:

• 1 lb Lump crab-meat (picked clean of shells if any)
• 1 Egg
• 4 oz Heavy Cream
• 2 medium Idaho® Potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)
• 1 oz Butter (melted)
• 1 oz Brandy
• 2 Tbsp Shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Grated white pepper

Coating & Cooking

• Flour
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup almond flour

Spicy Tomato Sauce

• 2 oz Olive oil
• 4 oz Tomato paste
• 16 oz whole peeled tomatoes (canned) with juice
• 1 small Onion (sliced thin)
• 1 Garlic clove (chopped fine)
• 2 Shallots (chopped fine)
• 2 Tbsp Red wine
• 1/4 tsp Thyme (dried or 1 tsp fresh)
• 1 Bay leaf
• 5 Whole peppercorns
• 1 Small Jalapeno pepper (chopped fine)
• 1/4 lb Butter
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

For crab fritters:

1. Combine all ingredients except crab-meat until thoroughly mixed, then fold crab-meat in attempting not to break it up too much.

Coating & Cooking

1. Set up breading station by putting flour in one pan, beaten eggs in a bowl, and almonds and almond flour together in another pan.
2. Form fritters into small sausage shapes, roll in flour, then in egg was, and then roll in almond/almond flour mixture.
3. Using thumb and first three fingers shape to form a cone shape.
4. Pan fry in clarified butter or deep fry until golden brown.

Spicy Tomato Sauce

1. In a saucepan with olive oil, sauté onions until translucent. Add shallots, garlic, and pepper and cook 2 minutes. Add red wine and let reduce by 1/2. Add whole tomatoes, paste, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns.
2. Cook for 30 minutes. Whip in butter. Strain through fine strainer and keep hot. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Waldy Malouf, Chef/Co-Owner, Beacon Restaurant, Bar & Bakery, New York City

Recipe provided to Wine Trail Traveler by Idaho® Potato Commission