With Labor Day quickly approaching, are you searching for recipes that can be cooked on the grill? Grilling can be delightful any time of the year but especially during a long weekend like Labor Day weekend. Hopefully hurricane Earl manages to slip past the East Coast without damage and the weather will be great for grilling.

Enjoy trying this recipe that includes the use of white wine

Cheers! Kathy

Sweet and Sour Pork Kebabs

Yield: serves 8

Ingredients

2 lbs Canadian Pork loin, boneless, cut (1 kg) in 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1/2 c (125 mL) dry white wine
1/4 c (50 mL) ketchup
2 T (25 mL) vinegar
1 t (5 mL)Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c (75 mL) brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t (5 mL) powdered mustard
1/2 t (2 mL) ground black pepper
1 medium onion, cut in 8 wedges
1 red pepper, cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) chunks
1 can (14 fl oz/398 mL) pineapple, chunks, drained
16 each mushrooms, cherry tomatoes

Cooking Instructions

1. Place Pork in a plastic bag or non-metal sealable container.
2. In a saucepan, combine wine, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, garlic, powdered mustard and black pepper and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Cool and pour over Pork cubes. Close container and marinate 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator.
4. If using bamboo skewers, presoak in water 1 hour to prevent burning.
5. Drain marinade into a small saucepan and boil 1 minute.
6. Thread Pork cubes onto skewers, alternating meat with wedges of onion, chunks of red pepper, pineapple, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes.
7. Preheat barbecue on high; reduce temperature to medium. Place kebabs on grill; close barbecue cover and grill kebabs 10 to 12 minutes, turning often and basting with marinade.

Provided by Put Pork On Your Fork website

It’s still summer so if you are grilling, here is a recipe for Grilled Peaches that uses red wine. Enjoy!

Cheers, Kathy

Grilled Peaches with Fresh Cherry Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the sauce:

1 lb dark Northwest cherries, pitted (about 1 cup)
1 T sugar
1/2 c dry red wine
1 t balsamic vinegar
1 t kirsch (cherry liqueur)

For the peaches:

4 medium peaches
2 T unsalted butter
2 T brown sugar
1 c vanilla ice cream
4 cookies

Directions

For the sauce:

1. To make the cherry sauce: In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, combine the pitted cherries, sugar, red wine, and balsamic vinegar.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and purée until completely smooth.
4. Return the mixture to the sauté pan over medium-high heat.
5. Add the kirsch.
6. Simmer until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 1 to 2 minutes.

For the peaches:

1. Cut the peaches in half and remove and discard the pits. Place the halves in a medium bowl.
2. In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together.
3. Coat the peaches with the butter mixture.
4. Grill the peaches over direct medium heat until grill marks are clearly visible and the peaches are soft, 10 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time.
5. While the peaches are still warm, layer each serving glass with 2 peach halves, 1 scoop ice cream, and 1 tablespoon cherry sauce.
6. Tuck a cookie into each glass. Serve immediately.

Provided by Northwest Cherry Growers

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! If you are planning on grilling salmon this weekend or for Labor Day weekend, you may enjoy this cherry sauce that is served over grilled salmon. It calls for ten ingredients but its an easy recipe to prepare. Enjoy!

Cheers! Kathy

Grilled Salmon Cherry Sauce

Ingredients

3 c pitted Northwest fresh sweet cherries
1/2 c water
1/2 c dry white wine
1/4 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 T honey
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t freshly grated lemon peel
1/2 t salt
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. In large saucepan, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently.
3. Serve over grilled salmon.

Recipe provided by Northwest Cherry Growers

Below is a recipe for Roasted Beet, Blood Oranges and Goat Cheese Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette. I am not a gourmet cook and I don’t have Champagne vinegar in my kitchen. After checking to find information on Champagne vinegar, I am looking forward to trying it in this recipe and others as well. Have you used Champagne vinegar?

In the news it was reported that Michelle Obama does not like beets, this may be one recipe that might change her mind.

Cheers, Kathy

The recipe below calls for Champagne Vinegar. This is available at gourmet stores, Amazon.com and Williams-Sonoma .

Roasted Beet, Blood Orange and Goat Cheese Salad
with Champagne Vinaigrette

Salad

Ingredients

1 lb Beets
1 T Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3 Blood Oranges
10 oz Mixed greens
Champagne Vinaigrette, recipe follows
1 1/2 c Goat Cheese, crumbled
1 c Toasted Walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Cut tops off beets and scrub under cold water; pat dry. Rub beets lightly with olive oil and place in a roasting pan. Cover with foil and place in oven. Roast until tender, about 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.
3.  When beets are done, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Peel skins off with peeler or paring knife. Dice beets into 1/2 inch cubes and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4.  Meanwhile peel and segment oranges into a small bowl. Squeeze any remaining juice from the remaining portion into a cup and use to flavor Champagne vinaigrette.
5.  When ready to serve, toss the greens with vinaigrette in large salad bowl; divide between 6 individual salad plates. Divide beets, orange segments, and goat cheese between the six salads and garnish with chopped walnuts. Serve promptly.

Champagne Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Reserved juice from oranges in salad
2 oz Champagne Vinegar
1 t Dijon Mustard
1 c Olive Oil
Kosher Salt & Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In small bowl whisk together orange juice, vinegar and mustard.
2. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while constantly whisking in order to emulsify vinaigrette.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Provided by Chateau Ste Michelle, Washington

Have you seen the summer edition of the Wine Trail Traveler Quarterly? It is available as a PDF at http://www.winetrailtraveler.com/newsletter/magsummer10.pdf.

Beside the four recipes that are usually included in the Quarterly editions, Erin Sullivan’s article, “Chill Out in the Summer Heat,” includes directions for making Summertime Mimosa. According to Erin, “This is perfect for summer.”

Summertime Mimosa

Ingredients

1/3 c orange juice
1/3 c cranberry juice
1/3 c any Muscat sparkling wine
splash of peach schnapps

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in pitcher.
2. Pour into champagne flutes.
3. Garnish with fruit of your choice.

Other recipes available in the Summer Quarterly include two that use wine as an ingredient and two with a wine pairing. These are

• Penne with Sausage, Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Demi-Sec Scented Pear Tartlets with Vanilla Cream
• Marinade for Chicken
  
• Ursula’s Onion Tart (Zwiebel Kuchen)

All recipes are included in the Wine Trail Traveler Summer Quarterly.
Enjoy food and wine together this weekend!

Cheers, Kathy

On the East Coast some of us are getting relief from the drought and heat the past summer days have brought. This morning we woke to a delightfully soft rainfall that is hopefully soaking the soil and giving relief to gardens and vineyards.

During the warm and hot summer days, cold and easy summer recipes are nice to have on hand. Barrington Cellars in New York shared the following recipe with the Wine Trail Traveler website.

Jazzed-Up Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

1 lb Your Favorite Pasta
¾ c Mayonnaise
1 c Barrington Cellars Vidal Wine
½ – ¾ c corn relish

Directions

1.  Cook pasta, drain and chill.
2. Whip the wine and mayonnaise together and set aside.
3. Mix together the pasta and corn relish.
4. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the pasta and corn relish.
5. Chill well before serving.

Provided by Barrington Cellars, New York.
New tasting facility in Penn Yan, New York

Yesterday, we enjoyed dinner a Chardonnay from California paired with Italian sausage, garden fresh zucchini and potatoes.

C. Donatiello Winery produced this 2006 Chardonnay Russian River Valley, which is located in Sonoma. The winery produces vineyard specific wines and this particular Chardonnay. This dark yellow Chardonnay was complex. The aroma offered nuances that included citrus with hints of lemon, green apple and a touch of pear. The Taste was smooth with medium body. This is a dry wine. There is a nice marriage on the finish of apple and caramel with a citrus influence.

The C. Donatiello logo is unique and comprised the label for the “front” of the wine bottle. The letter C has been Taken and placed at three different direction to form a “dot.” These “dots” are then placed in the shape of the letter D. The result is simple and yet creative and sophisticated. The “back” label includes information for consumers such as harvest date, barrel aging, barrel composition, date the wine was bottled and cases produced.

The petite size potatoes were scrubbed, and tossed with 100% Varietal Grape-Seed Oil Grapefruit Chardonnay from Après Vin. The potatoes were sprinkled with sea salt and wrapped in aluminum foil – grilled until done. The finished potatoes were good. The same was done with the small zucchini, which was cut into quarters. The zucchini was excellent. Many times I find zucchini to be somewhat bland, but the Grapefruit Chardonnay grape-seed oil added so much flavor that I am actually looking forward to eating more.

Cheers! Kathy

The Fourth of July promises to be hot on the East Coast and no matter where you will be celebrating July 4^th if you need a large, cool beverage think about this easy to make wine punch recipe that was provided by Bruce Perrygo when we visited Ingleside Vineyards a couple of years ago. It calls for Blue Crab Blanc that the winery describes as “light with a fruity bouquet.” If you don’t have the Blue Crab Blanc on hand, it should be easy to find a similar type wine to use in the recipe. Try the recipe, as it sounds delicious and refreshing for a delightful, summer day.

Cheers! Kathy

Category: Beverages

Title: Plantation Punch

Ingredients

1 1.5 L Blue Crab Blanc
1  2-liter bottle of Ginger Ale
1 Can Frozen Lemonade
½ Gallon Sherbet

Directions

1. Combine ingredients.
2. Garnish with cherries and orange slices.

Provided by Bruce Perrygo

Have you tried cooking shish kabobs for the 4th of July? The following recipe is from Cottonwood Cellars in Colorado. Whenever you have the opportunity to visit Colorado, be sure to take time to visit the wineries. The state is very supportive of the wine industry and the winemakers are very friendly. You can read about Colorado wineries at http://winetrailtraveler.com/colorado/colorado.php.

Cheers! Kathy

Title: Shish Kabob

Do you have plans for July 4^th? If you’re planning a large get-together, how about encouraging everyone to bring a dish prepared with wine as an ingredient. If you are having difficulty coming up with these type of recipes check out the Wine Trail Traveler recipe section at http://winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/food.php. Here you will discover an array of over 150 recipes including appetizers, salads, beverages, entrees and desserts.

Picnic and Barbecue Suggestions

Assuming someone will bring a bottle of wine to the gathering, bring a corkscrew. If you are providing wine decide what you like best for a hot, summer day. Many wine lovers like a crisp, fruity wine for warm afternoons.

Whatever foods are brought to the picnic or barbecue, the advice that is usually given is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

Add red and white-checkered tablecloths and flags for color.

Have plenty of sunscreen on hand.

Have a great time!

Cheers, Kathy