Settling further into the fourth quarter, we celebrated the end of our 2021 harvest with some of the most beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 169 we’ve had the opportunity to work with as well as the release of our 2019 Pinotage Reserve. The addition of this delightful fruit forward and formidable finishing wine to our lineup has been a great treat for crew and customers alike.
The Tasting Room spent part of the month hosting another round of exciting events with our Paint & Sip partners and another evening of Corks and Courses. Both gatherings have grown, and we’re proud to see everyone coming out to share these festivities with us. The remaining days of November gave us time to deck the halls and get into the holiday spirit. With December on the horizon, we’ll be offering a variety of gift ideas, baskets and stunning sips to our friends, family and neighbors for all their holiday season celebrations.
From our family to yours, here are some recipes that we hope you’ll enjoy over the holiday season:
Cashew Apple Salad
Ingredients (Salad):
- 2 packages (5 ounces each) spring mix salad greens
- 2 large apples, coarsely chopped
- 1 can (9-1/4 ounces) lightly salted cashews
- 1 package (5 ounces) dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup Feta cheese
Ingredients (Vinaigrette):
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk vinaigrette ingredients until blended. Pour over salad and toss to coat; serve immediately.
Sausage Pear Stuffing
Ingredients:
- Loaf day-old rustic bread, dark, hard crusts removed and bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for baking dish
- 1 1/2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
- Small leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced into half-moons, and rinsed well (about 3 cups)
- Stalks celery, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 large fennel bulb, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 12 to 14 ounces firm-ripe Bosc or Anjou pears (about 3), chopped (about 3 cups)
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 2 cups Easy Turkey Stock
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisped but not golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool. In a 14-inch straight-sided skillet (or 2 large skillets), melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, leeks, celery, fennel, and pears; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and pears are softened and start to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in rosemary and sage.
Meanwhile, cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally and breaking into large crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Stir into vegetable mixture, then transfer to a large bowl. Add bread cubes and toss well. Drizzle stock over mixture, add eggs and parsley, and toss to combine well. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Use 10 cups stuffing to fill bird; place remainder in a buttered 8-inch-square baking dish. After turkey is out of oven, bake at 350 degrees until heated through and top is browned, 40 to 45 minutes.
Cranberry Avocado Salad
Ingredients:- 12 oz. baby spinach, arugula, field greens
- 1 small bunch parslet, washed and dried, leaves removed whole from stems
- 2 ripe, Fresh California Avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced or mashed
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries or ½ Cup of whole cranberry sauce
For the salad, place greens and cilantro leaves in a large bowl. Add avocado and dried cranberries and about 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss gently. Scatter candied almonds over salad and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pass extra dressing at the table.
Hot Turkey and Gravy Open Face Sandwiches
Ingredients:- 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 lb. cooked turkey breast, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
- 4 slices bread
- ½ lb of Cooper Sharp cheese
Melt margarine in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until onion is tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add turkey and gravy; cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. To serve, place 1 slice of bread with cheese on each individual plate. Top bread with turkey and onion mixture.
Vegetable Stew
Ingredients:- 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 large potato, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced squash or zucchini
- 1 cup chopped fresh green beans
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 leaves of basil
In a large stock pot, combine broth, water, potatoes, carrots, celery, unpeeled squash, green beans, and corn. Season with salt, pepper and basil seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
Spiced Apple Ricotta
- 10 oz (300 grams) fresh ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon orange rind finely grated
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 2-3 peeled and diced apples
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until smooth. Allow to cool for one hour before serving. Serve with sweet crunchy cookies like pizzelle and fresh fruit slices or dried apple sliced.
Thank you for reading & to everyone who joined this month’s events! We hope you’ll attend the next ones. You can view upcoming events.
