Quercus Vino

Autumn 2016

Meiomi Pinot Noir continues to be one of the most popular wines on the market for its consumer friendly and approachable style that incorporates what so many love about California wines, you can practically taste the California sun in each glass.  I came across some delicious recipes that were assembled to complement this popular Pinot Noir in the Autumn season so I thought I’d share them with my wine-loving friends for their consideration over the fall and into the winter.

Enjoy!

Buy Meiomi Pinot Noir at LCBO

Meiomi’s 2014 Pinot Noir is a blend of Pinot Noir from three beautiful wine regions along the California coast: Monterey County (48%), Sonoma County (27%), and Sanata Barbara County (25%). Each lot was individually fermented and aged in 100% French oak, 60% new, to add additional texture whilst preserving the elegant and complex fruit characteristics. Blended to achieve the greatest complexity, the result is a very expressive, dry, and flavourful medium-full bodied Pinot Noir. The nose shows dried cranberry, black cherry, cedar, and a slight earthiness. The palate is loaded with sweet dark fruit, black cherry, dried cranberry, mocha, baking spices, and kirsch. Big and bold, this creamy-smooth Pinot is the finest vintage of Meiomi I recall tasting. They’ve struck a beautiful balance in this vintage. Very impressed. Enjoy with braised lamb, roasted pork with fruit chutney, or one of my favourites – Thanksgiving Turkey dinner with sweet cranberry sauce. Tasted September 2015. 91 points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

Check out these recipes this autumn:

Pumpkin Fondue Dip – a terrific Halloween Party dish!

Recipe by Caroline Chambers

Start to finish: 1 hour

Serves: 4

1 2-lb sugar pumpkin

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 oz. cream cheese

½ cup gruyere cheese, plus 1 tablespoon, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more for garnish

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

½ teaspoon paprika

 

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut off the top of the pumpkin, including the stump. Slice in half vertically, then scoop out all seeds and discard. Brush insides of pumpkin with olive oil, then place the two halves face down on a parchment paper lined roasting pan and place pan in the oven. Roast pumpkin for 30-40 minutes, or until pumpkin can be easily pierced with a fork.

Allow to cool for several minutes. While still very hot, but manageable, scoop the roasted pumpkin flesh out of its skin and into the body of a food processor. Discard skins.

To the food processor, add cream cheese, ½ cup of gruyere, salt, black pepper, chili flakes and paprika. Process until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.

Place dip in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle remaining gruyere over the top, and return to oven until cheese is melted. Finish with fresh ground black pepper, and serve with baguette.

Dip can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, place dip in oven-proof dish and heat for 15 minutes at 350°.

 

 

 

 

Ricotta & Italian Sausage Grilled Pizza with Honey – can you say Sunday football food?

Ricotta & Italian Sausage Grilled Pizza with Honey –  can you say Sunday football food?

Recipe by Caroline Chambers

Start to finish: 1 hour

Serves: 4

1 ball of pizza dough (recipe below)

1 cup ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ cup Italian sausage, cooked

½ teaspoon red chili flakes

2 tablespoons local honey

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon parmesan, freshly grated

 

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

On a floured surface, roll pizza dough flat. Place dough on a flour-dusted pizza peel, oil grill grates, and transfer dough to the grill. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, then remove from grill back to pizza peel.

Spread ricotta evenly all over the pizza dough, leaving a ¼” border. Sprinkle the mozzarella, sausage and chili flakes evenly. Return to the grill for 3-4 minutes or until all cheese is melted.

Drizzle honey a in zigzag formation across the pizza. Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan and serve.

Pizza Dough

2 cups bread flour

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon sugar

1 envelope instant dry yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 ½ cups water, 110°

Non-stick spray

Add all dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low to combine. While the mixer is running, add the olive oil then water and beat until the dough forms a ball. If it is still sticky, add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour at a time until the dough forms a ball and is no longer sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead into a firm ball.

Spray a medium bowl with non-stick spray, add the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal balls. Cover each piece with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

 

 

 

Brown Butter Sea Salt Apple Galette

Brown Butter Sea Salt Apple Galette

Recipe by Caroline Chambers

Start to finish: 1 hour

Serves: 8

 

Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

tablespoon granulated sugar

2 sticks (2 cups) salted butter, cubed, very cold

½ cup ice water

 

Galette:

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) salted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon allspice

2 large pink lady apples

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon flaky salt, such as maldon or sea salt

1 container good salted caramel ice cream

To make the dough, add flours, sugar and cold butter to food processor. Pulse several times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add one tablespoon of water at a time and continue pulsing the mix
ture until it holds together when squeezed, but is not sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a small sauce pan and heat over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until butter browns, but does not burn. Set aside.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out into a 12” circle. Transfer dough to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Slice apples 1/8” thick. Arrange apples in rows on top of the dough, leaving a 2” border. Brush apples generously with brown butter mixture and sprinkle with dark brown sugar. Tuck edges of dough up and over the edges of the apples, overlapping as needed to maintain circular shape. Brush crust with remaining brown butter, then sprinkle granulated sugar on the crust.

Bake until the crust is golden-brown and apples are tender, 45 minutes to an hour. After removing from oven, sprinkle with flaky salt.

Serve immediately with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream.

Galette can be made up to two days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat on a baking sheet at 375° for 10 minutes.

 

I hope you’re able to try some of these tasty recipes this autumn!

Cheers,

Matt Steeves