Avocado, Zucchini and Roasted Corn Gazpacho and Spicy Garlic Foam Paired with 2010 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay

There are few things more refreshing on a hot summer day than gazpacho.  And if you are trying to get back into "beach" shape or just eat healthy, it does not get much better than Gazpacho.  Neither of these are motivators for me - I just love the flavor and the feeling of being satisfied that I don't normally have following a bowl of soup.

Gazpacho is rooted in the Southern Spanish region of Andalucia and is traditionally tomato based.  The history of gazpacho in Spain goes back (in theory) to dishes introduced by the unwelcome visits of the Moors and/or the Romans that were adapted to local tastes to form what we know as traditional Gazpacho.  Since these times, creative cooks have introduced a number of variations that resemble gazpacho only from a fundamental perspective - a rustic and substantial cold soup made from uncooked vegetables.  With this long history of adaptation, gazpacho can rightfully or wrongly include any vegetable you can imagine.  Our adaptation (prepared by Chef Sue) takes full license to adapt - and is well worth it!

The principal flavors of this dish come from the creamy goodness of the avocados, texture and sweetness from the corn, added texture and mild flavor of the zucchini, and a touch of piquance from jalapeno.  To this, Chef Sue added a spicy garlic and cayenne foam.  To accompany our gazpacho, Chef Sue made grilled cheese sandwiches layered with goat cheese, gouda, and swiss with zucchini, pepper, and cucumbers mounted between fresh rye bread.  Ah, grilled cheese - a completely distinct discussion for another day.

With the spicy components of this dish, I would not normally choose a chardonnay - particularly one with notable oak, butter, or vanilla flavors that would likely clash with the spicy components.  However, the 2010 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay acts more like a Sauvignon Blanc with crisp acidity, peach, pear, and pineapple flavors, and barely noticeable oak influence although the wine is oak barrel aged for eight months.  This is a truly refreshing Chardonnay that complements the cool refreshing flavors of the gazpacho.  Unlike many wine pairings, we left this meal feeling invigorated - not a common experience.

Based on this experience, and my opinion of the 2010 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay behaving more like a Sauvignon Blanc, I would alternatively recommend a crisp, fruit forward Suavignon Blanc as a good choice.

Recipe


Avocado, Zucchni, and Corn Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 ripe avocados
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn, grilled, or oven roasted in the oven with husks on.  Finish under the broiler to add a light char.
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 5 cups cold water
• season to taste with salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Put the zucchini, yellow onion, bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and garlic in bowl of food processor and pulse until the pieces are well chopped and short of being minced or pureed. 
2. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. 
3. Put 2 avocados in the food processor and pulse to puree while adding 3 cups of water.
4. Dice the remaining 2 avocados and add to the bowl of vegetables.
5. Add the avocado puree, fresh grilled corn, cilantro, lime juice, 2 cups of water, and season to taste after gently mixing with a large spoon.
6. Cover and refrigerate until cold. 
7. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with cayenne and garlic foam and cilantro garnish.

Cayenne and Garlic Foam

Ingredients

• 1 pint of heavy cream
• 2 cloves diced garlic
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 handful of cilantro chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon cream cheese

Preparation

1. Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and bring to boil.  
2. Remove from heat and let cool.  
3. Strain and pour into a culinary foamer.   Refrigerate for one hour.  If you do not have a culinary foamer, chill, add 1 tablespoon of lecithin granules and create foam with an immersion blender.  Serve over gazpacho.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Fresh Tuna Three Ways; Tuna and Avocado Tartare, Seared tuna with Mango Peach Salsa, and Toasted Fennel and Cumin Crusted Tuna Steak on a Bed of Spicy Summer Vegetable Quinoa

If you are a fan of fresh tuna, you are going to love this three course tuna love fest.  The courses were inspired by the idea of using tuna as the central theme running through three preparations of increasingly cooked approaches.  The other theme that runs through the courses is seasonal fruits and vegetables.  Joining Chef Sue and I for this adventure in tunatopia were good friends Don, Beth, Richter and Meredith who contributed to the adventure by bringing wine for the second and third courses – each a beautiful choice.



Fresh tuna, the foundation for this meal is, is the critical step in ensuring success.  Fortunately, living in DC, we have the Maine Avenue fish market where fresh seafood is plentiful.  Picking up a tuna steak at your local grocery is not recommended.  Sushi restaurants use both fresh and frozen fish. With today’s freezing technology, fish can be frozen quickly to retain freshness, flavor and color. As long as it is not kept frozen a long time and goes to the market quickly the fish will have a good fresh flavor.

However, I recommend you stay away from packaged frozen fish, unless it is sold specifically as sushi grade.  When selecting your fish, look for bright fresh color and avoid off or pale colors.  Try to avoid purchasing Ahi tuna or albacore loins that have too many distinct white lines in the flesh.  This sinew is not so much of an issue for the seared tuna, but can make the preparation and enjoyment of the tartare more challenging.  Finally, the flesh should be firm, and should not smell “fishy.”


First Course:  Tuna and Avocado Tartare with Avocado Butter paired with 2007 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel Estate Bottled Riesling Kabinet.




Along with the fresh tuna flavors, this dish features strong tartness from the avocado butter, and pleasant piquance from the Trinidad pepper sauce.  These flavors led me to select the 2007 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel Estate Bottled Riesling Kabinet balancing the tart and piquance with the mild sweetness of the Riesling.  This wine is subtle and pleasant with flavors of honeysuckle and pear.  These subtle flavors let the flavor of the tuna shine through and made for an enjoyable pairing.




Second Course:  Seared Tuna with Mango Peach Salsa Paired with 2009 Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay




I am a big fan of properly prepared seared tuna, and this pairing took it to a new level.  The deep rich flavors of the seared tuna combined with the fresh flavors of the mango and peach (with a touch of heat from the jalapenos) were elevated to a new level when enjoyed with the 2009 Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay.  This Chardonnay hits you first with big buttery flavors – a wonderful butter bomb.  Next you are treated to some wonderful fruit and a delicious mouth feel.  In the words of the winemaker “On the palate, flavors of pears, peaches and melons are backed with lively acidity. A nice touch of vanilla-scented oak provides an added flavor dimension. The creamy palate has a lingering finish of melon and citrus fruit with a satisfying buttery complexity.”  The melon and peach flavors present a splendid compliment to the peach and mango salsa.  This is a wonderful wine that will be making my list of favorites.


Third Course:  Toasted Fennel and Cumin Crusted Tuna Steak on a Bed of Spicy Summer Vegetable Quinoa Paired with 2009 Takutai Nelson New Zealand Pinot Noir



Finally, our third application of heat.  The tuna for this course was prepared much like the seared tuna in the second course, but at a lower heat and longer time resulting in a beautiful piece of fish heated through while maintaining bright beautiful internal color.  The fennel and cumin crust added deep complimentary flavors that worked brilliantly with the piquance component of the summer vegetable quinoa.  In contrast to the first two courses, this dish demanded a wine with more body, and the 2009 Takutai Nelson New Zealand Pinot Noir responded perfectly.  According to the winemaker, '”The cool, stony-soiled maritime region of Nelson often delivers lighter, fragrant and taut pinot noirs. This Pinot has a lovely nose of cherry jam, mint, wood spice and toasty notes. It’s mid-weight, fairly supple, silky and smooth on the mid-palate, with fine tannin and a toasty, bitter coffee finish.”  This pairing was a pleasant surprise with the relatively deeper and richer medium bodied flavors of both the dish and the wine complimenting each other with brilliant elegance.


Recipes

Please note that these recipes are based on servings for six (and a few leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch!)


Tuna and Avocado Tartare with Avocado Butter
Avocado Butter


Ingredients

• 2 diced ripe avocados
• Juice from two freshly squeezed limes
• 4 teaspoons honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. This is a tart sauce that you can adjust by adding either more or less honey. I recommend going with the quantities listed, then adjusting to your taste. Don't be afraid of the acidic tartness, it works great with the tartare.

Tartare


Ingredients

• 1 grated celery root
• 3 fresh medium tuna steaks (sushi grade tuna) finely diced
• 2 tablespoons course mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1 teaspoon Trinidad pepper sauce (see my recipe for Trinidad Pepper Sauce)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 bunches finely sliced green onion
• 1 diced ripe avocado
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Combine tuna, olive oil, mustard capers, pepper sauce, cilantro, and green onion in a large bowl.
2. Gently fold in the avocado and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Plate with a small bed of grated celery root, top with tartare then finish with a dollop of avocado butter.

Seared Tuna with Mango Peach Salsa


Ingredients

• 3 fresh medium sized tuna steaks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 diced medium onions
• 2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 diced ripe mango
• 1 diced ripe peach
• Juice from 1 freshly squeezed orange
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 minced fresh seeded jalapeno peppers
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

Preparation

1. Sauté the olive oil, onions, and ginger in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Add the diced mango and peach, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes.
4. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 10 more minutes, until orange juice is reduced, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from the heat and add the mint.
6. Heat a sauté pan over high heat until very hot.
7. Season the tuna liberally with salt and pepper.
8. When the pan is very hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and then the tuna steaks.
9. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the outside is browned.
10. Slice the seared tuna about 1/4 inch thick and serve over the the salsa.

Toasted Fennel and Cumin Crusted Tuna


Ingredients

• 1/3 cup whole fennel seeds, toasted
• 1/4 cup cumin seeds, toasted
• 3 tuna steaks
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Place fennel and cumin seeds in a coffee grinder and coarsely grind.
2. Add ground seeds to a hot skillet over high heat and toast until the first signs of smoke appear. Remove from heat and spread over a large plate.
3. Brush tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat sauté pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat .
5. Dredge both sides of the tuna in the toasted fennel and cumin seeds.
6. Sauté, for 5 minutes over medium heat until golden brown, turn over and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Summer Vegetable Quinoa


Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups Quinoa
• Water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow zucchini julienned or cut into 1/4 inch rings - your choice
• 1 green zucchini julienned or cut into 1/4 inch rings - your choice
• 1 leek finely sliced
• 1 onion finely sliced
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Trinidad pepper sauce (see my recipe for Trinidad Pepper Sauce)

Preparation

1. Prepare quinoa according to directions or 2 cups water for one cup of quinoa. Add water to quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover for 18 minutes.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan and sauté the vegetables until just cooked through.
3. Add the vegetables, 3 tablespoons olive oil, Trinidad pepper sauce and balsamic vinegar to the quinoa.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Plate a bed of quinoa and top with 1/2 of a tuna steak.

In vino veritas, buen provecho

Craig

Casino Royale Wine Pairing–Tournedos with Béarnaise Sauce, Rognon de Veau Paired with 1998 Jacquart Champagne Blanc de Blanc Brut

Customarily, the title of my wine pairing are more descriptive and include the principle parts of the meal along with the wine.  In this case, it was impractical.  This event was the most ambitious undertaking yet and included the full meals ordered by James Bond, and his traitorous lust interest Vesper Lynd from the Ian Fleming book Casino Royale.  Here is the menu:

To start:

• Caviar and toast with grated egg and finely chopped onion
• Vesper Martini

Vesper's order:

• Plain grilled Rognon de Veau (veal kidney cubes sautéed in a garlic mushroom butter sauce)
• Pommes Soufflés (twice fried potatoes)
• Fraises des bois with lots of cream (strawberries and cream)

Bond's order:

• Tournedos, underdone, with Béarnaise Sauce (filet mignon with Béarnaise sauce)
• Coeur d'artichaut (artichoke hearts)
• Half an avocado pear with French dressing

Fortunately, I had a lot of help with this.  All nine of our dinner party contributed to the event.  I want to give a special thanks to hostess and Suisse Chef Dawn, and Chef Sue.

For the wine part of this extravaganza, Bond ordered Champagne – a 1943 Blanc de Blanc Brut.  Having just finished off the last bottle from our massive wine cellar (the shelves underneath the stairs in the basement), I decided to take a recommendation from my good friends at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill and substitute a 1998 Jacquart Champagne Blanc de Blanc Brut.  Each of the other couples attending this event also brought a bottle of bubbly.  Unfortunately I did not get photographs, and by the time the bottles made it to the recycling bin, I had failed to take notes. 

The evening began with the caviar and Vesper Martini’s prepared by bartender Steve.  The Martini’s were true to the original recipe with the exception of the Kina Lillet which is no longer produced.  My research suggested Cocchi Americano as a suitable replacement.  Cocchi Americano is a fortified aperitif wine infused with citrus and herb.  This martini is very tasty, with most of the flavor coming from the Cocchi Americano.  However, this drink should come with a warning label as Bartender Steve figured out through experience.  Really, one is enough.

Across the board, the food was spectacular.  Using French recipes as the basis for each component, the meal was thoroughly lathered in buttery goodness.  The big surprise of the night was the rognon de veau.  Even those in the crowd who were not fans of kidney (or organ meat in general) found this dish pleasing.  For me, the real star of the meal was the filet mignon with béarnaise.  Chef Sue prepared this part of the meal and the execution was flawless.  The filet was perfect, and the béarnaise was the best I have tasted.

The 1998 Jacquart Champagne Blanc de Blanc Brut was a real treat.  I found this bottle to be fresh, with aromas of lemon, toast and herbs which were balanced nicely with the richness and freshness. The palate is complex and flavorful with high notes of toast and moderate citrus/lemon acidity which makes it a nice pairing choice.  On the other hand, I did not find the pairing to be exceptional.  It was certainly pleasant and enjoyable, but I did not find that the combination of the meal and the wine to sum to something greater than their parts. 

But I do not want to disparage the pairing completely.  With a heavy bodied meal, the 1998 Jacquart offered a lemony freshness and acidity that contrasted nicely.  Also, the toast flavors complimented the meal nicely.  If I were constructing this pairing from scratch, I would have made other wine choices.  However, it is important to recall this pairing comes from a couple lines in an Ian Fleming novel.  I have the feeling that Mr. Fleming made the choice of both meal and wine based on consistency with Bond’s natural attraction for the extravagant rather than a studied composition of flavor.  In the end, it worked and was enjoyable – just not a 5 star pairing.

If you decide to recreate your own Casino Royale night, go ahead and give this pairing a try.  You may think differently.  Regardless of your choice, you will have fun.  And if you take it to the length I did, you will find yourself in the kitchen in a tux preparing a great meal.

Finally, we get to the dessert.  What can I add to any description of fresh strawberries and freshly whipped cream?  On the other hand, I can comment on the avocados with French dressing.  I am a big fan of avocados, but I never thought of avocado as a dessert fruit.  Further, I have never experienced avocados with French dressing.  Although I doubt that avocados will show up as dessert in the future around our home, we thoroughly enjoyed the combination of avocado and French dressing.

As a final comment, I would definitely recommend a Casino Royale night.  It was a great excuse to bring friends together, dress up, and enjoy a fabulous meal.  The breadth of the meal makes for a great culinary challenge, and conceiving of the meal as a Casino Royale recreation turns the meal into a great event.

Recipes

Vesper Martini

In the words of James Bond:

Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"

Kina Lillet is no longer produced, so substitute Cocchi Americano.  If you live in the Washington DC area, Schneider’s of Capitol hill carries Cocchi Americano.

Caviar, diced onion and Grated Eggs on Toast

This is almost self explanatory.  The only thing to note is to hard boil your eggs, separate the whites from the yolks then dice them finely and place in separate serving bowls.  Similarly, dice your onion finely (we used red onion to add some color).  You can either make your own toast or purchase small (about 1” square) toast.

Roasted Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients

1. 3 cans of artichoke hearts
2. 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
3. 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
4. Juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon
5. 2 tablespoons melted butter
6. salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Drain artichokes and rinse thoroughly.
3. Mix artichokes, garlic and olive oil. Use your hands, and do so gently to prevent the artichoke hearts from falling apart.
4. Place artichokes on a sheet pan and drizzle with melted butter and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and place in oven for one hour, turning artichokes after 30 minutes.

Tournedos Béarnaise

Ingredients

• 5 filet mignon
• 1/2 stick butter for Filet Mignon
• 1/2 pound butter for Béarnaise sauce
• 2 Tablespoons peanut oil
• 5 slices of bread with crust removed
• 1 Tablespoon minced shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsely
• 1 Tablespoon wine vinegar
• 3 egg yoks
• Salt and pepper

Filet Mignon Preparation

1. In a frying pan heat 1/4 stick of the butter and 1 tablespoon peanut oil.
2. Add filets and cook 10 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm in oven.
3. In the filet frying pan, add 1/4 stick of butter with the 1 tablespoon peanut oil. When heated, brown the bread on both sides.

Béarnaise Sauce Preparation

1. In a small sauce pan, add shallots, tarragon, parsley and wine vinegar. Reduce until liquid is almost evaporated.
2. Remove from heat and add egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of water.
3. Return the sauce pan to the heat and whisk until thick, being careful not to burn or overcook.
4. Add melted butter slowly, whisking constantly, over low heat. When butter is absorbed into the yolks, remove from heat. 
5. Continue to whisk until sauce begins to cool.

Presentation

Place bread on a plate then add the filet to the bread and top with a tablespoon of sauce. Garnish with tarragon sprigs. Add remainder of sauce to a gravy boat.

Pommes Soufflés

Ingredients

• 8 large potatoes
• vegetable oil for deep frying

Rognon de Veau

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and trim away the round edges.
2. Cut lengthwise in slices that are uniform from end to end, about 3/8 inch thick. Cut the slices into 3/8 inch widths.  If the potatoes are particularly long, cut to 2 to 3 inch lengths.
3. Soak the sliced potatoes in ice water for 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and pat dry completely.
4. Pour vegetable oil into adequately sized pot to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Heat oil to 325.
5. Drop slices into the for 6 to 7 minutes. After about 5 minutes the slices should start to blister and rise to the top.
6. Remove the slices and drain on paper towels.
7. Increase the oil to 375 and return the slices to the oil. They should swell instantly. Cook until golden, then remove and drain on paper towels. Discard any that have not puffed. 
8. Season with salt and serve.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds veal kidney
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Tbsp butter
• All purpose flour
• 1/2 c madeira wine
• Toasted French bread slices
• salt, pepper,
• Parsley for garnish

Preparation

1. Cut the kidneys into small cubes discarding the white part. Dredge in flour.
2. Warm the olive oil and cook the minced garlic over medium heat.
3. Add the kidneys and sauté briefly.
4. In another skillet, cook the mushrooms in the butter.
5. Add the mushrooms to the kidneys along with the Madeira.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Cook, covered, over a low flame until a sauce forms.
8. Serve on thin slices of toasted French bread garnished with parsley.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig