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

Spicy Chocolate Covered Pork Belly Paired with 2009 Delaplane Cellars Virginia Tannat

This weekend I hosted a birthday party for Chef Sue.  For months I tried to decide how to handle this event - surprise party, rent space at a restaurant, or any of a half dozen other options.  I eventually settled on the idea of inviting a group of good friends to our home and use our wine tasting group formula.  It worked perfectly and we all had a wonderful time.

The format for the evening involved each couple bringing a bottle of white and red wines along with an hors d'oeuvre paired with one of the wines.  With nearly 30 people in attendance, we were treated to some great wine and creative food.

For my part, I made a spicy chocolate covered pork belly and paired it with a 2009 Delaplane Cellars Virginia Tannat.  I started with the idea of chocolate covered bacon, then thought "where can I go with this?"  It didn't take long to substitute pork belly for bacon, and add some cayenne pepper to bring a balance of creamy pork fat, the mild sweetness of dark chocolate, and the piquance of the cayenne pepper.

I started by heating oil in a dutch oven until just before smoking.  I seasoned the pork belly and seared on all sides.  I then added enough chianti and a diced onion to just cover the pork belly and put in the oven to braise for 2 hours at 300 degrees F.  When complete, I cut it into 3/4 inch cubes, cut off the skin, and skewered the cubes with tooth picks.  After allowing to cool for 1 hour, I prepared the chocolate by putting a steel bowl over a pot of boiling water, added 86% cacao dark chocolate, 1 tablespoon of butter and gradually added cayenne pepper while whisking until I arrived at the level of spicy heat I had in mind.  I'm guessing it was about 1 tablespoon.  The cubed and skewered pork belly was then dipped in the chocolate, placed on a piece of parchment then off to the fridge to set the chocolate.  This is best served at room temperature, so remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.

I chose the 2009 Delaplane Cellars Virginia Tannat because it is a big full bodied rich wine with strong tannins and wonderful dark berry flavors accompanied by a wisp of oak.  My mental picture of the wine matched perfectly with my pork belly creation - big, flavorful, chewy and dark.  We were rewarded with a wonderful pairing.  The berry flavors and tannins played magically with the deep rich chocolate and sweet pork belly while the cayenne added a fun overlay of flavor.

Sorry for the photography - with an event for nearly 30 people, I was not in a position to set up my typical lighting rig and camera gear.  Instead, we have to make due with a shot from my iPhone.

Happy Birthday Chef Sue.  You survived another year!  And thanks to everyone who shared in the celebration.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig