Monthly Archive for June, 2008

Brie, Fig and Prosciutto Grilled Cheese

Published on June 29, 2008 in Grilled Cheese Night and Joanie Hudson. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

A recent spotlight in the Santa Barbara News Press on the Bistro’s Grilled Cheese Night (Thursday evenings) included a recipe for one of the delicious sandwiches that I would like to share here.

“This is not your mother’s grilled cheese. Joshua Keating, executive chef at Bistro Restaurant & Wine Bar, experiments with specialty cheeses in his sandwiches, including Carmody cheddar, fontina, brie and more. Any plans he might add American? “No!” he insisted. “That’s what Mom used to make…I’ll never live up to Mom’s expectations!”

Brie, Fig and Prosciutto Grilled Cheese

Butter or olive oil, to coat bread

2 slices of sourdough bread

Drizzle balsamic vinegar

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil

3 ounces brie

2 slices prosciutto

3 Black Mission Figs, cut in half and marinated in 2 ounces of red wine

Butter or oil exterior of bread slices. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil on interior. Place remaining ingredients between slices. Grill in panini grill on medium-high heat for about 6-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown, or fry in frying pan on low heat for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Yield: 1 sandwich

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Salads from the Garden

Published on June 26, 2008 in Recipes, Rose Moradian and Vegetable Garden. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Rose Moradian Fresh Garden Salad from our Organic Garden

Salads we hope to offer on a regular basis at the Bistro.
Recipe:

Cauliflower, Broccoli, Baby Corn, Peas and Zucchini sauteed minimally with olive oil

“Salad Bowl” red lettuce, rinsed and intact as a whole head

Fresh white bulb onion, purple Ararat Basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt, sauteed and pureed into a dressing

Nasturtiums and Basil as a garnish

Sauté fresh sliced vegetables and chill.

Prepare dressing.

Place whole lettuce on a deep plate

Dress with balsamic dressing

Garnish with Nasturtium

Enjoy!

This is great on a warm day, fresh from the garden!
In addition to this, for now, we will also have fresh onion and basil pesto AND Kim Chi type coleslaw.

 

Beet News from the Bistro Organic Garden

Published on June 26, 2008 in Farmer's Market, Rose Moradian, Vegetable Garden and Vegetarian Dinners. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

Rose Moradian Rhapsodizes on the Virtues of the Beet

Have you ever wondered about how to prepare beets? Many people have asked me this question when I sold produce at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market.
Generally, the easiest way is to boil them, throw away the tops and smother them in some fatty sauce. Or buy them canned. They make an interesting addition to the plate. But my answer is NOT to boil them, not to buy them canned but get then FRESH from the ground, as I did today!

I love beets wholeheartedly and adore the greens! Fresh beets have a great amount of folate (folic acid) and potassium, and have a distinctive flavor and a crisp texture not found in canned beets. Fresh beets also supply a nutritional bonus; their green tops are an excellent source of beta-carotene, calcium, and iron and fiber.

The Chiogga variety is my favorite beet. There are many heirloom varieties, that is, pre-1840, but Chiogga is the most pronounced as it is white and red striped inside! I love these because they are a multiple use plant as you can harvest greens for many weeks before harvesting the roots. They mature in about 60 days for the roots, but you can harvest greens as soon as 30 days.

I love my beets as baby beets and pull them out just as the top of the flesh starts to show from above the soil line. At this point they are easily cleaned, sliced and sauteed with olive oil and red vinegar, with the tops cleaned and chopped thrown in at the end. The tops taste something like spinach, with a bit of astringency. My recipe is very quick and easily done, saving the nutrients from over cooking and appropriate for the early summer, when beets are small anyhow.

As beets can grow to be huge and used for cattle feed instead of gourmet yumminess, I suggest you use beets no larger than the palm of your hand. Here are few Rose Approved Recipes from the internet for beets from Jamaigo and Fromatoz.
and many more recipes from the Vegetable Heroine; Alice Waters!
Some recipes call for scrubbing clean the beets, removing the top and roasting them in a dutch over or cast iron pan with other in season vegetables, but that depends on the season. This photo montage is from todays harvest, using baby Chiogga beets, the tops, broccoli and peas, all from the Organic Garden at the Lafond Vineyard! Please join us!

Santa Barbara Farmers Market

Published on June 25, 2008 in Farmer's Market and Slideshows. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Every Tuesday the Farmer’s Market comes to State Street right in front of our Bistro. It is always colorful and thanks to our mild climate there are flowers and vegetables all year round. The summers, however, are special. That is when all those wonderful seasonal fruits are harvested. Fruits, such as the Blenheim apricots, figs and local peaches, which are here today and gone tomorrow.

This slide show is of a typical Tuesday in June…

Garden Progress

Published on June 24, 2008 in Vegetable Garden. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The vegetable garden is doing well as can be seen from the photo. We survived an incredibly warm weekend and now that the temperatures have returned to normal Rose can be seen planting summer vegetables.

Many who have come to the Bistro have already experienced some of these farm fresh vegetables and as summer progresses more will be available.

Beyond the vegetables are several rows of native wildflowers to greet visitors to the Lafond Winery. Syrah vines are visible in the background.

Click image to enlarge:

Summer Solstice Dinner at The Bistro

Published on June 18, 2008 in Food and Wine Pairing, Joanie Hudson and Special Events. 0 Comments

Amidst a backdrop of State Street’s Tuesday evening Farmers’ Market, the Bistro dished out a five course meal paired with wines to celebrate summer solstice. Executive Chef Josh Keating and Santa Barbara Winery Assistant Winemakers Ryan Ralston and Cameron Bendetsen were on hand to discuss the culinary and pairing choices between each course. Following closely to the Solstice theme, each table had colorful masks in the middle as a playful decoration. Two dimensional paper maiche pig heads hung from the ceiling and appeared to have been crafted at the Solstice workshop where floats and masks are made for Saturday’s parade.

The setting sun provided natural light for most of the evening causing the floating jacaranda flowers to sparkle. In celebration of solstice part of the proceeds from the dinner went to fun the annual event. This was the perfect opportunity to recognize and sample new releases that we have available at Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond Winery. Five of our most recent releases featured were the 2007 Pinot Gris, 2007 Rose of Syrah, 2006 Martin Rey Clone Pinot, 2005 Petite Sirah, and 2007 7.3 Riesling.

The first plates came out of the kitchen at 7:30. Actually, the tapas size portion was served in a small convex glass (which tasting room associate Alan Shapton referred to as an “upside down lampshade glass”). A Tiger Shrimp Ceviche with mango and ripe avocado was served with the 2007 Pinot Gris and was probably my favorite pairing of the night. Mouthwatering tropical fruit and complementary acidity cleansed the palate for what was to come. The fattiness of the avocado cut through the Pinot Gris’ racy acidity and also brought out elements of sweet fruit when put together with the mango.

As Josh stood in front of his guests he began lightly tapping on his crystal wine glass with a fork to get everybody’s attention, while he quietly asked Ryan, “can we tap these glasses?” Experts in their field, the three spoke of the food and wine individually and why they chose the pairing. I learned that although Pinot Gris is a white wine, it has red skins, but it is always made into white wine because there is not enough pigmentation in the skins to produce a red.

Next out of the kitchen was a Saffron Bouillabaise and 2007 Rose of Syrah. This pairing is typical in Provence where Rose’s reign king. Marseilles is the port city in France where this stew started. Fishermen would come into the harbor on their boats and throw them into the broth. The seafood broth here was made with saffron and the fish that was dropped in was salmon, halibut, escolar and shelled mussels. The hot soup with a cold Rose made it lighter than it would be if paired with a red wine. The Rose of Syrah allowed the dish to shine through and was a beautiful magenta pink in the crystal stemware against the flickering candlelight.

Lafond Winery’s newest Pinot Noir release is a Martin Ray clone, and it came out alongside a Seared Scallop Crusted Salad. This was actually the first time it has been served to a public audience since its release last week. The simple salad was made from earty organic greens and tossed with a mustard rice wine vinaigrette. Three crusted scallops were placed softly on the bed of lettuce and provided a nice crunchy texture to the salad. Again Josh played with the element of pairing hot and cold placing warm scallops on cool lettuce, which really brought forward the salads earthy flavors.

Pommard clones produce a more feminine style Pinot than the Dijon clone (which can be done in a more Syrah-esque style) this lighter style Pinot’s bright red fruit showcases this elegance. Aged primarily in neutral oak, this Pinot is already showing particularly well. Martin Ray was a winemaker up in the Santa Cruz mountains who toured France’s Burgundy region and suitcased this clone back to California in the 1940s. He named it after himself, which Ryan applauded stating, “Hey, if you do something for the first time, name it after yourself.”

Leading up to the main course these three lighter dishes paved the way for Steak Filet Mignon and Petite Sirah. A peach-sized Filet sat on a square ceramic plate presented with butter steamed carrots and green button squash. Point Reyes Cheese and a Syrah reduction sauce were drizzled on top. Petite Sirah’s stick to your lips, teeth staining quality was appropriately paired with a tender steak cut. The enormous amount of pigmentation in the skin of these small berries make it a rich, deeply colored and tannic wine bursting with dry dark fruit flavors and a hint of spicy licorice.

After all of this food it was not a surprise that the choice of dessert was more of a delightful cleansing palate refresher than a decadent sweet. A sorbet was paired with our 7.3% residual sugar Riesling, touching on the sweet tooth but not overwhelming. The 7.3 Riesling is the sweeter of our two Rieslings, but it has a nice acidity to balance that out.

I was happy to be a part of this Solstice gathering…

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Rose Moradian on Nasturtiums at the Bistro Organic Garden

Published on June 17, 2008 in Food and Wine Pairing, Rose Moradian and Vegetable Garden. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , .

A common sight in the Santa Barbara area in the springtime, Nasturtium is one of my favorite salad ingredients! I am growing some for the Bistro in many colors. Nasturtium in Latin means literally “nose-twister” or “nose-tweaker”, as a common name, refers to a genus of roughly 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Tropaeolum (“Trophy”), one of three genera in the family Tropaeolaceae.

The flower is edible, making for an especially ornamental salad ingredient; it has a slightly peppery taste reminiscent of watercress at the end tip and sweet full leaves and is also used in stir fry. All parts of the plant are edible, not just the flower and leaves. The unripe seed pods can be harvested and pickled with hot vinegar, to produce a condiment and garnish, sometimes used in place of capers, although the taste is strongly peppery.

Nasturtiums are also considered widely useful companion plants. They repel a great many cucurbit pests, like squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and several caterpillars.
Click images to enlarge:

 

They had a similar range of benefits for brassica plants, especially broccoli and cauliflower. They also attract black fly aphids, and are sometimes planted in the hope of saving crops susceptible to them (as a trap crop). They may also attract beneficial, predatory insects.

I grow Nasturtium with my Peas and Cucumbers as hey compliment each other no just in flavor but in growing habit, upwards on a trellis. Some can Nasturtium can crawl up a tree for 12′! Others can be dwarf varieties. I always save the large, garbanzo bean shaped seeds for the following Nasturtium growing season, the Autumn. Here are two links to Nasturtium recipes;
To me, Summer Solstice celebrations are synonymous with Nasturtium. Because of the variety of flavors within the plant, it can be paired with many other foods and wines as well.

Our Santa Barbara Winery Pinot Gris with watercress, Nasturtium and hard boiled eggs is an excellent combination. One of the oldest recipes on record is this: NASTURTIUM SALAD “Put a plate of flowers of the Nasturtium in a salad bowl, with a tablespoonful of chopped chervil; sprinkle over with your fingers half a teaspoonful of salt, two or three tablespoonsful of olive oil, and the juice of a lemon; turn the salad in the bowl with a spoon and a fork until well mixed, and serve.” Turabi ejendi, Turkish cookery book, 1864.

Summer and Winter Squash Sibling Rivalry

Published on June 11, 2008 in Food and Wine Pairing, Rose Moradian, Vegetable Garden and Vegetarian Dinners. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

In terms of vegetable growing, much emphasis is made on the number of days needed to produce. Many of the same vegetables need different times to produce. Thus, “Early” tomatoes, “Baby” beets, etc. In terms of squash, Summer and Winter squash need to be planted around the same time. What are some winter squashes, you may ask. Pumpkins, Kabocha, Hubbard, Spaghetti, Butternut, Acorn and Buttercup squash are some, to name just a few.

Here is a link to good visual website for more. Some winter squash are blue, like the Hubbard. “Kaikai” is another, known for its striped outer hull and delicious black seeds, full of healthy oils and vitamins! I’m growing most all of these at the Lafond Vineyard for the Bistro. Winter squash needs 100+ days to bear a full size fruit. Summer squash, like Zucchini, Crookneck and Patty Pan squash, to name a few, need only 50+ days to produce.

But they have to be planted at nearly the same time. Summer squash we all know to pick before they grow too large. With Winter squash, you just leave the fruit on and when mature, stop watering and let the vine die. Its a very beautiful sight. But you have to slowly roll the Winter squash around weekly as it ripens so it will be round and evenly colored, or you’ll end up with bumpy and flat fruit. The skins of Winter squash are typically thick and the inside somewhat hollow, allowing for good storage.

After the vine dies and the squash is out in the field, the sugars are mellowing out and becoming that wonderful flavor we recognize in Pumpkin Pies or Butternut soup. The squash can be stored either outdoors or indoors, just perfect timing for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. They can be kept for up to a year in dry storage because of their thick skins. In Asian counties, Winter squash is the norm for most villages. Pumpkins are picked young and made into delicious curries.

Elephants rampage patches because they love them so. “Buttercup” Winter Squash is a favorite because of its small size and cup like shape, they are easy to stuff. “Kabocha” is a wonderful squash for making into a soup because of its dry texture. “Butternut” is great baked and then roasted with Sweet Bell Peppers and Hazelnuts. There is nothing like the smell and flavor of Winter Squash to make the winter time blues feel warm and wonderful! So go and get your Winter Squash in while you still have room to grow them, as most are large vining plants. You can always move those vines around before the fruit gets big.

Plant tall vegetables, like Peppers between them, to maximize your space. Another note on Winter Squash; some have “warts”, lots of them. It turns out, in a Winter Squash, this is a good thing and can represent the sugar content. So don’t be afraid of the warty squash, its probably very sweet inside, a good parallel for life. I think. Read whatever information you can on your Winter Squash to help plan your garden space.

Barbara of Wind Rose Farms and Noe of Yes Yes Nursery, across from each other at the Saturday Farmers market in SB can answer many of your questions and have plants for sale. Plant your Pumpkins now for Halloween time! Although they do not show off in the summer, Winter Squash will be the star of the kitchen long after the Zucchinis have gone south for the winter. Here is a link to a recipe for Winter Squash Curry and another for stuffed acorn squash with turkey.

Rose Moradian on Basil at the Bistro Organic Garden

Published on June 3, 2008 in Rose Moradian and Vegetable Garden. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) of the Family Lamiaceae is also known as Albahaca, St. Joseph’s Wort, and Sweet Basil. It is a tender low-growing annual herb, originally native to tropical Asia. It grows to between twenty and sixty centimetres tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves one and a half to five centimetres long and one to three centimetres broad.

It tastes somewhat like cloves, with a strong, pungent, sweet smell. Basil is very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions.The word basil comes from the Greek âáóéëåõò, meaning “king”, as it is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross. The Oxford English Dictionary quotes speculations that basil may have been used in “some royal unguent, bath, or medicine”.

Basil is still considered the “king of herbs” by many cookery authors.Basil is the main ingredient for Italian Pesto. Pesto is usually green, thats from using green basil. But did you know that Basil comes in many colors and is used in Asian food as well? Quite often, Asian Basil is red stemmed and/ or has red flowers and has a spicy flavor. Green Basil, or Italian Basil has white flowers and is more sweet than spicy. “Genovese” Basil is the classic Italian Basil we associate with Pesto. “Thai Basil” is the common Asian equivalent.

There is a “lettuce leaf” type of basil names ” Dani” or simply “Lettuce Leaf Basil” that has aHUGE green leaves that are savoyed, or crinkly. There’s even an Eastern Indian Basil called “Holy Basil” that is quite unlike any basil I’ve encountered before. The classic Italian Basil also comes in Purple! “Red Rubin” is the name of the classic purple basil and is very much like Italian Basil, except in color.

This could mean that the Bistro Restaurant & Wine Bar may have Purple Pesto soon! Basil is a heat loving, full sun plant that needs air circulation. It is a natural companion to Tomatoes both in the garden and in the plate, as the flavors compliment each other. Basil is a beautiful plant and can be used as an ornamental cut flower in the garden, too. Basil is usually a short lived annual that cannot revive after harvesting, but there are some non flowering and woody types that can lived for years in a warm garden. Basil must be harvested frequently, before it flowers, or it will stop producing early.

By picking the tips where the flowers want to bloom before they bloom, you ensure a fuller plant with more to offer for longer. As usual with all my plants, I fertilize Basil weekly with fish emulsion and water. Do not over water basil, as it is prone to fungus and the flavor is better when the plant a bit on the dry side when harvesting. Try not to get the leaves wet. There are several fungus resistant strains of Basil, like “Nufar” which is an Italian type. As mentioned, “Holy Basil” is a very unusual basil with medicinal uses.

Its smell is a very mellow sweet and lingers like a fabulous perfume. “Holy Basil” is also fuzzy! I have has it as a “Tisane” type tea; put the fresh herb in a tea pot and pour boiling hot water on it and brew for a few minutes before serving. Its a relaxing and calming teas thats absolutely divine! All basils are some what medicinal. This site has a somewhat complete non scientific list of basil. Here is another link to a site that has many recipes using basil, both Italian and Asian.
Until next time,
Bon Journo!

For more on Basil go to Wikipedia