It’s not Always About the Wine

Raymond Cheesemongers cheese tastings provide the rare opportunity to sample how very good domestic cheese can be.

Sonoma County is home to small-scale food producers and specialty retailers.

By now you’d think I’m a one dimensional person - no clue or interest in anything but tasting wine. Well, you’re close, but actually we took a break from wine tasting to sample artisnal foods from the region. In our back road travels we tripped upon the small, country village of Glen Ellen. Just a mile or two off of the Sonoma Highway (Route 12) is this awkward little town with fantastic restaurants (we dined at The Fig Cafe, you should too), art galleries, and small shops retailing hand-crafted cheese, olive oils, and chocolates.

Figione’s of California Olive Oil Company offers extra virgin olive oils, citrus infused olive oils, and 20-year old balsamic vinegars. The best way to learn about olive oil types is to taste, to taste side-by-side, one after the other until you can taste no more. At which point I suggest moving to the balsamic vinegars to help cleanse the palate and settle the stomach.

Located just a few doors down from Figione’s is Raymond Cheesemongers, a small retail shop featuring local, regional, and domestic artisnal cheeses. For ten dollars we tasted a wide range of cheeses served by a hostess with a great knowledge of the products and its production. This was probably the best ten dollars spent all day for it bought me more than good cheese, but a baseline of flavor knowledge that could have only been achieved by tasting what was described.

Now, if I only had a glass of wine with my olive oils and cheeses.

Pasta with Zucchini, Ricotta and Basil

by Mark Bittman, New York Times News Service

Serves 4-6

• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. zucchini, rinsed and cut into 1/4 - 1/2-inch dice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic, or more to taste
• 1 lb. penne or other cut pasta
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil over a medium skillet, add zucchini, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until zucchini begins to brown then lower heat and continue cooking until tender (about 15 minutes). Two minutes before zucchini is done, add garlic. 

While your pasta and zucchini are cooking, warm a serving bowl and put ricotta in it, along with half the basil. When the pasta is done cooking reserve at least 1 cup of the water, drain the pasta. Use as much of this liquid as necessary, a little at a time, to thin ricotta until it reaches a saucy consistency. Toss with pasta, zucchini, remaining basil and Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Green Beans with Feta and Basil

from Coastal Living magazine

Serves 12

• 3 lbs. green beans, trimmed
• 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 (4 oz.) package feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Steam beans for four minutes, plunge in cold water to stop the cooking and set a nice green color. In a large bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

Add the beans, feta, and basil then gently toss.

I went to a picnic and a race broke out

Last Sunday my wife and I packed a picnic lunch to take to a beautiful park setting high in the hills above Seneca Lake. We packed a variety of cheeses (thank you Wegmans) salami, red wine-marinated steak sandwiches, fruit salad, etc. and of course, a nice bottle of Chardonnay. The sun was shining bright, the breezes blowing, but a little chilly for mid-July. 

Racing action during the 2009 Glen Nationals, Watkins Glen International.

By the sounds of it you might think we were at any one of a number of state parks in the Finger Lakes. But no… we were at Watkins Glen International race track to watch the Glen Nationals. Up on top of a high hill in Schuyler County sits a 3.4 mile road racing course - one of the most famous in America, and noted as a must-race location throughout the world of motorsports. This was my wife’s first time to “The Glen” so I picked this event to warm her up to the track. The Glen Nationals is a perfect race to be introduced to The Glen: smaller crowds, accessible drivers, easy hikes to a spectator vantage points, a wide variety of cars and classes, and seven different races throughout the day so you’ll never bore of any one.

So why is this a notable food experience? It’s the fun of combining two disparate activities, in this case a Euro-style lawn picnic with motorsports, to create an event more memorable than the individual. Summertime is too short, so get out, pack your favorite foods, and enjoy your hometown’s outdoor events with a fine meal in tow.

Cheese Cake Dip

Use Sacheli’s Onion Pepper Jelly for this recipe.

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 5 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 egg
• 8 oz. jar onion pepper jelly
• sprinkle of paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 4 ingredients with 1/2 jar of onion pepper jelly. Pour mixture into greased baking dish or spring form pan. Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool completely. Just prior to serving, glaze cake with remaining jelly. Serve with assorted crackers.