A Fall Menu from Joanne Weir
I have been going absolutely non-stop, teaching all over the country with the launch of my newest cookbook, Wine Country Cooking. It has been a whirlwind tour and now I'm thrilled to be back home in my own kitchen.
This is my favorite time of the year! I love the fall harvest of fruits, vegetables, and of course, grapes! This is the time of year for all those comforting flavors! I always order lots of firewood for the fireplace and make sure I have plenty of wine on hand for holiday entertaining. I stock my refrigerator with cheeses, olives, various crackers, and almonds for toasting.
So now as I thumb through my book, the first dish I'm dying to make is the Sugar Pumpkin Soup with Honey Pecan Butter. I bought a beautiful big pumpkin yesterday at a local farm stand which I will roast in the oven to bring out the sweetness. I also went to the farmer's market and got a few different kinds of grapes to make my Wine Country Flatbread with Grapes and Walnuts. The flatbread will be a perfect accompaniment to the soup! I thought I'd serve a dry Riesling with a little spiciness to really bring out the sweetness of the grapes and roasted pumpkin.
This is the time of year I love to braise meats. The smells of braising perfumes the whole house and the meat that just seems to fall from the bone! Plus it makes its own sauce all in one pot! I love easy clean-up, don't you? So the decision is made, Beef Braised in Zinfandel. I'll serve the same red wine for a perfect match.
This time of years begs for my Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables. Honestly this has to be one of the best recipes I've ever written! These vegetables are also a must at my Thanksgiving table!
Finally, for dessert, I will make another of my seasonal favorites--Panna Cotta with Stewed Grapes. The panna cotta is a cinch to make, the flavors are fantastic, and it literally melts in your mouth! That's a must. With the panna cotta, I thought a fruity Moscato from the Piedmont in northern Italy would be a match made in heaven!
Well the doorbell is ringing. Thank God, I already set the table! I'd better go and let my friends in! Wish you could be here!
For more recipes, go to my website www.joanneweir.com.
Panna Cotta with Stewed Grapes
2 tablespoons cold water
1 3/4 teaspoons granulated unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
Sauce:
1 pound sweet harvest grapes
1/4 cup sugar
Halved grapes as a garnish
Mint sprigs as a garnish
Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside until the gelatin is softened, 5 minutes. Place the cream, milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Watch closely so it doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture until dissolved. Pour into 6 5-ounce ramekins and chill in the refrigerator 3 hours.
In the meantime, place the grapes and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the grapes fall apart, 40 minutes. Pass the grapes and their liquid through a food mill and strain out the seeds and skin. Taste and add more sugar if needed. If you do add additional sugar, make sure that you stir until the sugar is dissolved. If the sauce is too thin, reduce further until it begins to thicken and coat the back of a spoon.
Just before serving, run a small knife around the edges of the ramekins. Dip the panna cotta molds in boiling water just until loosened. Turn the molds onto serving plates and spoon the sauce around the edges. Garnish with halved grapes and mint.
Serves 6
Suggested wine: Moscato
Gabriel on November 19, 2008 at 03:15 AM
Interesting, very nice. Advice I read those articles and I decided to also contribute. I am of Slovak republic and I also site - a blog focusing on recipes for cooking. See. All good. Page to be translated through Google translate.
http://www.irecepty.com
Gabriel on November 19, 2008 at 03:16 AM
Interesting, very nice. Advice I read those articles and I decided to also contribute. I am of Slovak republic and I also site - a blog focusing on recipes for cooking. See. All good. Page to be translated through Google translate.
http://www.irecepty.com