Spaghetti Puttanesca

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons drained capers
1 cup pitted black olives
3/4 cup chicken broth or water
1-oz. can of anchovy fillets, drained, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 lb. dried spaghetti

Heat the olive oil over low heat in a medium saucepan and add the garlic,
cooking it for 1 minute – be careful not to let it brown.  Add the tomatoes,
red pepper flakes, capers, olives and broth or water.  Cover the pan, bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.  Remove the lid and simmer for another 25 minutes.  After the cooking is done add the anchovies, basil and parsley.  Serve over spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente per package directions.

Grilled Pork or Chicken Kebobs

serve with Sandhill Crane’s Sassy Rose, Pinot Grigio or Blushing Crane.

Marinade
1 can of beer
2 T soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 T lemon juice
dried thyme or oregano to taste

Kebabs
1 pound of pork (or chicken) – cut into  2” pieces.
1 large zucchini or other summer squash
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, cut into chunks
4 skewers (if using wooden skewers soak for 15 minutes in water so they don’t burn)

Mix marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.  Put meat into marinade and let sit for 15 minutes.  Then add zucchini and onion chunks and leave for another 5-10 minutes.  Don’t over-marinate or the meat will get mushy.

Thread the pork on the skewers, alternating with the zucchini, onion and tomatoes, beginning and ending with the pork so veggies don’t fall off the skewers.  Grill on a lightly oiled grate on medium-high until cooked, about 6-7 minutes, or to preferred doneness.  Salt and pepper to taste.

While you’ve got the grill going, this is a truly simple summer dessert.

Grilled Peaches

Cut ripe peaches in half, remove the pit, brush lightly with melted butter and place cut side down on a medium to slow grill.  When browned remove to bowls, top with a drizzle of maple syrup and vanilla ice cream.

To really enhance the maple flavor, serve along with the winery’s Sugar Snow- a dessert wine made from maple sap, sweetened with syrup!

The pasta salad is perfect with grilled chicken or fish – and served with one of Sandhill Crane Vineyard’s refreshing semi-sweet whites, such as the 2010 Riesling or Overture. If you want a dessert wine to go with the rhubarb crisp,  try one of the winery’s meads – the blueberry (Blue Skies) or Sweet Ellie.

When you buy the pasta go for a corkscrew or ridged version.  The dressing stays in those little crevices.    Most pastas come in 1 pound packages, which is many servings when cooked – so you may want to halve it, depending on how many servings you’re aiming for.  And adjust the veggies accordingly.  So totally unregimented!

Kitty’s Spring Pasta Salad

Cook pasta to the al dente stage according to package directions. If you’re going to add peas, beans or asparagus you can toss the raw prepped veggies into the pasta water at the last few minutes or so of cooking – about 1 min. for peas and 3 min. for the others.

As soon as it’s ready, drain it all and place in a large bowl.  Add any or all of these lovely items, then the dressing.  Mix well and enjoy.

green peas; sliced green beans; sliced asparagus; cherry tomatoes; olives, any kind (I like Kalamata); roasted red peppers, chopped (from a jar or grilled by you); capers; feta or bleu cheese crumbles; chopped English cucumbers; sliced radishes; chopped green onion or chives; chopped fresh mint: toasted pumpkin seeds; fresh dill

Dressing

2 T. lemon juice                                                                    
1 T. dried oregano
2 tsp. crushed garlic
3 T red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 cup olive oil, as desired
1-2 T. Dijon mustard

Whisk together 1st  six ingredients; gradually whisk in olive oil.  At the end if you whisk in some Dijon mustard it will help the dressing emulsify.

Rhubarb Crisp

Topping

1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts                                        
1/4 cup old fashioned oats (not instant)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 T. sugar
4 T. unsalted butter

Filling

2 1/2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

If the rhubarb stalks are large you may want to peel them.  Otherwise, don’t bother.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set rack in the center of the oven. Prepare the topping by placing all of the topping ingredients into a food processor. Pulse or mix until the mixture is crumbled to the size of small peas; don’t over process. Set aside. Pour the rhubarb directly into a large, shallow baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour, mixing to coat evenly. Spread crisp topping over entire surface. Bake until fruit is bubbly and the top is golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or room temp, plain or with ice cream.

Crab Cakes

Serve with Sandhill Crane Vineyards very lightly oaked 2007 Chardonnay. Or the Vignoles.

5 saltine crackers, crushed to fine crumbs
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage        
1 large egg
2 1/2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a large bowl, gently mix together cracker crumbs, crabmeat, egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. The mixture will be wet. Form about 1/4 of the crab mixture for each cake.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Gently slide the cakes off a spatula into the oil. Saute until the crab cakes are golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet, and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with tartar sauce.

Baked Brie

The French seem to be the source of many decadent foods, including brie cheese. Here is a dessert-style baked brie – perfect with our Mood Indigo fortified blueberry wine – or a savory version, wonderful with the Sassy Rose dry rose, the Cabernet Franc, the Vignoles….

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, pre-packaged      
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup walnuts
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8-ounce) wheel brie, don’t remove rind
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Defrost puff pastry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the walnuts in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are coated well. Place the walnut mixture on top of the brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture. Lay the puff pastry out on a flat surface. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Gather up the edges of the pastry, pressing around the brie, and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and brush the beaten egg over top and side of brie. Place brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before cutting into it. Serve by itself or with apple wedges and crackers.

For the savory version, slice the brie in half vertically and spread basil pesto over the top of the bottom half. Replace the top half and put the round of brie on the puff pasty and proceed as above.

And since nothing says fall like apples and pumpkins, I’ve selected two recipes that feature those foods. The easy-to-make Sauteed Apples would be great on ice cream or waffles, accompanied by ‘Night of the Living Red.’ The Savory Stuffed Pumpkin is slightly exotic and is perfect alongside the Chancellor for a hearty dinner. And since you have all those pumpkin seeds, here’s a simple way to roast them.

Pan Sauteed Apples

1/4 cup real butter
4 large tart apples (such as Granny Smith, Jonathons, Ida Reds or Cortlands)
– peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tspns cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add apples. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Savory Stuffed Pumpkin

A ‘sugar pumpkin’ is also called a ‘pie’ pumpkin. They’re smaller than the jack-o-lantern style, and much better for cooking.

1 cup wild rice, rinsed well
1 medium sugar pumpkin
2 tspns salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbspn cooking oil
1 pound ground beef (or venison)
1 onion, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In a saucepan cook wild rice according to package directions until tender. This can take 1 hour or longer. When rice is done, set aside to cool and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the pumpkin in cold water and remove the top, like a jack-o-lantern lid. Scoop out pulp and seeds (set seeds aside for roasting – see below). Prick the interior of the pumpkin with a fork and rub with 1 tsp salt and the dry mustard.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground meat and
onion. Cook slowly, stirring until evenly browned. Remove from heat. Mix in the
cooked wild rice, remaining 1 tsp salt, eggs, sage and pepper. Stuff the mixture into
the pumpkin.

Place pumpkin in a shallow baking pan with 1/2 inch of water. If water begins to evaporate, add a bit more during baking.to prevent sticking. Bake for 1 & 1/2 hours
or until tender.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

There are endless recipes out there for roasted pumpkin seeds, but the basics are the same. Rinse the seeds in cold water in a colander until the pumpkin innards have mostly disappeared. Spread them on a cookie sheet that has either been oiled or
had butter melted on it, sprinkle lightly with salt and roast – at about 325-350 degrees -
until they’re toasty and brown.