New Zealand Food and Wine at "The Buzz"

13 Wednesday May 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Party Time, Photos, Restaurants, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners, Wine Tasting

On 12 May, Robin and I and Geno And Debra (we missed you Angie!), had another great tasting at The Buzz in Boise. New Zealand wines were on “tap” tonight and they were pretty good. The Dinner was also excellent – Lamb (if you wanted it) of course! If Lamb was not to your liking, Pork was also offered. Both were delicious. We had Lamb at our table. The wines were also very good. But because of the growing conditions in New Zealand, we started with the Reds and migrated to the Whites.

Geno is studying the tasting sheet to see what will be served.

Debra is checking The Buzz out. I think she is dreaming of a Sunday breakfast here. Hmmmm. Sounds good. Speaking of food, check the New Zealand Dinner out.

We started the Dinner with Tomato, White Bean and Olive Salad along with either a Lamb or Pork Kabob. Both of these went very well with a Kim Crawford Pinot Noir $21.00 (17) and an Oyster Bay Merlot $15.50 (17)

Then we had a Lamb Burger with a Sweet Potato and Pineapple Salad that went very well with the Merlot, but also went well with the Tasman Bay Pinot Gris, $19.00 (20), of which we bought 3 bottles. An awesome Pinot Gris that will go well with just about anything.

And now … Kiwi Cheesecake! I am not a particular fan of cheesecake, but this one, along with the Brancott Sauvignon Blanc $14.00 (19) and a Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc, was very, very good! When you think of New Zealand wine, think Sauvignon Blanc and the vintage.
A good selection of foods and a wonderful selection of wines. If you notice the number in parenthesis – (20) – you will know my scoring. 20 being top. The next tasting will be on June 9 and California wines – I hope not all of them – will be featured. Then on June 21, there will be an awesome Special Father’s Day dinner. Most of these tastings are $10.00 per person, but the Father’s Day dinner will be $25.00 per person. This event will be an exceptional evening. Make your reservations early!

Westside Drive-In and the Foodnetwork

11 Monday May 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Food, Restaurants, Thought For The Day

≈ 2 Comments

Now I know most of you have heard of the Foodnetwork! I am proud to say that one of Lil’ Ole’ Boise Idaho’s Most Famous and Popular eatery, will be showcased on the Foodnetwork tonight at 8:00pm MDT! (Check out that blue sky!)

This episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives was fun to take part in. Be sure to watch it – you might see someone you recognize! And you might even see this mural again. Cheers and happy viewing!

Happy Mother’s Day!

10 Sunday May 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Food, Food Prep, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos

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As with all Holidays or Days of Celebration, I ask Robin about 10 days in advance what she would like me to make. The only exception is usually Memorial Day and maybe July 4th – I fire up the grills and smoker for these two days! So, as expected, she submitted her suggested menu for Brunch:

Mimosas
Popovers with Gruyere Cheese
Baked Eggs with Spinach

The Mimosa went extremely well with the Brunch

Sometimes it is difficult to photograph through the oven door, but here is an attempt. The Popovers are getting Happy!

And here are the Popovers with Gruyere Cheese in happy land! Happy Popovers – Happy Robin! These would really be great at a wine tasting filled with Tuna Salad, Ham Salad, Shrimp Salad … Use you imagination!

Popovers with Gruyere Cheese

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Makes 16

2 c unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 t Sea Salt
2 c Whole Milk, use the good stuff with cream on the top
4 lg Eggs
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 c Gruyere cheese grated and (about 6 ounces)

Place muffin pans in the oven and preheat oven to 350ºF

Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl to blend.

Heat milk in small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until very warm, about 125 degrees.

Whisk eggs in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk warm milk into eggs. Gradually stir flour mixture into milk mixture just to blend (batter may still be slightly lumpy).

Remove hot muffin pans from oven. Spray pans with nonstick spray. Spoon 1/2 cup batter into each of 16 muffin cups. Top each with 1 tablespoon cheese. Bake until puffed and deep brown, about 40 minutes.

Remove popovers from pan and immediately cut a slit in the top of each to release the steam. Serve immediately.

Note: The key to making popovers that won’t deflate as soon as they come out of the oven is to cut a slit in the top while they are still hot. That releases the steam and allows the popovers to dry slightly inside. Popovers are not easy to reheat because they will flatten, so plan to take them out of the oven just before serving.

And here are the Baked Eggs with Spinach. Quite good, but keep an eye on them, they can over cook very quickly!@

Baked Eggs with Spinach

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes Serves 4

2 T Butter, room temperature
1 (10-ounce) package frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
2 slices Sourdough or French bread
4 lg Eggs
4 t Heavy Cream
Salt, Pepper and Smoked Paprika

Preheat the oven to 375ºF

Rub the inside of four ramekins with a tablespoon of butter.

Squeeze liquid from the thawed spinach. Place about 1/4 cup of spinach in each prepared ramekin, making a bed in the bottom. Dot each bed with a teaspoon of butter, cut into bits.

Butter both sides of the bread slices, then cut each slice into four triangles. Stand two triangles in each ramekin so that they are leaning against the sides of the dishes with a point up.

Break an egg into each ramekin. Sprinkle the eggs with salt, plus pepper and paprika. Drizzle each egg with 1 teaspoon of cream. Arrange the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are firm around the edges and soft in the center, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve while still hot.

So there you have it – Photos of Brunch and the recipes. What did you make for your Mother today? Cheers!

Farmer’s Markets and Other Great Information

09 Saturday May 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Local Farmers Markets, Local Markets, Wine and Food

≈ 1 Comment

I have been asked several questions about local Farmers’ Markets, and trying not to make the “Comments” list so big, I will try to answer some of the questions here. (For those who may not know, if you Left Click on any photo, you will get a Full Screen view. Easier to see some of the images.)

Farmer’s Markets –

Robin and my intention this morning was to visit the Nampa Farmer’s Market, the Kuna Farmer’s Market and to deliver the last of the Idaho Wine Competition medals to Hells Canyon Winery. Oh well, two out of 3 isn’t bad. Nampa will have to wait until next week.
Wendy asked, “I had no idea that there were so many markets in the area!! Is there a wide variety of vendors between the four different markets? I am very interested in this information! I know that Koenig is at the downtown Boise market, but we would like to see about getting in on the Caldwell market that is on Wednesdays. Do you have any idea how we go about that, or who we should contact?” There is some variation in vendors between the markets – not all vendors go to all the venues.

Contacting the Kuna Market is easy – the graphic on the left has the information and who to contact. As far as I can tell, there are about 12 Farmer’s Markets within 50 miles of Boise, Boise actually having/sponsoring two. I will list them below.

If you look at the second photo and on the back left of that photo, you will see Buck’s Barnyard. Interesting and an ingenius idea, and green. He takes old and headed for the dump fruit boxes, unuseable fabric and old packing material and makes “raised vegetable boxes” from them and sells the idea – installed, I might say – for $185.00 (I think). Contact them for more information. (I am sorry, but they do not have a webpage.)

OK, so where are these markets.
Emmett – Emmett Farmer’s Market, Blazer Park. Saturdays 8:00am – 12:00pm and Wednesdatys 4:00pm – 7:00pm June through October. Contact: Glen Schiller (208) 365-5088
Middleton – Middleton Farmer’s Market, Ridleys parking lot on Highway 44. Thursday 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Mid May through September. Contact: Kathy May (208) 571-3474
Nampa – Nampa Farmer’s Market. 1st Street South and Front Street. Saturdays 9:00am – 1:00pm. End of April through October. Contact: Suzette Boiling (208) 461-4807. Web Page
Eagle – Eagle Saturday Market. Heritage Park, corner of State Street and 2nd Street. Saturdays 8:30 am – 1:00pm. May through October. Contact: Dean Burrup (208) 631-3630 Web Page. Christmas Market, 1st Saturday in December
Meridian – Meridian Farmer’s Market. 3630 N Eagle Road, Ustic Market Place II. Saturdays 9:00am – 1:00pm. May through September. Contact: Donna Egner (208) 376-2610. Web Page
Meridian – McFadden Co-op Farmer’s Market. Meridian Cioty Hall parking lot, Main Street and Broadway. Tuesdays 5:00pm – 8:00pm (This may change to Saturdays also) May through October. Contact: (208) 862-0432
Kuna – Kuna Farmer’s Market. See the graphic above.
Mountain Home – Mountain Home Farmre’s Market. Railroad Park (Center Park) Main Street. Saturday 8:00am – 1:00pm. May through October. Contact: Beverly Lucia (208) 587-3134

I did not list the Boise (Capitol City Public Market). If you are interested, contact me through this blog. Please do not hold me responsible for incorrect or outdated information. If you find too many mistakes of this sort, contact Lacey or check the Idaho Agriculture Department Web Page. Spelling typos will be the only thing I can correct. Hope this gives you some good information and the world of Blog Blips continues to forward adequate information. Cheers!

Nampa (Idaho) Farmers Market

08 Friday May 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Local Farmers Markets

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Nampa Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday between April 25 and October 31, 2009, from 9am – 1pm, rain or shine. The market is located in historic downtown Nampa, 12th Ave. So. and 1st St. And from their website, we get the following information about the market –

History of the Nampa Farmers Market

Location of market: Historical downtown Nampa, Idaho
between 1st St. South and Front St

The Nampa Farmers Market was founded in 1989 by John and Affine Relk.
The market was held in a parking lot across from the police department. There were only three vendors participating and customers were few in that first year.

Since the beginning, the market has continually grown in both customers and vendors. In 1998 the market moved to historic Downtown Nampa in front of the Historical Museum of the train depot. Since that time the market has grown to an average of 40 to 50 vendors per week, offering a large variety of produce, foods, crafts, plants and flowers from local vendors.

With the beauty of the museums architecture as a backdrop, and a fountain on each side of a tree lined street, the market area becomes a bustling community of farmers, crafters and bakers selling their wares each Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from May through October.

Local entertainers provide music and dance venues to enrich the experience of going to market. Families come together to shop and visit with friends and neighbors, keeping the spirit of the old-fashioned marketplace alive for future generations to enjoy.

The market is helping to revitalize the downtown area and supports local businesses by attracting new customers to the downtown corridor. Working with the Nampa Business Improvement District the Market could eventually become a year round market place.

So if you are in the Boise general area, you can now go to 4 different Farmer’s Markets: (1) Boise, (2) Kuna, (3) Meridian and (4) Nampa. I think there is also one in Eagle. I will check on that. Cheers and Happy Shopping!

Local Harvest Report

06 Wednesday May 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Interesting Information, Local Farmers Markets

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OK, so I placed a graphic on the sidebar (eyes right!) about a business called Happy Gardening. Please do patronize them! You can find them at the Nampa Farmers Market on Saturdays. I also get a newsletter from Local Harvest, promoting buying local produce. Here is part of their newest newsletter:

Opening Day – Mother’s Day
Kuna Farmers Market – (Kuna, Idaho)

The Market opens for the 2009 season (on 9 May). Mothers will be the special guests and plenty of blooming pots for Mothers’ Day gifts. Come see our family of vendors and what’s new for the season.

Date: May 9, 2009
Start Time: 9:00 AM
End Time: 12:00 PM

Organized by: Kuna Farmers Market
Web site: Kuna Farmers Market

Address: Sandstone Plaza; West End of Main Street
Kuna, ID 83634

Phone: 208 922-5113

Short and to the point. Visit their website, too. So you can see that this is the time of year for the Farmer’s Markets. Local vegies and other produce.

Pork or Beef Marinade

22 Wednesday Apr 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Recipe By: Bob Young, Wine and Food

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So you say it has been 80 degrees for the past 3 days? And your BBQ looks lonesome? And the smoker is empty? Then, I say, “Time to fire ’em up!”. But you don’t have, or need another, good marinade. Well, here is one I have used with Rib-Eye. A hard copy is here: Mixed-Up Wine Marinade. But, to give you an idea, here is the recipe:

Mixed-Up Wine Marinade

2 2/3 c Red Wine
2 2/3 c Red Wine Vinegar
2/3 c Olive Oil
1 1/2 T Rosemary, dried
6 med Garlic cloves

1. Chop the garlic fine.

2. Combine all ingredients in a sealed container. Use a submersible mixer to
combine all ingredients. Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours or more.

3. Place the Boston Butt or Brisket into a large non-reactive container.
(You should use a jacquard on the meat) Cover the meat with the marinade and
refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours, turning as necessary.

4. Remove the roast(s) from the refrigerator and allow to come up to room
temperature.

5. In the mean time, prepare the smoker to 225° F using Alder or Mesquite.

6. Remove the meat from the container, reserving the marinade for basting,
and place in smoker. Slow cook until the center of the roast(s) reaches
160°F. Baste as necessary to maintain moisture. Remove from the smoker and
let rest for 30 minutes before slicing or pulling the meat.

Cooking Tip: Just a note – You want to slooooow cook these roasts. If 225°F
seems to be cooking too fast, reduce the temperature. It should take about 8
hours to cook.

This is not a hard recipe, but it is a good one! I asked Robin today is she wanted a Brisket or Pulled Pork sometime in the near future and if she wanted to go and pick something out at our local distributor: YES!

The Buzz – Wines From Spain and Portugal

15 Wednesday Apr 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Photos, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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On 14 April, Robin and I went to The Buzz for their monthly wine tasting – Wines From Spain and Portugal for April. These are really fantastic tastings for an incredible price: $10.00 per person. Besides the wines – 7 of them tonight – Debbi Haydon creates some fantastic Appetizers and Tapas.

The ambiance of The Buzz is loose and informal – a real “coffee house” feel. Pictured here is the main counter. Just to the left and out of sight, is the tasting area, large enough for about 30 people. To the right is another smaller area that is also used for eating, drinking wine and relaxing.

And Robin always has a good time at these affairs. As a palate cleanser, we started with a 2006 Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut ($15.00) A good sparkling wine that cheered everyone up. Salute!

For starters, we had this delicious Portuguese Stone Soup. I have no idea where the name came from, but I didn’t find any stones. (I bet they cooked the soup with hot stones.) This soup is full of onion, sweet red peppers, leek, green beans, Chorizo, potatoes, carrot and red beans. This is a light soup that went very well with a 2007 Caves da Cerca Vino Verde ($10.00 and 9.5%) and a 2007 Coto de Hayas Campo de Borja Crianza ($12.00). These two wines were pretty good alone, but as most wines go, they were far better with the food. Both were clean and light on the nose and refreshing on the palate.

The “Star of the Tasting”, so far as the food went, was this plate. Shrimp Cocktail in Avocado Cream (awesome!!!), Potatoes, Beef, Pork, Bread with Black Olives and a pastry filled with mushrooms and vegetables. The wines were a 2006 Mad Dogs and Englishmen ($13.00, 13.5%) and a 2003 Emina, ($15.00, 13.5%). These two wines were the Show Stoppers for the evening. The paring with the Tapas platter was awesome.

(Sorry for the poor photo)

And finally, chocolate and fresh fruit! With these finishers, we just had to have a Quinta do Noval Tawny Port ($18.00, 19.5%) and a La Gitana Sherry ($12.00, 15.0%). (Now I know why my Dad loved Turtle Soup!) Both of these wines were Non Vintaged.

This was an awesome night, and we hope to attend more of these. If you go to their website, you can ask to be put on their mailing list to keep updated on the tastings. But, the events do fill quickly. Cheers and Happy Tastings!

Thhe Buzz

13 Monday Apr 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Classes, Food, Restaurants, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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Last month, Robin and I just “happened” upon another good tasting – The Buzz Coffee and Cafe. It is located in the North corner of the Idaho Athletic Club on State Street at Lake Harbor. If you go to their web site, The Buzz Beans, you can follow their tasting schedule, read specific program posts, add your name to their E-Mail Newsletter or look at their blog – which needs help. Tasting listings are as follows:

April 14th: Buzz’s regional wine tasting dinner focuses on Spain and Portugal this month. Join us for an informal presentation on the culture, food and people of Spain and Portugal. Cristi and Deb will once again amaze your taste buds with wonderful treats native to both regions. And of course there will be FANTASTIC wines from these regions.

Reservations are required for our regional wine dinners and seating is limited so call or email now to reserve your spot at this event.

The Buzz Coffee and Cafe is a nice place to go for light snacks, coffee, wine, heavy snacks and meeting other people. Their tastings are extremely limited, so I would suggest that you sign-up early. Theri tasting/parings are very good – they know how to pare a wine with food, or pare food with wine. At any rate, try the business out. I think you will like it. Cheers!

Easter Dinner 2009 – Main Event

12 Sunday Apr 2009

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Dessert, Food, Wine Dinners

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No, it was not a boxing match. It was fun and exciting. We do understand, but Mac was a little late. But we are glad he could make it. The dinner was awesome and met expectations. The Lamb was slooooow cooked, the Asparagus was adente and the Dried Corn was just what it should be. But the Dessert! What can I say. Robin did a superb job with her Raspberry, Angle Food Cake, Whipped Cream treat! Watch the slides and you’ll see it. A 2001 Hopler Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) went extremely well with Robin’s dessert. Buy a case of this wine and enjoy it for breakfast – it’s that fruity! And, Oh!, the wines!!! The 1988 Indian Creek Pinot Noir took the show!!! Great fruit forward and low tannins paired well with the lamb and asparagus. The 2007 Bedrock Winery Pinot Noir has got to cellar for a while. Right now, it is a hot wine and heavy in tannins. But even at that, it went well with the lamb and the asparagus. Let this one age and do buy some! Good job, Morgan!