"the Buzz" – Semillon/Grenache Wine Dinner

14 Wednesday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, Wine Dinners

So, here we go again. Another wonderful wine dinner at the Buzz! The July Wine Club dinner featured Semillion and Grenache and a full dinner. Not really my favorite varietals, but one must learn to enjoy them. Besides, it’s always good to see what happens when you try these wines with food – as all wines are designed to accompany food.
The photo to the left are two of three additional wines. “Additional” wines are usually served before the party begins. So, tonight we had nine wines and a full dinner all for $15 per person! Here are photos of the dinner selections and the wines that accompanied each plate. My ratings are in parenthesis (17) and rated out of 20 possible points. Percent alcohol and prices are also listed.

We started with a Summer Vegetable Pancake with Basil Chive Cream. (The Basil Chive Cream would be awesome with smoked salmon) This was an incredible dish. To accompany the dish, we had a 2009 Falling Star Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc from Argentina. 13%. $10. (17) This was a sharp wine – briar, lemon, earthy with lemon grass.

Jerked Chicken Kabobs with Water Chestnut Appetizers and Mango Cucumber Salad. This was so delicious and went very well with a 2008 L’Ecole Semillon. Washington state. 14.2%. $13. (18). This wine accompanied the Jerk Chicken and the spiciness of the chicken very well. It enhanced the Mango Cucumber Salad and did not overpower it. The cucumber went very well with the wine. The wine had hints of cinnamon and citrus with the water chestnut.

Turkey Lettuce Tacos. Wow! Another delightful plate. 2008 Tapena Grenache 13%. $11. (18). This was a surprise. Pepper and chocolate. Well balanced with spices. Great with the different taco.

Andalusian Gazpacho. What a wonderful cold soup. Great on a hot summer day. It went extremely well with a 2007 Las Rocas Garnacha. 13%. $13. (19). My favorite wine of the evening. Cherry overtones. Old World style. Went very well with the soup and balanced the spices that were present in the gazpacho.

Cucumber Tomato Quinoa Salad and Fennel Pork Burgers with Grape Relish. You know, Cristi and Tom, you out did yourselves here!! The Fennel Pork Burger with Grape Relish should be on your Bistro menu.

Frozen Chocolate Cheesecake Squares. Anything with chocolate has to be Yum-O! This was no exception. And the wine? A Bitch Bubbly Grenache. $13. (17) Actually, the red pie cherry of the wine went well with the cheesecake.

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So there you have another exciting evening at the Buzz. If you missed this event, you just gotta make the next one. Remember: The Second Tuesday and Wednesday evenings of every month. Just call for reservations. And the same wines and meal are presented each evening, so if you can not make it on one of the evenings, it is repeated on the next. Do enjoy and cheers!

Boise Market Under Fire From ID Central District Health

14 Wednesday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Thought For The Day, Vegetables

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Robin pointed me to this article in the Idaho Statesman,
New Idaho health regulations over cut greens cause confusion among some at Capital City Public Market. Here is a portion of the article. Click the link to see the full article.

Inspectors with the Central District Health Department assigned to carry out inspections at Capital City Public Market have been instructed to enforce a portion of the Idaho Food Code that mandates that the greens be stored at 41 degrees or below.

“Any cut, leafy green has to be treated as a potentially hazardous food,” said Central District Health Department’s Dave Fotsch.

The confusion stems from what “cut” means, as most leafy greens sold for food are cut from the main plant at harvest.

Some of the comments listed on by the Statesman are interesting. You should read them. As for me, I agree with one statement that states,

“… Ridiculous. Central District Health better get themselves to every grocery store in the state then since NO ONE stores cut greens at 41 degrees. Fred Meyer, Albertsons, Winco, you’re on notice.” (cblanch)

Is this another restrictive action against the small farmer to try to regulate them? So are the CSA gardens their next “victim”? Who knows and how sad.

Lapin à la Crème de Moutarde (Rabbit With Mustard Cream Sauce)

13 Tuesday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Rabbit, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes

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The photo to the left is the completed, and braised, Lapin à la Crème de Moutarde. Please understand that there are as as many variations to this classic dish as there are people who make it. Therefore, if you come up with something different or you want to add something else, do so. This recipe is not “set in stone”. That’s what makes it so interesting. If you braise the dish, think white wine. Just some ideas.

Lapin à la Crème de Moutarde
(Rabbit With Mustard Cream Sauce)

Ingredients:
3 lb Rabbit, cut into serving pieces
1/4 c Butter
3 T Plochman’s Stone Ground Mustard
1 c Cream
7 sm Red Potatoes, quartered
1 med White Onion, sliced
6 sm Shallots, sliced
2 lg Carrots, cut to bite size
4 slices Fennel, fresh and thin sliced

Preparation Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 mins Oven Temp: 350°F

Directions:
Combine the mustard and the cream. Set aside.

Butter an oven proof casserole dish. Add the vegetables. Place the rabbit in pan. Roast until vegetables are tender and rabbit is browned – not pink or bleeding. Coat the rabbit with the mustard/cream sauce. Serve with the roasted vegetables and any extra mustard/cream sauce that may be left. The photo to the right is an oven roasted version.

Discussion:
This is a French country classic, and there are endless variations. All are good. Some recipes bake the rabbit, others braise it. We like it either way. The keys are mustard—good grainy mustard, not the bright yellow stuff you get at the ballpark—shallots, and something creamy. We use heavy cream, but some people use Crème Fraîche, others sour cream.

Rabbit has a mild flavor that is all its own. Think chicken breast, but with a slightly different flavor. Rabbits usually come whole, and if you don’t know how to break them down yourself, ask the supermarket butcher to do it for you. The photo to the left is the plated oven roasted version. Serve with a Greek wine, Apelia Dry Red Wine. Cheers!

The World of Mushrooms

12 Monday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Mushrooms, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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I know, everyone doesn’t like mushrooms. But you should! Full of vitamins and “good stuff” and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Here is a link to Mushroom Recipes. There are literally hundreds of recipes at this source. At least take a look and see what is available. If you click the Header, you can go directly to their web page. From the recipe page of the Mushroom Council,

This collection of recipes highlights the versatility of mushrooms. A delicious and nutritious ingredient, mushrooms can be added to many different types of cuisine. Whether adding a touch of class with delicate enokis or heartier texture with white buttons, mushrooms are your go-to ingredient. Browse our selection to find a way you can use mushrooms today … Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium, and they provide several nutrients, including riboflavin, niacin and selenium. No wonder we call them Nature’s Hidden Treasure! Mushrooms are the leading source of the essential nutrient selenium in the produce aisle and are also a source of ergotheioneine – both are important antioxidants that help protect the body’s cells from damage.

And lastly from the Mushroom Council, some interesting folklore.

Folklore
Mushrooms, the plant of immortality? That’s what ancient Egyptians believed according to the hieroglyphics of 4600 years ago. The delicious flavor of mushrooms intrigued the pharaohs of Egypt so much that they decreed mushrooms were food for royalty and that no commoner could ever touch them. This assured themselves the entire supply of mushrooms. In various other civilizations throughout the world, including Russia, China, Greece, Mexico and Latin America, mushroom rituals were practiced. Many believed that mushrooms had properties that could produce super-human strength, help in finding lost objects and lead the soul to the realm of the gods.

There you are. Interesting information and great recipes. Enjoy!

Orange Roughy and Spanish Pasta

12 Monday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood

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The other night we wanted some seafood for dinner. So we made up some Orange Roughy. A very mild white fish that can be totally flavor-covered if one is not careful. If you poach it, be careful. This was poached and then the tomato and herbs were added for 2 minutes. Long enough. Then, add some pasta to the tomato blend and let it heat through. The tomato sauce has 1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, fresh Corn (not from our garden), Greek Oregano, Chive, Shallot, light Garlic, Coriander and Parsley in it. (All herbs from our garden) The photo shows pretty well what you end up with. Don’t ask for the recipe …. there isn’t one. It’s called Cooking By Taste. I really like the pasta done this way. Almost like a hot salsa. Cheers!

From Cupcakes To Soup

11 Sunday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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We have had some requests for these two recipes, so here are the two links that go directly to our recipe “book”. Do enjoy these and please let us know how much you enjoy them. The soup is made from fresh garden goodies and is a good way to “eat your greens” without all the fuss. We start with the cupcakes – “Life Is To Short, Eat Dessert First!” Cheers!

1. Black Bottom Cupcakes – These are an awesome cupcake that Robin has modified by using fresh cherries to make something like Black Forest Cherry Cake.

2. Mac’s Leafy Green Soup – Marnie’s boyfriend, Mac McNeil, came up with this recipe. It is really a very good soup. Add whatever herbs and spices you like. This has no cream in it, so it will probably keep for a while. Eat it hot or chilled!

Buddy’s Peanut Butter Cookies

10 Saturday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Buddy, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By Buddy, Thought For The Day, What's For Dinner?

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OK. I know what you are saying. “Buddy, the American Eskie, has a recipe for cookies? What’s this got to do with Roasted Root Vegetables and Poached Kokanee?” Actually a lot. The roasted vegies and kokanee are awesome and we tried his cookies. Like the old Buster Brown Shoe ad, “My name is Buster. I live in a shoe. My dog is Tag. He lives there too”. Buster lived in a shoe and Tag liked the shoe. Buddy likes these cookies and so will you!! These are his cookies, not yours! You eat the Chocolate Chip cookies and Buddy will eat his Peanut Butter Cookies. (Better than dog bisquits!)

Buddy’s Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 c All-Purpose flour
2 c Rolled Quick Oats
½ c Adams peanut butter
1 T Garlic granules (no salt or sugar)
1 lg Banana, ripe and mashed
1 t pure Vanilla
½ c Applesauce, unsweetened

Directions:
Pre-Heat oven to 350°F

Mix together by hand the flour, oats, peanut butter and garlic.

In a separate bowl, combine the mashed banana, vanilla and applesauce. Add this
mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix to combine by hand.

Roll out on a piece of parchment paper to about ¼” thick. Score to the desired size with a pizza knife. Lay on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Break the cookie apart at the score lines. Buddy loves these cookies and, by the way, we ate one also and they are not bad.

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There you have it. Try one! Cheers!

Meals From CSG Gardens

10 Saturday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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It is always nice to have access to some absolutely wonderful fresh – and I mean fresh – produce! Yea for summer! Yea for the Idaho Refugees – Community Supported Garden (CSG) and the work the folks do to keep us supplied in these fresh vegetables. Thank-You! That’s not to say that I, we, don’t appreciate the work and the products available from the Boise Saturday Market. This is greatly appreciated too, proven by the longevity of the market. There are several CSG gardens in the Boise area, and maybe in your home town, too. I urge you to support their efforts. Here are some photos of the CSG that we belong to. Enjoy.

The people and the produce of the Idaho Refugee – Community Supported Garden. We do get our monies worth of produce. I have even put in an order for a large supply of red/pink/green tomatoes at the first frost. Great to make Green Tomato Relish.

So here is what we did with some of the CSG produce: Potato Salad with Garden Lettuce – made with fresh potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, chive and fresh lettuce. A side of Green Peas. Herbs for the Kokanee Poached in 2009 Indian Creek Viognier (an awesomely fruity and great wine): parsley, lemon thyme and chives.

And finally, the same Potato Salad as pictured above, Infused BBQ Pork Chops and Fresh Sliced Tomatoes!! Yea, finally …. fresh tomatoes.

Well, there you have it. Cheers and Happy Fresh Vegetables!

Common Ground Farm, Surprise Valley, Boise

08 Thursday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Common Ground Farm, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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So Wednesday July 7 was a busy day for us. Falcon Watch in downtown Boise all morning, blog photos to work on, Fox TV interview and the Common Ground Farm opening in East Boise in Surprise Valley. This is one more in a growing community garden theme for the refugees coming into Boise. They grow the produce and make these picnics and we attend and buy dinner and fresh vegetables. They are productive and earn an income and we get to eat some fantastic cultural food. Look at these photos for a sampling of the event.

Rice Pilaf and Kabob. Made right here in the picnic grounds and it was very good.

I’m sorry, but I don’t know the name of this dish, but it too, was prepared fresh at the picnic.

Here is Michael Boss, Behind The Menu, tasting fresh honey right off of the comb. It was delicious!

Some of the crowd that was there. You can see the garden in the background and it is very large. They are going to put in another 5(?) acres across the street.

Michael Boss and his wife, Patrick and Barbara Mahre and Robin. I’m taking the blurry (Oops) photo!

Cheers and maybe we will see you at the next one. Every Wednesday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.

Wine Dinner With Joe Dewey

08 Thursday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Restaurants, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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We received this from Joe Dewey. A wine tasting at the 36th Street Bistro in Boise. Hope you can make it! “Here are some attachments and info about the Arbor Crest Dinner on July 21st from 5 – 8 pm. $40.00 per person includes the wines”. For more information contact Joe Dewey.