Eastern/Coastal NC Wineries

So one of our "hobbies" is trying to visit any NC winery we are near whenever we travel.  In August we did our traditional week at Hatteras and this time we stopped at two wineries during the trek to and from. 

On the way out, we stopped at Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg, NC.  http://www.sanctuaryvineyards.com/ This was an interesting stop as the tasting room is just a small part of a large converted cotton gin that is now a clothing/general store/collectibles store.  The amusing thing is you have to wander through the entire store which consists of twists and turns and levels going up and down to get to the tiny tasting room at the end of the building. 

The following are Vikki's comments:

• Wild Pony White - a dry blend of chardonnay and viognier.  This wine was okay for me as it more strongly tasted of viognier which I am not a fan of.  I did pick up on the honeysuckle and apple flavors as described by the tasting sheet.
• Whalehead White - semi-dry blend of viognier, pinot grigio, traminette and chardonel.  I actually thought this wine was pretty decent and it was described as having exotic citrus notes with a soft mildly sweet finish.
• Coastal Collage - dry bordeaux style blend of petit verdot, cabernet franc, and merlot.  I am usually a fan of this type of blend but this one came across a bit empty tasting.
• Sweet Serenity - sweet muscadine.  This actually was not as sweet as many wines made from muscadine but had a very strong muscadine nose and flavor and it was not to my liking.
•  The Lightkeeper - sweet blend of muscadine and sangiovese.  This is a very unusual blend and was actually very interesting to taste.  We were told there was only two bottles left and then a couple came in asking for it specifically and as it was so unusual tasting I had to snatch up the last bottle.  True to the laws of impulse buying this purchase turned out to be a mistake once we sat down to drink the bottle later on our trip.  Well one chilled glass is not a mistake, freezing the remaining and drinking on the beach is a bad mistake.
• Atlantis Meritage - this is actually a wine produced by Martin Vineyards and was Brad's favorite and therefore was his choice for purchase. It is a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot, and malbec.

We did not taste their Blueberry or Blackberry wines, but did purchase a bottle of blackberry for Brad's parents.

On the way back we stopped at Vineyards on the Scuppernong.  http://www.vineyardsonthescuppernong.com/index.html
I was actually very impressed with this shop which is located in Columbia, NC.  It has a lovely tasting bar and lots of nifty wine themed gifts and complementary food items throughout.

Again - Vikki's comments:

• Somerset Special - dry white, not very sweet, muscadine blend was a little better than the Somerset 2009 which was a semi-dry white and a tad sweeter. We bought one bottle of the Special.
• Simply Scuppernong - sweet, muscadine was actually very nice to taste but not the kind of wine I enjoy drinking.
• Riesling - dry white, classic riesling and very good so we bought one bottle.
• Girls of Summer Blush - semi-sweet muscadine that is very light.  This seemed to me to be something good to sip chilled on a late summer evening and since I was grasping onto the end of summer and vacation we got a bottle.
• Catawba Belle - another blush, muscadine.  I wanted so bad to like this one enough to buy for my Dad based on the name but it simply was not that good.
• Tyrrell 2008 - light red, muscadine. We tasted this one at room temperature and chilled and preferred it chilled.  Then we compared it to the 2009 which although more intense in flavor was not as pleasing as the 2008 so we bought the 2008.
• Laurel Point - semi sweet, red muscadine was very flavorful and strongly tastes of the grape. We bought one bottle.
• Barlowe - sweet red, at this point everything was tasting like chilled dessert wines.
• Black Beary - made from 100% blackberry juice had a mild sweet taste with tart finish.

I think my favorite part of this tasting was getting to try the Tyrrell chilled versus room temperature as well as comparing the two vintage years.  If you ever have a chance to compare two vintage years when you can actually either recall the weather or the winemaker can explain the difference in the years it is a wonderful way to understand how cooler or warmer temps, rain versus drought can greatly alter the flavor of grapes and the resulting wine.

Lasagna Soup

Odd sounding name and truthfully if I had created it I would call it Hearty Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup. But it does remind me somewhat of a lasagna in terms of the layers of flavors. I used hot sausage for a little more flavor and no salt added tomato sauce and low sodium chicken broth. The pasta that it calls for, Mafalda, is like a small lasagna noodle with the ribbon edges. I could not find it in my store so substituted egg noodles as they are similar length and shape and do very well in soups (and probably a lot cheaper than if I had found Mafalda).

This one makes 8 cups and it was easy to cut in half. I actually prepared the recipe through sauteing the meat and veggies, divided that in half and then just used half the liquids and cheese to finish the recipe. Later in the week I took my reserved meat and veggie mixture and made the soup again from that point. The recipe is so hearty that if served with a salad 1 large bowl is enough; therefore, even with cutting the recipe in half I had leftovers. The leftovers heated up really well but it became thicker and more like an actual pasta dish versus a soup.

Lasagna Soup: Cuisine At Home Magazine

Ingredients:
1 lb Bulk Italian Sausage
2 cups Onions – chopped
1 cup Carrots – diced
2 cups Mushrooms – sliced
2 Tbsp Garlic – minced
4 cups Chicken Broth
14½ oz Can Italian-style Stewed Tomatoes – chopped
10¾ oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 cup Mafalda Pasta (never can find so use egg noodles)
2 cups Fresh Spinach – chopped
1 cup Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese – diced
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese – shredded
4 tsp Fresh Basil – thinly sliced

Directions:
Brown sausage in large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions and carrots and saute 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and garlic and saute another 3 minutes. Add broth, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add pasta and simmer till cooked about 10 minutes or according to package directions. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Place ¼ cup cheese into serving bowls and pour soup on top. Garnish with Parmesan and basil.

Baked Risotto with Grilled Asparagus

This recipe came from a Williams-Sonoma catalog. It requires a wide Dutch oven with lid so of course it was listed on a page where they were selling exactly that item (no I did not buy anything this time). A couple of comments about the recipe: I have listed it as is except for substitution of low sodium instead of regular chicken broth and I did not go into detail on how to grill asparagus. My experience is if you use four cups of most store bought chicken broth in this kind of dish it will be very salty which is why I use low sodium instead. The cheese also adds a lot of salt so be careful with adding any additional seasonings if you are salt sensitive. And I do not have a 3½ qt Dutch oven so cooked this in my 8 qt, enamel coated, cast iron Dutch oven. With the larger surface area and the pan consisting of cast iron the risotto cooked faster than the recipe indicated. I checked mine at 15 minutes for the halfway stirring point and it was close to being done so I reduced the final cooking period accordingly. This recipe was very easy compared to physically standing over a pot stirring for 30 to 45 minutes. And I am sure it would be lovely even without the asparagus stirred in or if you opt to substitute other additions such as sauteed mushrooms, peas, etc.

Baked Risotto with Grilled Asparagus: Williams-Sonoma Catalog

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Leeks – halved, then thinly slice white and light green portions
4 Garlic Cloves – minced
1 tsp Fresh Thyme – chopped
1½ cups Arborio Rice
½ cup Dry White Wine
4¼ cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock/Broth - warmed
1½ lb Asparagus – tough ends removed
½ cup Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
3 Tbsp Unsalted butter – cut into 6 pieces
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
In 3½ qt wide Dutch oven over medium heat warm the olive oil, add leeks and cook stirring occasionally until soft (8 minutes). Add garlic, thyme, and pinch of salt and cook 1 minute. Add rice and cook stirring occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes to lightly toast. Add wine and cook 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups of the warmed broth and increase heat to bring to a simmer. Cover and bake at 400 F, stirring once half way through, for 25 to 30 minutes till rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed. Coat asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper and grill till tender. Cut asparagus on bias into 1 inch lengths. Stir remaining 1¼ cup warmed broth into risotto then stir in butter, cheese, and asparagus and season with salt and pepper.

Grilled Ham & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Brad grilled this dish for me a few weeks back and it was wonderful. Love that there is a version of chicken cordon blue that he can fix now.

Grilled Ham & Cheese Stuffed Breasts: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
4 Slices Swiss Cheese
4 Slices Ham
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
½ cup Honey Mustard Dressing

Directions:
Flatten chicken breast halves to ¼ inch thickness between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Place a cheese slice and ham slice on center of each breast and roll up, secure with small metal skewers (soaked wooden skewers works fine). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken rolls over direct medium heat with grill closed (4 to 6 inches from heat) for 15 to 20 minutes (till juice of chicken is no longer pink in center) – brushing with ¼ cup of honey mustard during last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve chicken rolls with remaining honey mustard.

Florentine Potato Salad

I think I got this one from Southern Living. It has a wonderful light citrus kick and is a refreshing change from other styles.

Florentine Potato Salad: Southern Living

Ingredients:
3 lb Small Red Potatoes - quartered
1¼ tsp Salt - divided
1½ cup Fresh Baby Spinach - shredded
¾ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley – chopped
2 Slices Bacon – cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp Green Onion – chopped
1 tsp Grated Lemon Rind
¼ tsp Pepper

Directions:
Boil potatoes in enough water to cover along with 1 tsp salt. Cook 20-25 minutes till just tender. Drain and toss with spinach. Stir together mayonnaise and next five ingredients and remaining ¼ tsp salt. Gently stir mayonnaise mixture into potatoes and chill for at least one hour. Can add in up to 1 cup celery slices.

Recipes Now, too

So instead of trying to post actual recipes in the limited space of Face Book comment boxes I am now going to share my new favorites via this blog. First up is one I made for lunch today. It serves 8 but I easily divided it in half (just pay attention to the amounts of milk you are mixing in at different stages). It was absolutely wonderful but very rich tasting. Suggest it as a small serving lunch or if doing for a dinner plan to add a salad or something "healthy" to round out the meal. Had with a glass of Chardonnay. YUM!

Croque Monsieur Mac & Cheese (FoodNetwork Magazine)

½ lb Ziti cooked to al dente
2 cups Milk
2 cup Gruyere – grated
1 cup Parmesan – finely grated
2 Eggs
3 Slices White Bread – roughly diced
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (plus more for greasing dish)
1 med Onion – chopped
1 Garlic Clove – minced
3 Tbsp Flour
8 oz Deli Ham – thinly sliced
cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt


Toss cooked pasta with ¼ cup milk and set aside. Combine both cheeses in a bowl. Beat ¼ cup milk and the eggs in another bowl, fold in bread and add half of cheese. Melt butter over high heat and add onion and garlic, cook till just brown (2 minutes). Add flour, pinch of cayenne, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp of salt, cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Slowly add ¾ cup water and remaining 1.5 cups of milk. Bring to boil and stir till thickened. Remove from heat, whisk to cool slightly and stir in remaining cheese, then stir in pasta. Butter a shallow casserole dish and layer in half of pasta cheese mixture. Top with half of ham, then remaining pasta and remaining ham. Top with bread and cheese mixture. Bake at 425 F for 20 minutes till golden and bubbly. Let rest a couple of minutes before serving.