May 18, 2014 Brunch; Ham, Mushroom and Cheese Omelet Dinner; Grilled Lamb Chops, Couscous with Tomato and Greens and, Baba Ghanoush

May 18, 2014  Brunch; Ham, Mushroom and Cheese Omelet  Dinner; Grilled Lamb Chops, Couscous with Tomato and Greens and, Baba Ghanoush

            Last Saturday when we were at Costco we bought a package of 7 lamb chops and last Wednesday I bought an eggplant at Pro’s Ranch Market ($.79/lb.)  We almost made lamb chops and Baba Ghanoush on Friday, May 17, 2014, but we were tired and made chicken quesadillas and drank beer instead.

When we got a message from Mike Verhagen on Saturday, indicating that he was in town, we called him and invited him to dinner for Sunday evening.  So on Sunday Suzette took the lamb chops out of the freezer to thaw.  After working in the garden for a while in the morning, we decided to make an omelet with the PPI ham from last Tuesday evening and some mushrooms and Manchego cheese.  Suzette had her usual Sunday morning Bloody Mary and I drank water as we ate on the patio and watched the garden.

After brunch at around 11:30 we jumped into the Land Cruiser and went on errands.  We first went to Goodwill so Suzette could buy 12 containers of de-icing crystals on sale for $1.09.  

Then we went to pick up chairs she had bought and after that we drove to Casa Rodena to try their wine and give them a sheet of paper for contributing wine to the June 21, 2014 Field to Food dinner this year.  We tried their 2012 and 2013 Rosé and found them much improved from their prior year’s offerings.  Then we tried a new wine to me named Serenade that is a Riesling blend.  I thought the Serenade 2012 was just okay, but Suzette really liked it.  Then we tried the 2013 Serenade and I really liked it.  It had a light color, a clean taste and a complexity that seemed perfect for light summer drinking.  Since the 2012 was on sale for $10.00 and Suzette liked it I bought a bottle of it, especially since the 2013 Serenade was $20.00/bottle.

Then we drove north on Rio Grande Blvd. to Alameda and then west to Corrales Rd. to go to Milagro Winery.  When we turned the corner from Corrales Rd. onto Old Church Road and drove a bit we saw a sign saying “Wine Tasting” with an arrow to the right, so we took the turn and after two more turns ended up at a residence at 277 Dandelion RD, ​Corrales NM 87048 (505-920-3016​; www.pasandotiempowinery.com​) with a tasting room in the garage named Pasando Tiempo Winery.  We walked in and Chris Carpenter the winemaker/owner poured us four wines; a bone dry 14.5% Malvasia Bianca and an equally dry chardonnay.  Then he poured a red blend and finally he poured us a taste of his Syrah.  The Syrah was the winner for me with its clean elegant French finish that I like so well.  I asked Chris about the wine and he said, “I do not like fruit the bomb type of wines.”  We then discussed his visit to wineries in the Rhone Valley and Chris told me he takes care of three or four other properties’ wine vines in addition to his about ½ acre of vines.  Again, I was pleasantly surprised by the dry, elegantly French quality of Chris’ wines.          

After pasando tiempo at Pasando Tiempo Winery we continued on to Milagro Vineyards at 985 W Ella Dr, Corrales, NM 87048 (phone:(505) 898-3998) to taste it new 2012 Semillon and its other offerings.  Suzette usually gets a case of wine from Milagro Vineyards for her Annual Field to Food Dinner that features local ingredients and wines from within 100 miles.

When we arrived it was full of folks, two tables under the portal next to the tasting room were filled with about fifteen people and six or seven seats at the bar in the tasting room were all filled, as soon as we sat down.

There was one other person and Richard the owner pouring.  We went through about ten wines, a Corrales White blend of Riesling, Chardonnay, Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Then we tasted a 2010 Chardonnay that was awarded a Bronze Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the wonderful 2012 Sémillon.

Then we started tasting reds including the Corrales Red (a blend of Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon), then a 2008 Merlot that was great (Richard said he has had bad luck with his Merlot in the last few years, including a heavy -10˚ freeze in 2012 that wiped out lots of his vines), the 2010 Syrah, the 2010 Old Church Road Select Zinfandel, a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, and finally a 2010 Cabernet Franc.

I liked all of Milagro’s wines.  Until Richard started the winery, he worked at Sandia Labs and his technical skills as a scientist are evident in his superbly made wines.  

After drinking for about 40 minutes we loaded up a case of wine and headed home.

We were both exhausted from all our errands and wine drinking. When we arrived home around 3:30 Suzette went directly to bed and I watched Chicago beat the Kings in the first game of the semi-finals of the Stanley Cup Finals and then fell into bed for a nap around 4:00. 

Suzette awakened me around 5:15 so we could fix dinner, because we and Mike agreed on 6:30 for dinner. 

New Recipe: Baba Ghanoush

We had never made Baba Ghanoush before so we selected a recipe by Mimi Bobeck published by Food.com.

Before I got to the kitchen Suzette had cut the eggplant in half, grilled it and put it in the oven to bake at 375˚ for twenty minutes.

I started by mixing the separated sesame oil and solids in the Tahini until it reached a smooth creamy texture.  Then I peeled the eggplant and we put it into the Cuisinart and I added ¼ cup of tahini, about 2 Tbsps. of the white end of a garlic plant  chopped, about ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice about 1 tsp. of salt, and 1 Tbsp. of Moroccan olive oil.

We pureed the mixture, put it in a bowl, drizzled it with another Tbsp. of olive oil and then garnished with 1 Tbsp. of chopped flat leaf Italian parsley. 

Suzette looked at the finished dish and said, “I think it needs some toasted pine nuts.”  So she toasted about ¼ cup of pine nuts into a small skillet and toasted them on the top of the stove until they turned  golden brown and put them on top of the Baba Ghanoush.  Now, the Baba Ghanoush looked really good.

We then discussed the couscous.  Suzette said she thought a mixture of greens would be nice in the couscous.  I agreed and so she went to the garden to pick a basket full of Mbuna, red giant radish, chard and turnip greens and spun them and then we chopped them into bite sized pieces.

Mike came at around 6:30 with gifts (a 200 gram block of duck liver in a tin and a jar of fig confit) from France, where he now spends a lot of his time with his new friend Kathryn.  In fact they have rented a new apartment in the 8^th near Rue Hausmann together, so their relationship looks pretty permanent.  Mike also brought a bottle of 2010 Villa Antinori Toscana red wine.  

Suzette grilled the thawed lamb chops using the Mike method.  This is to cook them most of the grilling time standing on the large flat (back) bone at the end of the chop.  This sends heat through the meat without searing the flesh as much.  Then you cook the chops on the meat sides a little less and you end up with a more tender and uniformly cooked chop.

While Suzette cooked the chops, I made the couscous.  I chopped up a Roma tomato and put it in a sauce pan with about 1 ¼ cup of water and 3 Tbsps. of butter and then the greens and stewed those ingredients for a couple of minutes.  Then I added about 1 cup of dry couscous and cooked tha for about five minutes on medium-low heat and then turned it off and let it steam.  It was a little dry so I added some more water and cranked up the heat for a couple more minutes to heat the water to a boil and then turned it down again.  This time the couscous was tender and fluffy to the fork when I fluffed it.

We opened the bottle of 2010 Villa Antinori Toscana that Mike brought.   The back label stated that the wine was aged in oak casks for 12 months and then aged in the bottle for 8 month before being sold.  It had a smooth flavor with a bit of edge from the cabernet sauvignon.  Here is what Wine Spectator has to say about the wine:

• Wine Spectator Insider 92

We've been there, and Antinori is one of our all-time favorite Tuscan vintners.  We have no doubt that you will love the Villa Antinori Toscana Rosso, as generation number 26 of this talented winemaking family really knows what they're doing... See for yourselves when you open your first dark ruby bottle and serve it with a caponata of fennel, olives and raisins on toast.  E'stupendamente deliziosa!  The raisins will beckon the rich fruit.  For the entree, your choices are many.  The hints of spice, mineral and chocolate combine with the notable fruit and silky tannins of this zaftig Tuscan stunner will pair beautifully with slow-cooked chicken and beef, steak, simple and baked pasta dishes and more. If pasta comes to mind, we suggest spinach and ricotta gnudi with tomato-butter sauce.  You won't be sorry.  Quick and easy would be pan-seared lamb chops with bulgar and a warm lemon/garlic/mustard vinaigrette. Or, bring out the gorgeous red fruit in this beautiful Rosso with one of the ultimate winter comfort foods for us: chicken cacciatore. Give yourselves a moment, and then open another bottle to go with an Italian Taleggio cheese.  It's as though the tangy, meaty notes and fruity finish of this cheese were custom crafted for this stupendous Antinori.  Possiamo mangiare ora??

Wine Spectator:  Rated as Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style. "This is rich and saturated with cherry, raspberry and plum flavors, accented by mineral and spice notes. Vibrant and frank, offering a long, mouthwatering finish and fine character. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Best from 2016 through 2024." Wine Spectator Insider January 29, 2014

Mike really hit the mark with his wine choice because the review suggested it as a complement to seared lamb chops with bulgar and a lemon vinaigrette, which is almost exactly our menu, except we used couscous instead of bulgar and baba ghanoush with its lemony flavor instead of a lemon vinaigrette.  Amazing!

    

For dessert, Suzette made shortcakes filled with her homemade rhubarb and strawberry compote and brandied strawberries and vanilla ice cream.  We opened a 10 year old bottle of Welling ton White Port that complemented the dessert beautifully with its lemony and sherry like flavor and sweetness that contrasted with and complemented the slightly bitter flavors of the fruits.

Finally around 10:00 p.m. we said goodnight.

Bon Appétit