Tag Archives: edible rhody

Brussels Sprouts Are In Season! And We’re Eating Them With Bacon!

It’s fall and we’re excited to pair our wines with warm, seasonal comfort food recipes from Edible Rhody Magazine. This month we’re bringing you a fantastic Brussels sprouts & bacon recipe paired with Domaine D’Aupilhac ‘Lou Maset’ Languedoc–the perfect crisp, autumn appetizer to enjoy with family and friends!
 
Available all year round, the peak season for Brussels Sprouts is from September to mid-February. The smaller the head, the sweeter the taste, so look for those that are about 1–1½ inches in diameter. Even though they last for a few weeks the flavor starts to become unpleasantly strong after three or four days so be sure to cook them right away–the fresher the better! Brussels sprouts have great health benefits too. Some good ways of cooking them are by steaming, roasting, or stir frying, but do not overcook or you will lose the nutrients. To ensure an even cook, slice an x into the bottom of the stem when cooking them whole.

Check out Farm Fresh for local farms to get your brussels sprouts this season.
 
ediblerhody, recipe, edible rhody, seasonal, rhode island, brussels sprouts, wine, cotes du rhone, bottles fine wine

Languedoc is the largest wine-growing region in the world, extending from the Rhone Delta down to the foot of the Pyrenees.  It is also the most productive in terms of wine in France & the oldest. Because of its large geographical area & variations in terroir, Languedoc can produce a wide array of wine styles, with many of the reds being blends that are full-bodied, fruit driven & slightly spicy. These wines go perfect with the bitter earthiness of Brussels sprouts & specifically Domaine D’Aupilhac ‘Lou Maset’; mouth-wateringly fresh with a great balance of ripe fruit & silky tannins, a good length with a spicy finish.

Brussel Sprouts & Bacon
Ingredients:

  • 1 pound (4 cups) Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed & halved
  • ½ pound farmer’s bacon, chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:

1. Fill a sauce pot with water and bring to a boil 

2. Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside 

3. Place Brussels sprouts in boiling water for 45 seconds, or until they turn bright green 

4. Drain and place immediately in ice bath 

5. In a separate pan, render bacon over low heat until pieces are crispy 

6. Remove bacon from pan and add drained, cool Brussels sprouts to the bacon drippings 

7. Sear the Brussels sprouts over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until edges are brown
8. Return bacon to pan, sprinkle with pepper, toss and serve

Owner & founder of Easy Entertaining Inc. in Providence, Kaitlyn Roberts actually studied pre-law before discovering her love for cooking while studying abroad in Rome. After she graduated she went to Apicius, a culinary school in Florence, for a year. Upon her return in 2006 she started working as a personal chef and soon, Easy Entertaining Inc. was born. Looking to preserve the local flavor of Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts she focuses on seasonal, local and gourmet cuisine. In 2012 Easy Entertaining opened a café in Rising Sun Mills for breakfast, lunch, classes, private events & more.

 

Check out www.easyentertainingri.com for more info
 
 
 
edible rhody, ediblerhody, brussels sprouts, seasonal ri
 

Cast Iron Pork Chops & Apples Recipe with a White Wine Pairing

Pork Chop & Apples Recipe and Food & Wine Pairing
It’s our favorite time year again…apple season!!! When you think of autumn in New England, one of the classic activities that should top your list is apple picking. Juicy, sweet, and tart, these fruits are a major staple and form of income for many Rhode Island farms during the fall. Not only does an apple a day keep the doctor away, but there are a delightful variety of options when it comes to enjoying them. We asked Matt Jennings of Farmstead in Providence for his favorite apple recipe, and so he sent us this delicious Cast Iron Pork Chops with Apples recipe.
Ferraton Pere & Fils Cotes du Rhone Samores White

 

The Côtes du Rhône appellation is in the eastern region of France in the Rhone Valley. Though you might be more familiar with red Côtes du Rhône wines, the region does produce some stunning white wines.
Our favorite is Ferraton Père & Fils Samorëns Côtes du Rhône White, a full bodied, mellow and balanced wine. Made of 60% White Grenache & 40% Clairette, we just love the aromas of white flowers and white fruit. Crisp, full-bodied, and fruity, this wine balances the saltiness of the back, the tartness of the apples, and overall richness of this Cast Iron Pork Chops with Apples recipe.
Cast Iron Pork Chops with Apples
Serves 6
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 6 pieces
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup Calvados or other apple-flavored brandy
  • 1 1/4 cups apple cider, preferably fresh
  • 2 tablespoons (or more) apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tart, firm apples (such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (about 4 cups)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Chopped fresh chives
Directions:
  • Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 325°. Heat oil in a large heavy cast iron pan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until browned and crisp, 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  • Increase heat to medium-high. Add butter to pot with drippings. Season pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Working in batches if needed, cook pork shoulder, reducing heat as needed to prevent overbrowning, until brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes per batch. Transfer pork shoulder to a plate.
  • Add shallots to pot and cook, stirring often, until shallots begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
  • Remove pot from heat; add Calvados and stir, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Return to heat and simmer for 1 minute. Add apple cider and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Bring to a simmer, then return pork shoulder to pot, placing in a single layer on bottom of pot (the meat should not be completely covered).
  • Cover pot and transfer to oven. Braise pork shoulder, turning after 1 hour, until fork-tender, about 2 hours. Stir in reserved bacon. DO AHEAD: Bacon and pork shoulder can be cooked 2 days ahead. Let cool in braising liquid, uncovered. Chill, uncovered, until cold; cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing.
  • Using tongs, transfer pork to a deep platter. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place pot over medium heat and bring liquid to a simmer. Add apples and cook until apples are just tender and sauce is slightly reduced, 8-10 minutes.
  • Stir Dijon mustard into sauce; season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired. Pour sauce with apples over pork on platter. Sprinkle with chives.

“Chef & owner of Farmstead, Matt Jennings is a skilled butcher, forager, preserver & cooker of all things delicious. He is a two-time finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Northeast” award, is named one of America’s “Most Sustainable Chefs” and was selected as one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Big thinkers, changing the way Americans eat.” Together with his wife, the Jennings’ influence on regional New England cuisine is reflected in the menus, care of the dishes & support of local growers.” www.farmstead.com

Stop by Farmstead in Providence for
fresh, seasonal, and handmade foods.

Visit Bottles Fine Wine to get this wine.
Browse more food & wine pairing ideas >

Wild Mushroom Ravioli Recipe and a French Wine Pairing

Mushroom Ravioli Recipe and Wine Pairings

The enormous range of French wine types can make choosing a wine for Tuesday night dinner an overwhelming task. Burgundy or Bordeaux? Alsace or Loire Valley? To get you started, we’ve chosen some of our favorite French wines to pair with fall recipes from Edible Rhody magazine. Scroll down for a great recipe for Wild Mushroom Ravioli and Broccoli Rabe, and to read about a luxurious Côtes du Rhone along with a vibrant Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. Cheers!

J.L. Chave Cotes du Rhone food pairing
2011 J.L. Chave ‘Mon Coeur’ Cotes du Rhone, Rhone Valley
While many Côtes du Rhone are a blend, this is all Syrah.  Rich and deep color and with loads of dark fruit and black pepper flavors.  A great wine to pair with dishes with lots of earthy flavors.

Pepiere 'La Pepie' Cabernet Franc food pairing

2012 Pepiere ‘La Pepie’ Cabernet Franc, Loire Valley
A medium bodied beauty with vibrant red fruit and flower flavors with haunting earthy flavors that pair seamlessly with mushrooms and white truffle oil.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Shaved Baby Turnips and Broccoli Rabe
Allison Vanderburg, sous-chef, Cav, Providence
At Cav we make our own ravioli with a duxelles of wild mushrooms and black truffles. To simplify things, you can substitute mushroom ravioli from local purveyors like Puerini’s or Venda. The topping can change with the seasons too—in springtime we use asparagus or fiddleheads with melted leeks. Enjoy!
Juice of 2 lemons, seeded
¼ cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons white truffle oil
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
32 wild mushroom raviolis
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 bunch baby turnips, washed, trimmed and sliced thin
1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed and chopped
Add lemon juice to blender with sage; blend and add truffle oil in a slow drizzle. If too thick, add more lemon juice; if too thin, add more oil. (Olive oil is fine at this point but we generally use more truffle oil.) Season to taste and set aside.

Boil a pot of salted water and add raviolis. Cook until al dente, which should take no longer than 6–8 minutes.

In the meantime, heat a large saucepan and add butter and garlic. Do not allow either to brown. After about 2 minutes, add turnips and rabe, tossing them in the butter. Cook until softened but bright and not soggy. Season to taste. Add vinaigrette, stirring, so it emulsifies with the butter and makes a sauce. Add raviolis and toss so they absorb some of the sauce. 

To serve, divide raviolis among 4 warm large, shallow bowls. Arrange them like a crown around rim with the vegetables in the center, reserving the sauce so you can pour it equally over each serving. Serves 4 as main course or 6 as a first course. 


VISIT



Cheers!

Visit our wine store to shop a great selection of French wines.
We’re located in Providence, Rhode Island.

French Food & Wine Pairing: Striped Bass and Corn Pudding

Striped Bass and Corn Pudding Recipe and Wine Pairing Idea

No other country can boast as many different styles of wines than France.  While it can be daunting to make sense of the names and places, we have picked some our favorite French wines to pair with delicious recipes from Edible Rhody magazine. Enjoy Hugel Pinot Blanc and Bichot Macon Village with this fantastic Striped Bass and Corn Pudding recipe. We invite you to try something novel and delicious this fall season!

Bichot Macon Villages food pairing

2011 Albert Bichot Macon Village, Burgundy

Not an oaky/buttery Chardonnay!  Still rich and full bodied, but with more ripe apple and pear flavors.  A great wine to pair with meals with lots of veggies and butter.

Hugel Pinot Blanc Food Pairing
 

2009 Hugel ‘Cuvee les Amore’ Pinot Blanc, Alsace
More savory than fruity, Pinot Blanc makes a great pairing with fall foods.  Look for flavors and aromas of roasted nuts and sweet hay with nice full body and a smooth and luxurious finish.  Nice lighter style that won’t overpower the delicate flavors of the bass, but with enough brightness to compliment the other flavors in the dish.

Grilled Striped Bass with Sweet Corn Pudding and Peach Relish
Jonathan Cambra, executive chef, Boat House Waterfront Dining, Tiverton

September is time for those last peaches, some late-season corn (perfect for corn pudding) along with fresh striper. Together they make a perfect end-of-summer dish. Make sure you use corn that has been picked the same day so the sugars haven’t had time to convert to starch. 

Peach Relish:
2 ripened peaches, diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 jalapeño, roasted, peeled, seeded and minced
6 chives, minced
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Corn Pudding:
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 sweet onions (about 2½ cups), julienned
2 tablespoons garlic (about 4 cloves), minced
12 ears whole sweet corn, freshly roasted (or steamed), kernels removed
½ cup fresh herbs (tarragon, basil, parsley), washed, dried, stemmed and chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Splash of lime juice

Striped Bass:
Cooking oil spray
4 pieces (6 ounces each) boneless, trimmed striped bass, skin removed
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

To prepare the relish, combine the peaches, lime juice, jalapeño and chives in a mixing bowl. If you want a more spicy relish, add some of the jalapeño seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare the pudding, heat canola oil in a saucepan, add onions and garlic and cover. Sweat the onions and garlic over low to medium heat until translucent. Add roasted corn kernels and cook for 8–10 minutes. Add contents of saucepan to blender and purée until very smooth. Return to saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until it reaches a thick consistency. Add the mixed herbs, butter and season with salt, pepper and lime juice.

To prepare the fish, preheat grill on high for 15–20 minutes or prepare coals. Spray grill with cooking oil. Season fish liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Place fish on grill, top side down first. Grill for 7–10 minutes on each side. Remove from grill. 

Serve fish atop corn pudding and garnish with a small spoonful of peach relish. Serves 4 as a main course.

 


VISIT
 
Cheers!
Visit our wine store to shop a great selection of French wines.
We’re located in Providence, Rhode Island.