Saturday, November 8, 2014

#WinePW~~Creative Thanksgiving Food and Wine Pairings

This month's Food and Wine Pairing Weekend is hosted by Sarah of Curious Cuisiniere,  and this being the beginning of November she very cleverly chose Creative Thanksgiving Food and Wine Pairing, so that all of you can find some great ideas for your Holiday Table.

Last month we did a Fall Fruit and Wine pairing and I created a post using all local ingredients because buying and eating local is very important to me.  But it is not a rule written in stone because I love Avocados, Bananas, Pineapple, Coffee...the list goes on an on....but I love some things that cannot be gotten locally.


The Pears are tossed in an emulsion of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fresh Lemon Juice seasoned with salt and pepper.  The Pears are then placed on a bed of Baby Arugula and further seasoned with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.


For this month's challenge I decided to focus on a wonderful Fall salad that is a perfect start for your Thanksgiving dinner.  It is easy to throw together.  It is light and full of flavor.  It combines the spiciness of baby arugula, the sweetness of fall pears and the saltiness of parmesan cheese.  It is a big order to find a wine that will complement all of those flavors but think I found it in the 2011 Torrontes from Diseno Winery in Salta Argentina.


The crispness and lightness of this wine perfectly complemented the salad.

Salad of Arugula and Pears

1 oz Baby Arugula per person 
1 pear per every 2 persons, cored and thinly sliced
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil per pear
Juice of 1/4 lemon per pear
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper until emulsified.  Place Pear slices in the bowl and toss to coat.  Place a handful of Baby Arugula on each salad plate.  Place dressed pairs on top of the Arugula. Top with Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese. Print Recipe


More Creative Thanksgiving-Inspired Dishes and Wine Pairings

Mains
Sides
Desserts
Don't Forget Leftovers!
Don't forget to come to our Twitter chat today, November 8th at 11 a.m. Eastern Time! We'll be talking about our tips and tricks for the best Thanksgiving wine pairings. We'd love to have you join us! And, be sure to mark your calendars for December's Wine Pairing Weekend, hosted by Jeff of foodwineclick. Just in time for Holiday parties, we'll be sharing sparkling wine and hors d'oeuvre pairings. Join in the #WinePW 7 conversation on Saturday Dec. 13!   

One year ago--Misty Water Colored Memories and Scrapbooking

24 comments:

  1. Nice job, Wendy, and welcome! I love having a light salad at the Thanksgiving table to provide a little balance.

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    1. Thanks so much. I am glad to be part of such a fun and friendly group.

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  2. This is a terrific salad for the Thanksgiving table - and the Torrontes is a nice light wine for the holidays!

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    1. Thanks Christy, I had never tried a Torrontes prior to this. It is a great all purpose wine.

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  3. Looks amazing. I'm sure I'd never get my family interested in 'salad' at Thanksgiving!

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    1. My family gets no choice. We have courses and salad is one of them LOL.

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  4. I love the way the flavors in your salad play together!

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  5. I love the lightness of the salad and the wine ~ a refreshing balance to the many heavier dishes normally found on the Thanksgiving table. Yum!

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    1. Absolutely Sue, and it doesn't take away from the main feast.

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  6. Sounds like a great salad! I need to put fruit in salads more often.

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    1. Thanks David. I think fruit is always a great addition to salads.

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  7. Sound like a great salad and a great pairing. I'm reminded of the fact it's been too long since I've had Torrontes!

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    1. Thanks Martin. This was my first time having Torrontes but I am sure it will not be my last.

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  8. I love using pears in a salad. What a great and light beginning for what is always a very heavy meal. Must have been delicious with the Torrontes! Thanks for the inspiration.

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    1. I love fruit in salad also Nancy and it was a great pairing. Thanks

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  9. This salad is my speed. Wonderful way to match the greens with pear! So happy this wine worked too. Torrontes tough to find where I live. Think a local Viognier might be a good match to this salad. Adding to my list. Thank you.

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    1. I think a Viognier would be a great choice William. Happy Thanksgiving.

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  10. I love salads. Especially those with a touch of fruit ; )

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  11. This looks like a lovely salad - perfect for adding something light and fresh to your Thanksgiving meal!

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  12. Perfect salad for dinner any night or on Thanksgiving! PINNED!

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