Lamb Stuffed Eggplant and a Perfect Wine from Galilee #WinePW

Disclosure: I received samples from Gregory+Vine for this event.  All writings, opinions and ideas expressed are purely my own.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.


Tender baby eggplant stuffed with a fragrant lamb and pine nut mixture was the perfect dish to pair with this amazing Cabernet Sauvignon from Israel.

Welcome to a special edition of Wine Pairing Weekend...............



Jeff of Food Wine Click  arranged for our group to receive some wonderful samples from Yarden Wines.  Yarden imports wines from two Israeli vineyards,  Golan Heights Winery and Galil Mountain Winery.  You can learn more at Jeff's Preview Post.

I received a bottle of Gilgal Cabernet Sauvignon  and a bottle of Yarden Sauvignon Blanc.  I am going to share my pairing and tasting notes for both bottles and then share the recipe for Lamb Stuffed Eggplant that was simply amazing.

I was so excited to receive these wines.  I had never tried wines from Israel before and was psyched that these bottles came from the land of Galilee.  This is an ancient wine area where wine has been produced since the time of Christ and probably before His birth.

I'm going to start with the first bottle that I opened,  a 2019 Yarden Sauvignon Blanc that I paired with Mahi Mahi Matecumbe.

This Sauv Blanc poured nearly clear.  I got citrus on the nose and found it to be bright, crisp and medium bodied.  During the summer, my tastes start to lean towards the white wines that pair so nicely with lighter foods and salads.  This wine is perfect for a summer sipper of for pairing with a summery dish like the Mahi Mahi Matecumbe.

I then opened the bottle of Gilgal Cab Sauv.  Cab Sauv is our wine of preference so I was excited to try this one.  It did not disappoint.  It poured a deep dark red with black overtones.  It is full bodied and smooth with berry notes and a peppery finish.

I can see this wine going great with grilled steaks or burgers.  I am making a pot roast on my smoker this week and I wish I had another bottle to open because I think that would be an incredible pairing.

My pairing with this Middle Eastern dish was spot on.  The spices, flavors and aromas of this dish played off the smokiness and spice of the wine perfectly.  It was soooooo good.

Please join us on Saturday morning, 5/23,  at 11 AM ET as we get together for Twitter Chat and discuss these amazing wines from Israel.  You will find us by following #WinePW.  Hope to see you there.

Here are the topics we will be discussing......

• Terri at Our Good Life shares “Grilled Mahi Mahi and Gilgal Sauvignon Blanc”
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “The Eternal Light Shines in Galilee: Yarden’s Merlot, Pinot Gris with Acorn Squash Couscous, Tangerine Feta Spring Salad"
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Lamb Stuffed Eggplant and a perfect Wine from Galilee”
• Deanna at Asian Test Kitchen shares “Yarden Wines Paired with Japanese Surf ‘n Turf”
• Rupal at Syrah Queen shares “Off The Beaten Path – Two Wines From Isreal’s Galilee Appellation”
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Of Israeli wines, long-ago memories, and Harvey’s takeout”
• David at Cooking Chat shares “Pairings for Gilgal Sauvignon Blanc from Israel”
• Payal at Keep the Peas shares “Israeli Wine with the Diverse Cuisine of the Diaspora”
• Nicole at Somms Table shares “Memories of Yarden Wines with a side of Meatball Shakshuka”
• Jennifer at Vino Travels shares “Pairings with Wines from Israel”
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Peppered Brisket, Honeyed Onions, and the 2106 Galil Mountain ‘Ela'”
• Pinny at Chinese Food and Wine Pairings shares “Enjoying Gilgal Cab Sauvignon – Merlot and Yarden Pinot Gris with Grilled Wagyu Steak, Alaska Sockeye Salmon and Poke Ahi Tuna Bowl”
• Susannah from Avvinare shares "Visiting Israel for Memorial Day Through Yarden Wines"
• Jeff at Food Wine Click!shares “Two Fisted Wine Pairing with Yarden Wines”

#MiddleEastern, #lamb, #Eggplant, #cinnamon,

Entrees, Lamb

MiddleEastern

Yield: 3 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Lamb Stuffed Eggplant

Tender Baby Eggplant stuffed with cinnamon spiced Lamb and Pine Nuts.

Prep time: 30 MCook time: 1 hourTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

Ingredients:

• 3  baby eggplant, halved lengthwise
• 2 T. olive oil, divided
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 t. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 t. paprika
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 3 T. pine nuts
• 2 t. tomato paste
• Handful parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 t. sugar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• one cinnamon stick

Instructions:

1. Place the eggplant, flesh side up in a baking dish.  Brush with half of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place in a preheated 425* oven for 15-20 minutes, until browned.
2. While eggplant bakes, combine the cumin, paprika and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over med high heat.  Add the onions and half of the spice mixture.  Cook, stirring often until onion is softened.  Add the ground lamb and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until brown and crumbly.  Remove all but 1 Tablespoon of the drippings.  Stir in the pine nuts, tomato paste, parsley and a teaspoon of the sugar.  Spoon this filling onto the eggplant.
3. To the remaining spice mixture add 1/2 cup of water, lemon juice, remaining sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour into the baking dish, add the cinnamon stick, cover the baking dish with foil and return to the oven.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until eggplant is very tender. 

Notes:

Adapted from a recipe found at Food & Wine.

Calories
874.46

Fat (grams)
46.50

Sat. Fat (grams)
14.27

Carbs (grams)
77.42

Fiber (grams)
18.85

Net carbs
58.57

Sugar (grams)
36.08

Protein (grams)
45.61

Sodium (milligrams)
299.86

Cholesterol (grams)
146.66

https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2020/05/lamb-stuffed-eggplant-and-perfect-wine.html

Property of A Day in the Life on the Farm

Created using The Recipes Generator