California Cab Franc with a Homey Casual Meal #WinePW

You don't have to wait for company to open a nice bottle of wine.  Just a quiet, casual, family dinner can be made wonderful.  I opened this amazing bottle of Camp Cabernet Franc from Sonoma County and served it up with a homey, comforting meatloaf.

I am hosting our Wine Pairing Weekend group this month and invite you to join us as we Explore Cab Franc from Around the World.

"Wreck it Ralph" Chicken and Mushroom Pie #FoodnFlix #SonomaStrong

Our Food n Flix selection this month, Wreck it Ralph was chosen by my friend, Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures.  You should stop by Amy's Invitation Post.  You will learn all about why she chose this movie and how to go about joining us in creating a recipe inspired by it.

You can also learn more about our group and learn what movies we will be watching this year by going to the FoodnFlix home page.

I had never heard of this movie before.  It was released in 2013 and not having any children of an age during that time that would have wanted to see it, I was oblivious.  I had never heard of the game nor had I heard of Hero's Duty or Sugar Crush.  I'm not sure that they are real games but since they had Qbert, Pac Man and Mario, games that my children were of age to play, I'm imagining that they are.

The movie is about Wreck it Ralph who is the counter part to Fix it Felix.  As you can imagine, Ralph wrecks your game and Felix fixes it giving you a higher score.  Everyone loves Felix and dreads when Ralph appears....Ralph is pretty tired of being the fall guy so he escapes and begins traveling through the other games in the arcade.

There is food, albeit mostly junk food.  Right at the start, Felix is holding a pie and then he gets pies for others.  There is a heart taken from a Zombie and I briefly considered making a beef heart stew.  There is coffee served at a Bad Anon meeting that Ralph attends.  Cherries from the PacMan game. Turtles, a bar with cocktails,  an Appetizer buffet containing shrimp and cake.  There is root beer and mushrooms from one of the games.  I also saw a Subway, eggs, chocolate, sprinkles, cotton candy, sundaes, frosting, candy canes, lollipops, gumdrops, gumballs, etc. etc. etc.....

As I said....lots of food, mostly junk.  I took my inspiration from the pies I saw at the beginning of the movie and from the mushrooms running around.  I decided to make a Mushroom Pie.

Then I decided to have mercy on my Carnivore husband and add chicken  to it.  I used skinless boneless chicken thighs, shitake mushrooms and puff pastry.  It was decadent and delicious.

Earlier this month, another group to which I belong, held an event featuring Sonoma Wines in an effort to help those affected by the wildfires in the area.  You can read more about it in my Celebrating Sonoma post.  As part of that effort, Balletto Vineyards, sent each of us two bottles of their wine as samples.  I opened the bottle of Pinot Noir to pair with this recipe.

Full disclosure compels me to advise you that these wines were given to me free of charge.  I received no monetary compensation and all opinions and ideas in this post are strictly my own.  

I had never had Belletto wines prior to these samples.  I am a California wine kinda girl though.  Given my choice of wines from all over the world, I will normally go for the bottle from California.  I have never had a bad bottle from the Sonoma or Napa area and this wine helped confirm the belief that, with the strict competition and perfect growing conditions, I never will.

A Pinot Noir is a perfect wine to pair with this dish.  The earthiness of the mushrooms and the earthiness of the wine complement each other and tame the richness of this creamy luxurious pie.

You could make individual pies or mini pies and they would have been perfect on that appetizer buffet along with all the other sinful, calorie laden goodies found throughout the movie.  

You still have time to join us this month.  The deadline for FoodnFlix isn't until the 29th.  Why don't you make yourself a pie, pour yourself a bottle of Sonoma wine to help their cause, pop in a copy of Wreck it Ralph and have a fun date night at home?

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into slices

1 T. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

8 oz. shitake mushrooms, slice

salt and pepper to taste

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

1 c. chicken stock

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 t. dried thyme

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed per package directions

1 egg, beaten with 1 T. water

Heat olive oil in a large skillet, set over med high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Add to the skillet along with the onion and mushrooms, cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink, onion is tender and mushrooms have shrunk and released their juices, 10 minutes or so.

Add the butter to the skillet and allow to melt.  Stir in the flour and a bit more salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until flour incorporates with the butter and coats the ingredients.  Add the chicken stock.  Cook and stir until thickened into gravy, adding additional stock or water if too thick.  Stir in the sour cream and thyme until combined.  Turn into a pie plate.

Roll out the dough and cut into a 10-12" round depending on the size of your pie plate.  Cover the top of the stew with the puffed pastry and seal around the edges.  Brush the top with the egg wash, add any decorative toppings cut from leftover pastry, if desired, and brush again with egg wash.

Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 20-30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.  Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes before slicing.  Print Recipe

Amy will be posting a round up of all the Wreck it Ralph inspired recipes after the 29th of February.  I can't wait to see what everyone else makes.

Next month we are watching Guess Who's Coming to Dinner hosted by Evelyne of CulturEatz.

Celebrating Sonoma #WinePW #SonomaStrong

Today we are going to look back to that horrible period in October when the wildfires raged over northern California.

These fires dealt a terrible blow to the tourism industry that supports this area.  Not only did many people lose their loved ones and their homes, they also lost their jobs and financial security.  While the fires are contained the devastation continues.

You can read about how all these fires affected the economy and jobs of all those who live and work in the wine industry which is huge in that area in this article. 

Our friend, Jill of L'Occasion , invited all wine bloggers to join the members of our Wine Pairing Weekend group this month to honor this area's winemakers and join in the relief project known as #SonomaStrong.  You can read her invitation and get more information here.  Should you be interested in helping with this cause you can make a donation through United Way Relief and Recovery Fund.

The folks over at Geyser Peak Winery decided to show their appreciation and offered their support by sending some of us 2 bottles of their wines to sample.

"One of California’s oldest and most renowned wineries, Geyser Peak Winery was founded in 1880 by Augustus Quitzow, a pioneer in Alexander Valley winemaking, Geyser Peak has flourished as an award-winning winery for more than 130 years. Quitzow chose the original winery site in Geyserville for its vantage point of the famed Geysers Geothermal area. The white steam that billowed from the geysers along the mountain slopes provided the winery with a spectacular ‘view of the clouds’. Today, Geyser Peak pays fond tribute to its past roots in Alexander Valley as it sets forth on a new path into the Dry Creek Valley Appellation where the winery has recently relocated. Although the address is new, the commitment to the highest quality artisan winemaking is not. Geyser Peak will continue to “Reach For Peak” for many years to come."

I have enjoyed Geyser Peak wines in the past and was excited to create a meal with which we could enjoy these bottles.  All opinions and thoughts in this and all of my posts are strictly my own.  Purchasing wines from this area is another great way to help get the economy in that area back on stable footing and offer support to the people affected by this disaster.

I tried to make sure that over the holidays all bottles bought as gifts were from this area.  Just my little way of saying "I got your back".  It was easy for me because, as a California wine lover, I know that a label from Napa and/or Sonoma are sure to contain a quality wine even if I'm not familiar with the winery itself.

I served the Sauvignon Blanc with Chicken Alfredo Lasagna last Saturday. This was the entrée for our last Dinner party of the Christmas season, shared with our family who lives up north and was bringing our great niece back down for the next semester of University.

I wasn't sure how this wine was going to be.  You see, we are in the middle of a deep freeze here in Michigan.  Indeed, throughout most of the Midwest and Eastern States of the Country.  When my wine was delivered, this bottle was partially frozen and slushy.  Luckily the bottle was still intact.

As it thawed, the color of the wine looked fine and I wondered if, perhaps, we often buy wine that has frozen during transport and then thawed in the store without ever realizing it.

I opened the wine and took a taste while I was making dinner.  I was pleased that it tasted exactly as I expected.  It was citrusy and bright with hints of grass.  I used it to deglaze my pan while making the sauce with the chicken breasts.

The crispness and brightness of the wine cut through the richness of the lasagna making it a wonderful pairing that we all enjoyed.

I served the Cabernet Sauvignon on a Meatless Monday with a Roasted Vegetable Tart.  Say what?!! Cabernet Sauvignon and no meat?  Yes, folks, I did it and it was amazing!!

If there is a better pairing than blue cheese and Cabernet Sauvignon, I have yet to find it.  This tart has just a hint of blue cheese that gives the perfect flavor to the sweet earthiness of the roasted veggies.  

And my crust....that rustic, homely crust......was the flakiest most tender crust I have yet to make.  That adage not to judge a book by it's cover was certainly true in this case.  

This recipe was inspired by  this one found in Food and Wine that recommended pairing a Roasted Veggie Tart with a Cabernet Sauvignon wine.  

The wine, a 2014 Walking Tree, was aged for 21 months in small oak barrels.  It is smooth and full bodied.  I think it would complement a nice juicy steak or black and blue burger as well as it did this recipe I am sharing with you today.

Savory oven roasted veggies covering a blue cheese sauce and enfolded in a flaky, tender all butter crust, this Rustic Tart makes a perfect Meatless Monday or Vegetarian Dinner.  Paired with a full bodied aromatic wine it made a great casual dinner.  The recipe could easily be doubled or even tripled to serve at a dinner party.

Please stop by and visit the other members of our group who are supporting Sonoma during this terrible disaster.  They will have additional options available for those who want to assist in this endeavor.

Rustic Roasted Vegetable Tart

inspired by Food&Wine

1 1/2 c. flour

pinch of salt

pinch of baking powder

10 T. butter, well chilled and cut into 1/4" dice

ice water

6 (1/4") slices eggplant

1 portabella mushroom cap, sliced 1/4" thick

1/4 of a Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4" thick moons

1/2 of a  red or orange bell pepper, diced

1 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 oz. gorgonzola cheese

2 oz. Neufchatel cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 t. parmesan 

Place the flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until crumbs are pea sized.  Add 2 Tablespoons of the ice water and pulse 5 or 6 times until incorporated.  Add 1 teaspoon at a time, pulsing after each until the dough holds together when pinched.  You do not want it to turn into a ball in the food processor.  As soon as it holds together, turn onto a floured counter and form into a ball with your hands.  Press into a disc shape and wrap with plastic wrap, covering completely.  Refrigerate for one hour.

Remove dough from refrigerator.  Unwrap and place on a floured work surface.  Let rest for about 10 minutes so that it warms up enough to be pliable.

While dough is resting, toss the eggplant, mushrooms, onion, zucchini and pepper with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment or a silicone mat.  Place in a preheated 450* oven and roast for 10-12 minutes, stirring once.  Remove from the pan onto a plate and set aside.

Mix together the gorgonzola and Neufchatel cheese until smooth.  Beat in the egg and parmesan cheese.

Roll the dough into a round, you don't need to worry about trimming the edges or making it look pretty.  Place the round onto the same lined baking sheet that you used for the veggies.  Spread the blue cheese mixture on the crust, leaving a 2" border.  Arrange the veggies over the cheese mixture.  Fold the dough up partially covering the veggies.  Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Print Recipe

Let's Keep #SonomaStrong by visiting the others' posts

• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla dazzles with Za'atar-Crusted Rib-Eyes with 2014 Geyser Peak Walking Tree Cab.
• Gwen from Wine Predator asks readers to  Be #SonomaStrong: Drink Wine! Here's Why and 5 to Try #WinePW
• Lori from Dracaena Wines gets into the spirit with #WinePW Shows We Are #SonomaStrong
• Jeff from FoodWineClick! celebrates with #SonomaStrong with Two Shepherds and Roast Chicken à la Alice Waters
• Cindy from GrapeExperiences asks readers to Taste Sonoma - Wines from Kunde Family Winery (and recipes for pairing)
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm is Celebrating Sonoma
• Nicole from Somm's Table shows us Cooking to the Wine: Covenant Neshama Sonoma County with Smoky Beef Goulash
• David from Cooking Chat makes a pairing of  Shrimp Pesto Pasta & #SonomaStrong Wine
• Nancy from Pull That Cork shares her  #SonomaStrong Pairing: Jordan Chardonnay and Jalapeño Popper Dip #winePW
• Jane from Always Ravenous has prepared Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Paired with Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc #SonomaStrong #WinePW
• Lauren from The Swirling Dervish shares inspiration with #WinePW Celebrates #SonomaStrong: Roasted Halibut with Grapefruit-Fennel Salsa and Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc
• Jill and Jason from L'Occasion  are getting into Eat & Drink Local in Sonoma
• Ellen from Family Around the Table is serving up Rosemary Roasted Cornish Hens