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Green Beans
Fresh Green Beans with Garlic Sauce
1 - 1/2 lbs Fresh Green Beans
4 oz. Shitake mushrooms, optional
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
pinch of fresh basil and oregano, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 6 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
Steam green beans until tender; shock beans in a bowl of ice water to prevent overcooking and retain bright green color. Remove after 30 seconds and let drain in colander.
In a large heavy skillet, heat olive oil with cloves of garlic and mushrooms. 1-2 minutes. Add cooled fresh green beans, parsley, butter and remaining ingredients. Toss with cheese and breadcrumbs.
The beans may be served cold, as a salad and dressed with freshly squeezed lemon or balsamic vinegar.
Suggested Pairing Courtesy of LUSH Wine & Spirits:
Toro Albala Fino Electrico Sherry--$16.50/500 ml bottle
Sherry is drastically underused in food pairings, and really, drastically underused in general in the US. While folks tend to think of Sherry as something only fit to cook with, good sherry actually comes in a range of styles that are incredibly food friendly. Fino is the lightest and driest style, which typically has slightly nutty, saline and sometimes even grassy notes.
This Fino 'Electrico' comes from one of Spain's most respected Sherry producers. Fantastic with green vegetables, seafood, olives, nuts, cheeses and all manner of tapas--this sherry was a natural source to pair with a green bean, cheese and garlic dish. If you choose a good quality parmigiano to use in the dish (none of that powdery, pre-pulverized parmesan in the green can) the nutty notes of the aged cheese will taste absolutely heavenly with the sherry. This fino will also work well with the garlic in the dish---which can be a tricky proposition. Fino is so very dry and unique in flavor it can be a challenge to first-timers when drunk on its own, but try it with a dish like this and you may just find yourself a new go-to food wine!
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Tomatillos
Red Quinoa with Tomatillos, Lime, Chili & Cilantro
3 cups quinoa of your choice (we like red quinoa, adds a great color to the dish)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3-4 tomatillos, husks removed, washed and chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped (we like vidalia onions)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 lime
1 tsp paprika
1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste Bring quinoa, vegetable broth and water to boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat and let summer for about 15 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. about 5 minutes before it is finished, stir in chili powder and cayenne pepper. While the quinoa is cooking, Add onions to a heated pan with olive oil. Stir for a minute or two and add tomatillos, peppers and garlic. Cover and let cook over medium heat for a few more minutes. Add juice of 1 lime, paprika and a generous sprinkle of salt and peper. This will be done cooking when tomatillos are soft and have a tangy flavor. When quinoa is finished cooking, add the onions, tomatillo and yellow pepper mixture into the quinoa an mix together. Add cilantro and mix together. Serve lime wedges on the side. Serves 3-4
Suggested Pairing Courtesy of LUSH Wine & Spirits: 2010 Les Deux Rives Corbieres Rose, Grenache/Syrah/Cinsault-- $10 If we seem a bit fixated on rose in these pairings, and there's a good reason for that--rose makes great food wine! Rose is particularly ideal with dishes that are vegetable-focused since it can bring in some complex notes while still letting the veggies shine. So...here we go back to the rose well. This rose from the Languedoc region of France has a nice subtle earthiness that should go well with the quinoa. At the same time, it's light enough and bright enough to match the freshness of the tomatillo and cilantro. A lingering, finish with some mineral notes and a bit of citrus zip round out this rose that will take you back to those balmy late-summer days of a few weeks ago. |
