Pair Up with La Sommelierre - January 2012
January 2012 – Winter Fresh
After the indulgence of the holidays, it is nice to have a meal that is both appetizing and good for you. Take advantage of the abundance of tempting produce available in Northern California to create a meal that will shake off those mid-winter blues.
Start with a salad of fennel, arugula and aged jack cheese. This lightly dressed salad is unique and pairs nicely with sparkling water jazzed up with fresh cut cucumber slices. While citrus, berries, and mint are all also delicious added to water, I find the green flavor of cucumber particularly refreshing. Water is essential to good health and changes dramatically with these additions. Whether you prefer sparking or still, lightly flavored water is the perfect partner for your salad.
For the main course, open up a winter white wine like Chenin Blanc. It is a welcome reprieve from the red wines often served in cooler winter months. Chenin Blanc’s herbal notes will pick up on the ranch spices found in Original Ranch Roasted Potatoes. Add some grilled boneless breasts of chicken that have been marinating in your favorite citrus juices, olive oil, rosemary and salt. Cook it over an indoor grill pan and you can stay inside where it is nice and warm. Complete the meal by coating some asparagus with olive oil and salt and throwing it into the oven with the potatoes. Let them roast together for the last 7-10 minutes.
Chocolate Walnut Meringues are a heavenly way to end this meal. Plan to make them well in advance because, while they start in a pre-heated oven, they need to cook with the oven off for at least two hours to obtain their crisp crunch. Since these cookies are too sweet for wine, pair them with some slightly nutty chai tea to complement the chocolate and echo the toasty flavor of the walnuts.
So, go on. Pair Up!
Find recipes online at www.lasommelierre.com
