|
Newsletter for August 2007 Your source for what’s cooking at OBW
25 South Indian Alley Winchester VA, 22601 540-662-1455 |
||||
|
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends.
To subscribe to this newsletter, send us a note. To unsubscribe to this newsletter, send us a note.
Privacy Policy. We never disclose your email address to any outside party and we send the newsletter in such a way that others cannot see your email address (nor can you see theirs). |
||||
|
Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter for August. It’s vacation season now and here’s a quick reminder that Marianne, the kids, and I are off to the beach on the 20th and that we’ll be closed that week. I’m looking forward to a week of cooking only for my family for whom I rarely get to cook.
As soon as we return, we start getting ready for our Harvest Dinner on Thursday the 30th. This dinner, a reprise of last year’s most successful dinner, celebrates the bounty of our primary produce suppliers and gives us a chance to thank Gene and Beth Nowak personally for all their hard work in bringing us top quality produce.
Speaking of top quality produce, I’ve included a recipe from recent dinner menus that celebrates the bounty of the farmer’s market, plus a bonus recipe for one of my favorite spicy table sauces: harissa. I’ll be doing two public demonstrations using produce in the next few weeks and those dates, along with the dates for our upcoming dinners are published in this newsletter.
I bet you wouldn’t believe that salt and pepper is a controversial topic among restaurateurs and chefs. It seems to be in certain quarters—read on. And, we’ve finally added wines from Leesburg-area vintner Doug Fabbioli to our list. Finally, here’s a short article on Chambourcin, a grape that is showing real promise here in Virginia.
Thank all of you for your concern over the death of our sous chef and thanks for your patience during the weeks it took us to get back on our feet.
All my best,
Ed Matthews, Chef/Owner
Every Wednesday is Tapas Night Each Wednesday night, we serve tapas from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Tapas are small, fun dishes, designed so that you and your friends can try and share a range of foods.
Saturday, August 18, Salsa, Pesto & Chutney Demonstration at the Freight Station Farmer’s Market From 10am to 1pm, I’ll be at the Freight Station Farmer’s Market on Boscawen Street demonstrating some very simple sauces made from ingredients found right at the market. Naturally, I’ll have to cook some fish, vegetables, and lamb to accompany the sauces.
Tuesday, August 21-Saturday, August 25, Closed—Ed and Family at Beach! See you when we get back!
Thursday, August 30, Harvest Dinner—Celebrating the Bounty of Mayfair Farm Once again we’re celebrating the bounty of our principal produce suppliers, Gene and Beth Nowak, of Mayfair Farm. Last year, I didn’t tell anybody that the entire meal would be vegetarian and I surprised a lot of people. “If I could eat like this all the time, I would never eat meat again!” said one customer. This year I’m telling you up front: it’s five courses of my most inspired vegetarian cooking with complementary wines. Cost is $65 per person not including taxes or gratuity. We start receiving guests after 6:30pm and the first course will be served promptly at 7pm. Call 540-662-1455 for reservations.
Thursday, September 27, 4th Annual Oktoberfest It’s that time again! Come join special guest host Mark Seder of The Virginia Touch, nice guy and beer aficionado, for our annual celebration of beer and pork. If you don’t eat meat or drink beer, please sit this one out. Cost is $60 per person. I think I might do a classic choucroute garnie this year. Call 540-662-1455 for reservations.
Sunday, October 14, Cooking with Herbs Demonstration at Arborfest I can’t remember how many Arborfests at Blandy Farm at which I have cooked. It seems to be an annual Sunday afternoon tradition and I cannot think of a nicer outdoor venue than the courtyard there. As usual I will bring a lot of herbs and we’ll have fun with them. It’s always an audience participation event and it’s one of the events to which I most look forward each year. I’m not sure that the time of the demo has yet been set—it will be after lunch—keep tuned to my web site or to Blandy’s.
Thursday, October 25, Pinot Noir Dinner For our October dinner, we’re celebrating my favorite grape, Pinot Noir. It’s so versatile and pairs with so much food, that I am going to have a blast picking the wines and the food. The trick with Pinot is to keep it affordable and that is going to be my big challenge. I can’t price the dinner until I pick the wines.
I first met Doug Fabbioli a couple of years ago at one of our wine dinners. He was kind enough to bring me a bottle each of his Tre Sorelli (Bordeaux blend) and Due Fratelli (Chambourcin-Tannat blend) wines—he makes only red wines. I liked them then and I like the newer vintages as well. About the time that Doug was getting his production ramped up, the Commonwealth in its infinite wisdom stopped wineries from distributing directly to restaurants. But finally, we’ve managed to get our hands on his wines. I have added Doug’s Cabernet Franc and Raspberry Merlot to the list. I expect to add his Chambourcin in the very near future.
The Cab Franc is a typical juicy Virginia Cab Franc. Its spiciness will pair well with grilled anything, especially eggplant and lamb. The Raspberry Merlot fills the same slot as the wine of the same name from Williamsburg Winery, who shot themselves in the foot. Years ago, Dominion Cellars made a Raspberry Merlot that was quite popular. Then Williamsburg came along and gobbled up Dominion. Then, either because there was no Merlot to be found or because Williamsburg didn’t want to spend the money on Merlot, they changed the name to Vin Liquoreux de Framboise—a mouthful to say and totally meaningless to customers. And lo and behold, our sales plummeted! Imagine that! Fortunately, Doug’s come to the rescue with an excellent dessert wine that is better than anything Dominion or Williamsburg ever made. You should try a glass with some chocolate next time you’re in—it’s a classic pairing with Bête Noir, my flourless chocolate cake par excellence.
Doug honed his skills in California during the 90’s and moved back to Virginia in 1997. He purchased his current property near Lucketts (just north of Leesburg) in 2000 and the rest is history. He’s been consulting to other wineries in addition to bringing his own along. He now has a tasting room that is open 11-5 on Saturdays, no appointment necessary. Go see him and support Virginia wines.
Chambourcin is a hybrid of French and American grapes, named Seyve 26-205, after the famed French hybridizer who created it. The Phylloxera outbreak in Europe in the latter part of the 19th century and in the early part of the 20th century saw breeders producing many hybrids in an effort to add Phylloxera resistance to classic French vine stock by crossing resistant American parents with noble grape parents. Phylloxera is a root louse that kills vines and for many decades wreaked havoc on European vineyards.
For much of the 20th century, hybrids such as Chambourcin were the answer to the Phylloxera problem, but in the long run, grafting noble grapes onto American rootstock proved to be the better answer. Still, some hybrids such as Seyval Blanc and Chambourcin do survive. Sadly, when Seyve died, he left no records of the parentage of Chambourcin, so its heritage remains a mystery.
Chambourcin became commercially available in 1963 and it was planted most heavily in the Nantais, the cool coastal region of the Loire river valley, where it meets the Atlantic ocean. Over the years, the French AOC, partly for reasons of both taste and xenophobia, have discouraged hybrids or even outlawed them, so what Chambourcin that remains in France is limited to legacy plantings largely in the Loire Valley. But, Chambourcin has found a following in the eastern US and Canada, with New York and Ontario among the first to plant the grape.
The vines are fairly cold hardy, but growers in New York and Ontario are finding that their winters are too cold and their growing seasons a bit short, thus the grape seems to be migrating further south into Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina where its resistance to fungus is a plus in our humid climates. The growers with whom I have spoken say that the vines are vigorous and reliably high producers and the key to success is careful removal of excess fruit.
Chambourcin produces an intensely ruby-hued wine whose color is reminiscent of Syrah/Shiraz. It also has a bit of spice that speaks of Syrah as well. Although it has good tannins and acidity, both desirable characteristics, it makes an approachable wine in the same way that Merlot does. Next time you’re in, why not try a glass of Chambourcin? I’ve never had anyone not like it when I have recommended it. Well, there was one guy, but he wasn’t going to like any wine made in Virginia, no matter how good.
Sometimes I think we take our two most popular seasonings, salt and pepper, for granted—that is, until we miss them. My wife and kids ate at a very well known restaurant in Richmond this weekend and came back complaining quite vocally that there were no salt and pepper shakers on the tables and that the servers wouldn’t bring any, stating the chef had seasoned the dishes just the way he wanted. How arrogant! I know the guy and I should call him and give him grief, but his ego wouldn’t let him listen to me, now that he has somewhat of a regional reputation. And this reminds me of eating at Jean-Louis at the Watergate back in the 80s when I heard a customer and the service staff get into a bloody row because of Jean-Louis’ refusal to put salt and pepper on the table.
Sure, I season my food just the way that I like it, but who am I to dictate your tastes? I am pleased to announce that I have spent a fortune on new salt and pepper grinders for our tables so that you can season your food to your liking. Right now, we are offering Tellicherry peppercorns and Spanish sea salt, but will be switching over later this fall to a peppercorn mix for a more complex flavor and to Himalayan salt for its excellent flavor.
Recipe: Napoleon of Grilled Eggplant, Tomato, and Fresh Mozzarella
Here’s an easy 10-minute, elegant vegetarian dish whose ingredients are available at the farmer’s market right now. A Napoleon was historically a layered dessert of puff pastry and crème patissière, typically of three layers of puff pastry. In the modern context, the term Napoleon has been extended to encompass any dish made of stacked, alternating layers. In this case, we replace the puff pastry with grilled eggplant and the crème patissière with fresh tomato and mozzarella. In selecting fruit for this dish, try to pick eggplants and tomatoes that have about the same diameter, so that they stack nicely. This is an idea more than a recipe. I’ve made scores of variations on this dish and none of them have ever been the same.
Eggplant Tomatoes Fresh mozzarella Pesto Salt and pepper
Slice the eggplant, tomato, and mozzarella into rounds. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and grill it (or sauté it) until it is soft, two to three minutes per side, depending on how thick the slices are. Using three slices of eggplant per serving, alternate layers of eggplant, tomatoes, and mozzarella, starting and finishing with eggplant. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Garnish with pesto. Serve immediately. I like to serve this atop an arugula salad.
Try using roasted red peppers, grilled onion slices, grilled summer squash, hummus, or goat cheese mousse. Try Romesco sauce, harissa, or your favorite vinaigrette for garnish. Tip: if the Napoleon doesn’t want to stay stacked, strip all but the topmost leaves from a 4-5” piece of rosemary and use it as a skewer to stabilize the dish—instant stability and instant garnish.
Harissa is a common table sauce in North Africa. Although it is available commercially, I can make a quart of it in less than two minutes from ingredients that I already have on hand in my pantry and it tastes better than any canned product I’ve ever tasted. This is my personal spice mix scaled to non-restaurant proportions—adjust it to your taste.
1 t cumin seeds 1 t fennel seeds ½ t caraway seeds ¼ c sambal oelek (or other crushed chile paste) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 pinch ground cinnamon Juice of one lemon 2 T extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
Toast the seeds in a pan over medium flame, tossing or stirring, until warm and fragrant. Grind immediately in a spice mill. Mix the ground seeds and all the other ingredients, then taste for seasoning. Excellent with couscous, lamb, chickpeas, eggplant, and so forth. Tastes better after a day or so in the refrigerator.
In my haste to publish last month’s newsletter, I failed to note the passing of Juanita Swedenburg of Swedenburg Winery in Middleburg. We all owe Mrs. Swedenburg our gratitude for her tenaciousness and nerve in bringing one of the lawsuits that was eventually consolidated into the Supreme Court case that outlawed discriminatory wine shipping and distribution policies by the various states. I last saw her in mid-May when she was trying out our deck chairs to see if they might be suitable for her winery and we had an amiable chat about the fallout from her court case. She died June 9th and her obituary was subsequently published in the Washington Post.
I’ve been overhearing a lot of talk in the dining room about Wegman’s, the supermarket/food emporium over on Route 28 just north of the airport. I finally had a chance to visit it on Sunday while waiting to pick up my kids at the airport. I will say that it is vast, but not on the scale of Harrod’s Food Hall in London or Fauchon in Paris. Meaning no disrespect to any of you or to Wegman’s, what they are doing is probably a good thing for Northern Virginia, but I cannot see myself making the drive over to shop on purpose. Granted they have a bit more selection than we have here, but their produce is no better and no worse than it is here in our grocery stores; and, in fact, the yellow-green lighting that they use in their produce section to make the produce look bright green and unnatural in color was making me ill. We have so much better produce at our farmer’s markets here. And the seafood at Inland Seafood, The Naked Oyster, and the Freight Station Farmer’s Market is as good or better. You won’t find any better lamb than at Virginia Lamb. All this is by way of encouraging you to shop locally and to support our local farmers and merchants.
Finally, remember that we close the last full week of August, the 21st through 25th for our annual holiday.
All my best and come let me cook for you when you can,
Ed
|
||||
|
|
Copyright © 2007 Shenandoah Food and Beverage Holdings, LLC sensational seasonal cuisine and the W logo are trademarks of Shenandoah Food and Beverage Holdings, LLC. |
|
||
