Oregon Wine Dinner

Springtime reminds me of wild asparagus. While living in Ashland, Ore. as a 20 something I remember hiking in patches of wild asparagus that grew where abandoned farm houses once stood at the base of Grizzly Peak. You will still find drifts of wild asparagus in Rogue Valley orchards, just as you will find wild onions mixed amongst the hazelnut orchards of Dundee.

Tender young asparagus spears sautéed in butter with a few almond slivers is a delectable springtime treat, but what wine to drink with them is a problem. Asparagus’ unusual flavors often clash with wine and make them seem thin or metallic. A crisp Chardonnay or a Rosé are often recommended. Asparagus, and artichokes for that matter, just dare you to pair a wine with them that goes well.

Just the other day I heard that St. Innocent Winery in Salem had a wine that claims to be a soul mate with asparagus, so naturally I was curious. St. Innocent’s Chardonnay is just that wine. So much so that winemaker Mark Vlossak guarantees the match or he will replace the bottle. This Dijon clone Chardonnay is grown at the Anden Vineyard, formerly the lower part of Seven Springs Vineyard located on the eastern slope of Eola Hills.

“Anden Chardonnay is both fruit and texture driven” said winemaker Vlossak. “For me, great Chardonnay must have lovely fruit, acidity, viscosity, and complexity of flavor. The wood must be in balance and act to compliment the wine, not be ‘catnip for humans’. When Chardonnay is truly layered and in balance, it is very versatile to eat with, and fun to drink. The Seven Springs (Anden) Dijon clone Chardonnay has a Puligny-like character: sweet fruit and spice with great length.”

The Food:
For starters, we served skewered shrimp wrapped in Prosciutto, grilled over the ‘barbie. The first course or primi was a small portion of pasta with a Morel and Porcini cream sauce with a hint of brandy and garlic. The starch, served with the main course, was roasted Yukon Gold potatoes with rosemary, thyme and garlic served with the entrée of pork loin stuffed with Mortadella and scented with black truffles. Mortadella is an Italian minced pork sausage made in Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto or Tuscany.

Our vegetable was an asparagus flan. Granted, the eggy-ness of a flan somewhat complicated the flavors, as both eggs and asparagus are challenging to pair with wine but we had faith the wine would stand up to our challenge.

Last served was a small green salad with lemon mustard vinaigrette to cleanse the palate. Vinegar and lemons can also be quite challenging to pair with a wine as well, but at this point in the meal most of the wine has usually been consumed and we’re just circling for the dessert to be brought out.

For dessert; a Hazelnut zabaione semifredo in a pool of chocolate sauce - this dessert is to die for. The creaminess of the zabaione, the nutty undercurrent of hazelnut and the cool silky texture of a semifredo were meant to be together.

The Recipes:

Grilled Shrimp Wrapped with Prosciutto

24 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and de-veined
1/2 pound Prosciutto, sliced paper-thin
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. of dried basil or 1 Tbs. of fresh basil
1 large clove garlic, pressed or minced.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup (1 oz or 1 and 1/2 Tbs.) red wine vinegar

Instructions:
•Add the vinegar, mustard, garlic and basil to a blender or even just a small bowl.
• Slowly add the olive oil. Blend until thickened. It won't quite be a mayonnaise, but close.
• Cut Prosciutto into 1 inch wide strips. Lay Prosciutto on counter, with shrimp at one end and wrap and wind cut meat around middle of the shrimp. You don't need to blanket the entire shrimp, just the middle section.
• Thread wrapped shrimp on skewers, leaving a little space between each piece. We got three shrimp per skewer. Too many skewers and you have a traffic jam on the ‘barbie - space wise.
• Place skewers on center of cooking grate and grill for 3-4 minutes on one side and 2-3 minutes on the other, depending on the heat. These can also be broiled with great success.
• Use a brush or spoon to baste the grilling shrimp with the oil mixture. Double the recipe for some extra sauce for dipping. Makes 12 servings.

Cooking Notes:
• If using wooden skewers, soak in water 30 minutes before using so ends won’t burn during grilling. My experience is that the wood still burns, so just use tongs when picking up the shrimp.
• Because the Prosciutto cooks faster than the shrimp, we recommend you either pre-cook the shrimp ahead of making the wrap, or finish them in a 300 degree oven for 4 minutes, otherwise to cook the shrimp, you'll get overdone Prosciutto.
• Use real Italian Parma Prosciutto for this dish if you can, as it’s less salty than domestic brands.
• We've also stuck a slice of zucchini on the skewer and put the grilled shrimp and zuke on a crostini to make a dynamite bruschetta. For this dinner though, we could barely wait for them to cool off before we devoured them.

Asparagus Flan

This rich flan marries the troublesome duo of egg and asparagus together with a little Parmesan cheese and tarragon to make a perfect vegetable side dish.

2 pounds asparagus
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and butter six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Line bottoms of dishes or cups with rounds of wax paper and butter paper. Line a baking pan large enough to hold dishes or cups with a double layer of kitchen towels.

• Trim asparagus and cut off tips. Halve asparagus tips lengthwise and cut stalks crosswise into l-inch pieces. In a steamer rack set over boiling water steam asparagus tips, covered, until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer asparagus tips with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain tips well and pat dry.

• Steam asparagus stalks, covered, until tender but still bright green, about 8 minutes. Transfer stalks with slotted spoon to paper towels and pat dry well. In a blender puree stalks, cream, tarragon, 3 tablespoons butter, Parmesan, and salt until smooth. In a bowl whisk eggs until combined and add asparagus puree in a stream, whisking until smooth.

• Divide mixture among dishes or cups and put on towels in pan. Add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up sides of dishes or cups and bake flans in lower third of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove dishes or cups from pan and cool on a rack 5 minutes. In a small saucepan heat asparagus tips in remaining tablespoon butter until heated through. Run knife around edges of dishes or cups and invert flans onto 6 plates. Top flans with asparagus tips. Serves six. Adapted from - Best of Gourmet 1997

Mortadella stuffed Pork Loin and Roasted Potatoes

This dish was inspired by a truffled Mortadella tasted in Rome by Gourmet Magazine food writers in 2002. We adapted this recipe slightly, as did Gourmet. You’d be tempted to leave out the truffles as a bit too much trouble to find… but don’t. They scent the entire kitchen and dining room and beckon the best out of our Pinot Noir selections.

For pork:
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 (3 1/2-lb) center-cut boneless pork loin roast (4 to 5 inches in diameter), trimmed, leaving a 1/4-inch layer of fat if possible
3 tablespoons black truffle butter*, softened
1/2 lb thinly sliced Mortadella (though we like Prosciutto as well)
4 lb small (2-inch) boiling potatoes (preferably yellow-fleshed). We like Yukon Gold.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced finely
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For sauce:
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon black truffle butter (no, you can’t buy this. Just shave a teaspoon of purchased truffle into a few tablespoons of softened butter and you’re good to go

Special equipment: a mortar and pestle; kitchen string; a 17- by 11-inch flameproof roasting pan with an adjustable V-rack; an instant-read thermometer

Note: Good-quality Mortadella can be found at butcher shops, at Italian markets, and even in the deli section of many supermarkets. Prosciutto works quite well too.

Instructions:

For the pork:
Preheat oven to 450•F.
• Coarsely crush peppercorns and 2 teaspoons kosher salt with mortar and pestle, then add garlic and mash until a paste forms. Stir in unsalted butter.

• If pork loin has been tied already, discard strings. Put loin, fat side down, on a cutting board lined with plastic wrap. Butterfly pork in a spiral cut: Find beginning of a flap on 1 long side of loin (where bone was removed). Starting at inside edge of flap, make a long cut lengthwise down side of loin with a very sharp boning or paring knife, stopping 1 inch from bottom (this is beginning of spiral). Turn knife parallel to bottom of loin and begin to cut your way inward (parallel to bottom), keeping thickness of meat as even as possible, using your other hand to gently lift and pull top portion of meat away from knife, until loin is 1 long flat piece of meat.

• Cover pork with a sheet of plastic wrap and pound to 1/2 inch thick with a smooth meat pounder or rolling pin. Remove plastic wrap and spread 1 tablespoon truffle butter over pork. Top with half of mortadella, slightly overlapping slices. Spread 1 tablespoon truffle butter over mortadella, then top with remaining mortadella and spread with remaining tablespoon truffle butter. Beginning with end that was interior of loin, roll up loin tightly and arrange, seam side down (fat side up), on cutting board. If fat layer is 1/4 inch thick, make very close crosswise cuts in it (about 1/8 inch apart; do not cut through to meat), then tie with kitchen string at 1-inch intervals. Rub roast all over with peppercorn butter, covering fat layer well.

• Put pork, fat side up, on oiled rack in roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes.

For the potatoes:
• While pork is roasting, peel and halve potatoes. Parboil potatoes in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water 5 minutes. Drain in a colander 5 minutes, then toss with oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

• Remove pork from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325•F. Add potatoes to roasting pan, turning them in pan juices to coat, then roast pork with potatoes until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into meat registers 155•F, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer pork to a platter and let stand 25 minutes.

• Increase oven temperature to 450•F and remove rack from roasting pan. Spread potatoes out in pan and roast in middle of oven, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a serving bowl and keep warm.

Make sauce:
• Skim as much fat as possible from pan juices. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add broth and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Stir together water and cornstarch, then add to broth mixture and boil, whisking, 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in truffle butter.

• Discard string, then slice pork and serve with sauce and potatoes.

This all takes a hour to and hour and a half to make, depending on how focused you are.

Tagliatelle with Morel and Porcini Cream Sauce

Layers and layers of flavor come from the two reduction sauces that use Parmesan cheese, cream & shallots to create a rich sauce worthy of any pasta you choose to combine this with.

2 ½ oz. dried mushrooms. ¾ Morel (we used dry and reconstituted them) and ¼ Porcini.
[½ oz. dried = ¼ lb. fresh]
1 ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese [Parmigiano-Reggiano]
1 ½ cup half and half
1 ¼ cup heavy cream
2 ½ unsalted butter
3 cups minced shallots
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup strong demi-glace veal broth [or 8.oz canned beef broth]
2/3 cup brandy
¼ tsp. Hungarian paprika
2-3 dashes of cayenne pepper
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 ¼ -1 ½ lbs. high quality dried pasta [tagliatelle]
1 ½ Tbs. finely minced Italian parley

Instructions:

• Put dried mushrooms in to a deep bowl and pour boiling water over until totally covered. As the mushrooms try to float to the top, weigh them down with a small plate or something similar to keep them submerged. Let the mushrooms sit for several hours. After 2-3 hours, pour off reconstituted mushroom water into a small saucepan (will be 3-4 cups worth) and reserve mushrooms to the refrigerator.

• Put saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Reduce mushroom water by half. Add half and half and reduce again by half. Add paprika and cayenne. Set aside.

• Sauté shallots and garlic very gently in 2 ½ Tbs. butter in a large saucepan for approximately 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Deglaze with all the brandy and reduce by half. Add strong broth and reduce again, by a third.

• Chop mushrooms coarsely and pour any remaining mushroom water into the “brandy” saucepan. Add chopped mushrooms to brandy and broth saucepan. Pour in approximately half the heavy cream. Pour remaining cream into mushroom water reduction pan and gently simmer and reduce by 1/8th.

• Meanwhile, heat up the mushroom mixture gently and add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Add mushroom water and cream mixture to mushroom pan and bring the combined mixture to a simmer and gently reduce uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour to desired consistency.

• Cook the tagliatelle [or your pasta of choice] in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.

• Combine cream mushroom sauce with cooked tagliatelle. Serve onto plates and sprinkle pasta with minced parley.

About Michael Sherwood

Michael Sherwood is an Oregon original - your modern day Renaissance man. He’s done more interesting jobs than most of us – FM radio personality, commercial logger, commercial fisherman, rock band promoter, neighborhood advocate, energy conservation expert, arts festival coordinator, software developer, non-profit executive, beer and wine guy and land use planner.

After 10 years developing software in Seattle, Mike moved back to Portland and was soon drafted to be the first Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild, a fledgling non-profit trade organization, which he helped turn into one of the most dynamic small brewer associations in North America.

All the while he was managing the affairs of the states craft brewers, he was not so secretly a wine lover and worked providing marketing assistance to a local winery. Beverages are 'in his blood' as his family owned a beer and wine distributorship in the 60’s and 70’s in Roseburg.

Today Mike runs a wine sales, marketing and technology consulting business called Arbre which provides branding and sales support for wineries large and small. He has also created the Internets first truly virtual stealth restaurant and underground wine bar called Sub Rosa. We liked his mix of wine savvy and irreverent humor so much, we hired him to write for Avalon.

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