Sancerre Rose, Fini Sur La Paille & The Beach

Does rosé wine (the quintessential summer wine) have to be put away after Labor Day? I know that white shoes are déclassé after the first Monday in September and in case I missed the memo and there is a rule that I don't know about (you know how fond I am of group-think and rule following), I am getting this blog post out just in time. September is a beautiful month up here and I know we have plenty of beach days in our future but there's nothing like an August day on the beach. Before soccer practices, volleyball tournaments, dental appointments and school shopping start invading our calendar, previously free of any commitment but wine, cheese and a fire on the beach.

I remember the first time I had the pleasure of smearing a hunk of Michael's Fini Sur La Paille aged goat cheese on a cracker and popped it in my mouth— it's that good. The Chotard rosé (made from Pinot Noir grapes) was the perfect companion for the wheel of Fini in my fridge. Historically, I haven't been the biggest fan of rosé but this bottle changed my mind— it's bigger and creamier than a typical rosé but still has a lively acidity and clean finish. It's the perfect beach wine and when you throw a little French style aged goat cheese in the mix— it's a little slice of heaven.

These afternoons in the South Channel are etched in my brain— the kids, sandbars, blue water and the viscous light as the sun starts to set behind the hills. We've spent countless days on Long Island over the past fourteen years and it never gets old. There's always beach glass to find, boats to jump off, fires to build, forts to construct and walks to take. We are blessed to have the stories Long Island has given us in our trove of family memories.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. John Muir

Pickled Rhubarb With A Curry Kick

The rhubarb in my garden is like the Energizer bunny— it just keeps going and going. Given my (relative) success with jam, I decided to try my hand at pickling the excess rhubarb. Rhubarb is a little mushy when it's pickled and canned but the brine and spices are lovely. I've used it as a condiment on hot dogs with riata, on grilled chicken and vegetables with naan— it adds a little sour, spicy kick and who doesn't like that?

Curried & Pickled Rhubarb

1 pound rhubarb, rinsed and cut into 1 inch matchsticks 2 cups apple cider 1 1/4 cup raw sugar 3 peels of lime peel, left whole 1 cinnamon stick, broken and divided among the jars 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seed 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped and divided among the jars 2 jalapenos 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation Prepare 6 half pint jars for canning. In a medium-sized sauce pot, bring the vinegar, sugar, lime peel and cinnamon stick to a gentle boil and hold over low heat.

In another sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat until hot. Stir in the fenugreek, mustard seeds, fennel seed, coriander seeds, chile flakes and cumin seeds. When the spices begin to pop (about 4 minutes), add the ginger, garlic, salt, jalapeños and onion, stirring until soft and slightly caramelized, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.

Pack the canning jars with the rhubarb and cilantro, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Pour equal spoonfuls of the spice mixture into each jar. Pour the hot vinegar over the carrots, submerging them and leaving about a 1/2 inch of head space. The contents should sit right below the bottom ring of the glass jar.

Process the jars in a water bath for 15 minutes. Make sure the seals are secure and store in a cool, dark cupboard for at least three weeks before eating.

Strawberry & Lavender Balsamic Preserves

Summer has flown by— it seems like yesterday we were picking strawberries and remarking on the intense berry perfume rising up from around our feet. But it wasn't and we are picking the last of our blueberries, buying school supplies and getting ready to send Jack off to his first year at Madison. This year, I promised we would pick heaps and heaps of berries and make piles and piles of jam, enough to bathe my tribe of PB&J eating children in jam for months. Well, I happy to report we've done it. My shelves are full of jam and we had enough strawberries left over to allow for a little experimentation on my part. There is something about cheese and fruit chutney (blueberry chutney recipe here and cranberry/quince preserves recipe here) that makes me happy and this year I decided to play around with strawberries.

Will has joined the world of espresso drinkers and his drink of choice this summer was a lavender mocha and it got me thinking about lavender as a food, not bath, product. I love lavender, in the garden, and have tended to steer clear of lavender as a culinary herb until this summer. I was visiting with my garden one evening and noticed my lavender plants were loaded with flowers. If lavender is good in a mocha, it would be fantastic with strawberries, right? I thanked the lavender for its abundant flowers, picked a handful and headed into the kitchen to get started on my strawberry and lavender concoction.

Since I needed a recipe (I'm still a little unsure of myself when it comes to making jams and jellies), I did a quick internet search and stumbled upon a recipe for strawberry preserves with black pepper and balsamic vinegar— the perfect place to start. I monkeyed around with the recipe a little, added lavender flowers and some pectin (a little gel-ing insurance) and it was exactly what I hoped for— sweet, spicy with subtle lavender tones. I'm definitely making this again next year.

Strawberry & Lavender Balsamic Preserves(adapted from Gourmet Magazine June 1997)

8 cups strawberries, washed and trimmed
5 cups white sugar
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup water
3 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons lavender flowers
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 cup Pomona's Pectin

Preparation
Bring the strawberries, lavender and pectin to a boil, add the butter, stir and skim any foam off the surface for about 5 minutes. Add the water, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, or until thickened. At this point, you can cool completely and it will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a month.

You can also ladle hot chutney into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars, cover with lids, and screw bands on until just barely tight. Place jars on rack in pot and cover completely with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, uncover pot, and allow jars to rest in water for five minutes. Remove jars from pot and allow them to rest undisturbed on countertop for six hours or overnight.

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Pancetta & Potatoes

I have a thing for pancetta— not just any old, plastic wrapped, sliced too thinly pancetta but the white butcher paper wrapped, fresh pancetta from Northern Waters Smokehaus in Duluth. Given my Irish heritage, I also have a thing for potatoes and for absolutely no reason other than it tastes good, I really like German potato salad. Last week, I got busy boiling, sauteing and mixing up my version of the perfect warm potato salad and it was really, really good— like 'lick your plate clean' kind of good. And to think, it all started with a package of pancetta— I love it when inspiration strikes in the form of cured pork.

Warm Potato Salad with Pancetta

Ingredients
1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes
1 Vidalia onion, sliced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
3 - 5 sprigs of lemon thyme
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste

Preparation
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook over high heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, shaking off any excess water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and thyme sprigs, sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the onions and thyme sprigs, add the pancetta and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is golden and the butter is just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.

Whisk the vinegar and mustard into the pancetta mixture; season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and the chives and toss until evenly coated. Serve the potato salad warm or at room temperature.