Mar 16 2011

Zinfully Delicious

Published by at 12:38 am under Barbeque,Chicken,Desserts,Food,Red Wine,Zinfandel

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Winter continues to sidestep the true arrival of spring in the Bay Area as rains fall heavily and fog ensconces homes in the evening.   Continued moisture ensures blooms and on pace, spring continues to press forward despite slightly abnormally wet conditions.

Whether in the rain, the fog or by luck of catching a break in the weather, a charcoal grill is a celebrated sign in March as it is a sign of culinary good things to come.   As with most grilling, it is always appropriate to select a Zinfandel.   Given the weather, the bigger the Zinfandel is, the better.

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If you are looking for a Zinfandel with depth and plenty of personality, look no further than Bremer Family Winery (“Bremer”) in Napa Valley.   Bremer is regarded for its ability to create wines that people love to enjoy but it is equally regarded for creating wines with slightly bigger or clearly defined personalities.  In the case of Bremer’s 2005 Napa Valley Zinfandel, this is no exception.   Poured into the glass, the wine is a beautiful dark rustic garnet color and enamors the nose with aromas of red raspberry, cassis, fennel and rich leather.   Nimble on the palate, the wine sensual captivates with a distinct supple character and flavors of black raspberries, plum, lavender and kissed by a hint of mint. 

As smoky charcoal perfumes the backyard air and sips of Bremer’s 2005 Napa Valley Zinfandel are savored, this week’s menu takes shape:

1)      Blue Cheese-Thyme-Caramelized Shallot Polenta;

2)     Grilled Roasted Garlic with Grilled Artisan Bread Slices;

3)     Grilled Zucchini, Chicken and Mushrooms with Soy-Dijon Marinade; and

4)     Chili-Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Stuffed with Blueberry Chevre.

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A quick review of the above menu indicates a largely rustic meal ahead with a dash of California culinary flare.   Grilling a head of garlic on a charcoal grill takes a favorite like roasted garlic and adds a smoky component to its naturally sweetened flavor and deliciously tops grilled artisan bread.   Scooping out grill roasted garlic is sensual as it aggressively grabs and clings to nooks and crannies of grilled bread slices.   Richly sweet, roasted garlic on grilled bread is a treat to anyone lingering around an outdoor fire on a spring evening.

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Switch over and start spreading some of the Blue Cheese-Thyme-Shallow Polenta on the bread and then top with roasted garlic:  the rest of the meal could stop right there!   Polenta combined with caramelized shallots, lemon thyme and Point Reyes Blue Cheese takes creamy polenta to the point of decadent.   Given a certain sassiness contributed by the spicy nature of the blue cheese, this polenta recipe is so compatible with the often feisty nature of Zinfandel.

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Chicken is threaded onto skewers to grill and brushed with a marinade of soy sauce, Dijon mustard, rangpur lime and chives from the garden.   As the chicken cooks, marinated mushrooms are added to the grill along with zucchini spears.   Dijon mustard naturally adds spice thereby allowing the chicken to readily embrace the wine and creating a new culinary twist on the traditional barbeque pairing with Zinfandel.

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If you must pick up a fork, stack the “perfect bite” and let a medley of rustic grilled flavors unfold on the palate.   Each piece of this meal is so savory that it can become near finger food as each bite is savored slowly on its own.   If you make it to dessert with this meal, chevre stuffed strawberries await.

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These are not ordinary strawberries as they are stuffed with a blueberry honey chevre and then dipped into melted chili chocolate.  Spice, smooth dark chocolate and juicy sweet seasonal strawberries meet creamy chevre which is naturally sweetened by honey and given an additional roguish depth by blueberries.  Not the typical sweet dessert, but is one that leaves the palate wishing to chase after more.  The result is a sweet sassy companion to polish off that last swig of a rustically elegant and confident Zinfandel.

Start up that grill and put together a varied combination of grilled vegetables and spices to pair with Zinfandel.  Doing so, you will find that it is easy to linger over a meal despite late seasonal winter weather.

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