Fort Ross Vineyard

Ingredients:

5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut into 2 1/2-in. pieces

1 sweet apple, peeled and cored

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1-in.-long piece fresh ginger, peeled and thickly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

3 large carrots, peeled and trimmed

1 1/2 pounds purple-top or Tokyo turnips (see Tokyo Turnips, below), peeled and trimmed

6 green onions, divided

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Put ribs and 5 cups water in a wide 8- to 10-qt. pot and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat (ribs will not be completely covered). Skim any foam that rises to the top and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 hour, partially covered and stirring occasionally, skimming any foam and fat that rise to the top.

2. Coarsely shred apple and add to pot with soy sauce, sherry, sugar, pepper, ginger, garlic, and shallot. Continue to cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until ribs are tender when pierced with tip of a small knife, about 1 hour; skim fat during cooking.

3. Meanwhile, cut carrots into 2-in.-long pieces. Cut purple-top turnips in half, then into 1-in.-thick wedges (leave Tokyo turnips whole). Cut 4 green onions into 2-in.-long pieces and thinly sliver remaining onions; set slivered onions aside.

4. Add carrots, turnips, and the 2-in. pieces of green onion to pot. Continue to cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully tip pot and skim off as much fat as possible from liquid with a wide metal spoon.

5. Stir in sesame seeds and sesame oil. Serve sprinkled with slivered green onions.

Recipe notes:

Make ahead: Through step 2 up to 1 day, chilled; lift off and discard fat before reheating.

Tokyo Turnips: These sweet, tender little globes, available at farmers' markets, are starting to show up in grocery stores.

 Pair with our 2021 Pinot Noiir »

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced

1 bulb of fennel, sliced

1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

8 oz cremini mushrooms,sliced

4 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced

4 oz maitake mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 cup white wine

2 cups heavy cream

3 qt vegetable stock

4 oz unsalted butter, cubed

1 bunch chives, chopped

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste

Crème friache for garnish

Instructions:

1. Over medium heat in a large stockpot, sweat the onions, fennel, and cauliflower in the butter for about 15 minutes until vegetables are soft. Stir often to avoid browning the vegetables

2. Add mushrooms, garlic, and thyme. Sweat for another 10 minutes, stirring often

3. Deglazed with white wine. Let wine cook off for 1 minute

4. Add stock and cream and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Purée the soup with either an Immersion blender, or regular blender.

6. Season to taste

7. Pour soup into a bowl, and top with crème fraiche and chopped chives. Enjoy!

 Pair with our 2021 The Terraces Pinot Noir »

Ingredients:

Black garlic tahini:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 medium garlic cloves, grated

3 peeled black garlic cloves (such as CalPAC)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup tahini (such as Soom)

3/4 cup ice water

Sumac onions:

1 medium-size red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon ground sumac

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Za'atar chicken:

1 (4-pound) whole chicken

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons za’atar

Black Garlic Tahini

Instructions:

Black garlic tahini:

1. Combine lemon juice and grated garlic in a blender; let stand 15 minutes. Using flat side of a knife, smash black garlic cloves on a cutting board, and scrape to form a paste. Add black garlic paste and salt to blender; puree until mostly smooth and black garlic is very finely chopped, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Place tahini in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on high speed until smooth and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Decrease speed to medium, and slowly drizzle in black garlic mixture. (Mixture will thicken but will smooth out again after adding water.) With mixer running, slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup cold water until fully incorporated. Increase speed to high, and beat until mixture is smooth, glossy, and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Za'atar chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F, and line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place chicken, backbone side up, on baking sheet. Using kitchen shears, cut along each side of backbone; remove and discard backbone. Flip chicken breast side up, and push down on breast to flatten. Season both sides of chicken evenly with salt. Roast chicken, breast side up, in preheated oven until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 140°F, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan after 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sumac onions.

2. Toss together onion, vinegar, sumac, and salt in a large bowl until onions are well coated. Set aside until ready to serve.

3. Remove chicken from oven. (Do not turn oven off.) Tilt pan slightly to collect rendered juices into a baster or large spoon. Baste chicken skin with drippings, and sprinkle with za’atar. Return chicken to oven, and roast at 450°F until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 155°F, 5 to 10 minutes. Let chicken rest 15 minutes before carving. Serve with sumac onions and black garlic tahini.

 Pair with our 2021 Chardonnay »

Ingredients:

 1lb celery root, peeled and diced 1’’

1lb Yukon potato, peeled and diced 1’’

2 large shallots, small diced

1 cup white wine

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tablespoon celery seed

2 teaspoon whole cardamom

6 black peppercorns, whole

3 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley

2 quarts vegetable stock

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup crème fraiche

Celery leaves to garnish

Kosher salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Make a bouquet garni by tying up thyme, celery seed, cardamom, peppercorn, and parsley in a cheesecloth. Set aside.

2. Heat a 6-quart stock pot to medium heat. Add celery root, potatoes, shallots, and olive oil. Season lightly with kosher salt. Sweat vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring often until shallots turn translucent. 

3. Add wine to deglaze. Reduce for a few minutes until wine reduces by half

4. Add vegetable stock and bouquet garni and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes until celery root is fork tender.

5. Remove bouquet garni. Put soup in a blender with the butter, and blend until smooth. Pour soup through a strainer into a clean stock pot. Bring to a simmer. Add cream and stir. Season with kosher salt.

6. Ladle soup into a bowl. Garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and celery leaves.

Pair with our 2019 Chardonnay »

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs

3 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, then turn over and cook an additional 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

2. Pour off all but 1 tbsp. of pan drippings and return pan to low heat. Add garlic and sauté until soft, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate. Return chicken to pan and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.

3. Uncover, increase heat to medium-low and cook 15 to 20 minutes more, occasionally spooning sauce over chicken, until sauce thickens a bit and chicken is tender and nicely glazed with sauce. Remove bay leaf before eating.

Pair with our 2018 The Terraces Pinot Noir »

Ingredients:

1 1/2 qts. peeled, 1 1/2-in. chunks kabocha* or other orange-fleshed winter squash (from a 3-lb. squash)

 About 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

 1 onion, halved and cut into half-moons

 1 or 2 red or green serrano chiles, minced

 1 cinnamon stick (2 1/2 in.)

 20 fresh curry leaves* or 6 dried bay leaves

 1 teaspoon turmeric

 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

 1 can (14.5 oz.) coconut milk

 1 cup salted roasted cashews

 1 tablespoon lemon juice

 Steamed basmati rice

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle squash with 1/2 tsp. salt. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown half the squash in oil, turning once, 6 to 8 minutes; reduce heat if squash starts getting dark. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 1 tbsp. oil and remaining squash.

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbsp. oil in another large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer half to the nonstick frying pan and reserve other half in a bowl.

3. Add chiles, cinnamon, and curry leaves to onion in pan. Cook, stirring often, until curry leaves are very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add turmeric, cumin, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Return squash to nonstick frying pan (with onion) and add coconut milk. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until squash is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in cashews and lemon juice, and add more salt to taste. Top curry with reserved onion and serve with rice.

*Kabocha peels are edible. Find curry leaves in Indian markets.

Pair with our 2019 Mother of Pearl Chardonnay »

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons sake

1/2 cup white miso paste

1/3 cup sugar

Six 6- to 7-ounce skinless black cod fillets, about 1 1/2 inches thick

Vegetable oil, for grilling

Pickled ginger, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the mirin and sake to a boil. Whisk in the miso until dissolved. Add the sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking, just until dissolved. Transfer the marinade to a large baking dish and let cool. Add the fish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°. Heat a grill pan and oil it. Scrape the marinade off the fish. Add the fish and cook over high heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish onto a heavy rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, until flaky. Transfer to plates and serve with pickled ginger.

Pair with 2018 Mother of Pearl Chardonnay »

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper

6 garlic cloves, chopped

Four 1-pound pork tenderloins

Salt and freshly ground pepper
 

Instructions:

1. In a large, resealable plastic bag, combine the oil, lemon juice, rosemary, red pepper, garlic and pork. Press out any air in the bag, seal and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

2. Let the pork stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400° and preheat a griddle or a very large skillet. Remove the pork from the marinade. Scrape off most of the garlic and rosemary and season the tenderloins with salt and pepper. Set them on the griddle and cook over high heat until browned all over, about 6 minutes. Transfer the tenderloins to a large rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 14 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 130°. Cover the tenderloins loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Pair with 2018 "FRV" Pinot Noir »