Fort Ross Vineyard

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons good-quality (cask-aged) red wine vinegar

 1 teaspoon cornstarch

 1/4 cup honey

 2 pounds (4 to 6) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

 2 tablespoons olive oil

 3 large shallots, thinly sliced

 6 garlic cloves, chopped

 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, plus 2 tbsp. whole leaves

 8 to 10 figs, stems trimmed, halved (quartered if large)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup water, the vinegar, and cornstarch. Whisk in honey and set aside. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

2. Heat a heavy 12- to 14-in. ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat, then add chicken skin side down and brown until skin is deep golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over and brown other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

3. Discard all but 2 tbsp. fat from frying pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook shallots until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add cornstarch mixture, chopped oregano, and remaining 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper; cook until mixture bubbles and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Set chicken skin side up in frying pan and add figs. Roast in oven until figs soften and caramelize slightly and meat is no longer pink at bone, about 15 minutes. Divide chicken, figs, and sauce among plates and top with whole oregano leaves.

Pair with 2019 Stagecoach Road Pinot Noir »

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

6 hot Italian sausage links, pricked with a fork

2 large (13-ounce) fennel bulbs, cut in half lengthwise, cores removed, bulbs cut into 1-inch wedges, fronds reserved

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

4 teaspoons pink peppercorns

2 cups chicken stock or lower-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup hummus

Lemon zest and lemon wedges, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a straight-sided 14-inch skillet over medium-high. Add sausages; cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausages to a plate. Add fennel wedges, cut sides down, to skillet; cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes and 30 seconds per side. Transfer to plate with sausages.

2. Add fennel seeds, peppercorns, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove half of the spice mixture from skillet, and reserve for garnish.

3. Add stock to skillet, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Return sausages and fennel wedges to skillet; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until fennel wedges are tender, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.

4. Spread hummus smoothly on a platter. Top with sausages and fennel wedges; spoon sauce from skillet over platter. Garnish with lemon zest, lemon wedges, reserved fennel fronds, and reserved spice mixture.

Pair with 2019 Top of Land Pinot Noir »

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 »

Ingredients:

Avocado Salsa
3 medium tomatillos, husks removed
1 medium jalapeño, stemmed (seeded, if desired)
1 medium Hass avocado, pitted
1 cup packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves
3 to 6 tablespoons water, as needed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin

Jackfruit "carnitas"
3 (20-ounce) cans young green jackfruit in water, drained, rinsed, and squeezed dry
¾ cup neutral cooking oil (such as grapeseed), plus more as needed
5 tablespoons fresh orange juice, divided
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Other Ingredients
10 (4- to 6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
Pico de gallo, fresh cilantro leaves, and lemon wedges, for serving
 

Instructions:

Make the avocado salsa

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add tomatillos and jalapeño; cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes.

2. Place tomatillos, jalapeño, avocado, cilantro, 3 tablespoons water, lemon juice, salt, and cumin in a blender. Process until smooth, about 45 seconds, adding up to remaining 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed until a pourable consistency is reached. Season with additional salt to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Make the jackfruit "carnitas"

3. Using a knife, remove non-shreddable core from shreddable outer parts of jackfruit pieces; set aside. Remove any seedpods from shreddable parts, and add seedpods to pile of cores. Place shreddable jackfruit in a medium bowl, and shred with your hands into small pieces. Finely chop cores and seedpods until they are a similar texture to the shredded jackfruit; add to shredded jackfruit in bowl. Add oil, 21/2 tablespoons orange juice, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; toss to evenly combine. 

4. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add jackfruit mixture; using a spatula, press into an even layer. Cook, turning and pressing occasionally, until seared and golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes, adding oil as needed. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice. Season with additional salt to taste.

5. Place about 1/4 cup jackfruit mixture on each tortilla. Top with pico de gallo and cilantro. Serve with avocado salsa and lemon wedges. 

Pair with 2019 The Terraces Pinot Noir »

*Tip from Fort Ross Vineyard: save time by looking for pre-seasoned jackfruit products in the refridgerated section of the grocery store - typically next to the tofu & other meat substitute products!

Ingredients:

1 cup French green lentils

Kosher salt and pepper

6 baby golden beets, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups torn frisée, white and light green parts only 

2 red endives—halved lengthwise, cored and sliced crosswise on the diagonal

Four 5- to 6-ounce skin-on salmon fillets

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, cover the lentils with at least 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add a generous pinch of salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well and spread the lentils on a baking sheet to cool. 

2. Rinse out the saucepan and put a steamer basket in it. Add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Scatter the beets in the basket, cover and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Let the beets cool. 

3. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the shallot, mustard and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lentils, beets, frisée and endives and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. 

4. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the salmon, skin side down, and press gently with a spatula to flatten. Cook over moderately high heat until the skin is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook until it is medium within, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the salmon to plates and serve with the lentil salad.

Pair with 2017 Stagecoach Pinot Noir »

Ingredients:

1 large head of garlic, top fourth cut off

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms

3/4 cup boiling water

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound assorted mushrooms, such as stemmed shiitake, cremini and oyster, quartered

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons chilled

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1/4 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Set the head of garlic on a double layer of foil, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, then wrap in the foil. Roast the garlic until very soft, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let cool, then peel, keeping the cloves intact.

2. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, cover the porcini with the boiling water and let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Rinse the porcini and coarsely chop them; reserve the soaking liquid.

3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread in a single layer in the skillet. Cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet. Add the assorted mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until browned and their liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.

5. In the skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the red wine and boil over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Pour in the reserved porcini soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, mushrooms, porcini, roasted garlic and chicken and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Swirl in the 2 tablespoons of chilled butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Serve with crusty bread.

Ingredients:

1 cup pearl couscous

1 cup water

2 T. virgin olive oil

1 t. turmeric

1 T sea salt

½ cup halved mini/baby carrots

1 large shallot sliced in ¼ inch thick rings

2 T. virgin olive oil

12 ounces maitake mushrooms

2 T virgin olive oil

2 T. butter

Small handful pea shoots

½ cup shucked, blanched and peeled fava beans

Tahini Dressing*

Kosher or Sea Salt and fresh pepper

Instructions:

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees

2. In a pot, toast couscous in olive oil until some of it starts to turn golden brown. Add turmeric and stir in. Then add water & sea salt, cover and turn down heat to low.

3. Cook 10 minutes and check to see if all of the water has absorbed. If not, cook 1-2 minutes longer. Transfer couscous to a cookie sheet to cool.

4. Brush a sheet pan with oil. Toss carrots and shallots with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread evenly on half of sheet pan. Place clusters of mushrooms on other half and brush with olive oil and melted butter; season with salt and pepper.

5. Roast veggies in the oven until just tender and lightly colored, about 20 minutes.

6. Toss couscous with veggies, fava beans, 2 tablespoons of dressing, salt, pepper and a couple good pinches of pea shoots.

7. Divide pea shoots among 4 bowls or salad plates and spoon equal portions of couscous salad over pea shoots. Top with a cluster of mushrooms and drizzle a teaspoon of dressing around plate/bowl and over mushroom.

Ingredients:

2 T minced shallots

1 T minced fresh ginger

2 oz, rice vinegar

1 t. white miso

2 T water

3 T tahini

1 t. salt and 3-4 twists of fresh pepper

2 oz. any neutral oil

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, whisk first 7 ingredients together well and emulsify oil in. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed or vinegar balance to your liking.

2. Let sit an hour before using so flavors can meld.