SONOMA COAST

BY CHEF JOHN ASH 

Quality of the scallops is crucial to this dish and fresh “Day Boat”, “Diver” or “Dry Pack” jumbo scallops are called for (order from your fishmonger).  Day boat scallops are harvested daily and never put into a brine solution. As a result, the texture is meatier and they sear or grill beautifully, as opposed to those that have been soaking in a brine solution which is usually laced with tripolyphosphate that bleaches the scallop and encourages it to soak up water.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Fresh jumbo day boat scallops

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground white pepper

1 C Chopped cremini mushrooms

1/2 C Chopped shallots or green onions

5 tbs Butter

1 tbs Olive Oil

2 C Peeled, cored and julienned tart green apples (Pippin or Granny Smith)

1 C Dry white wine

3 C Shellfish or chicken stock

1 3-Inch Vanilla bean, split

1 C Heavy Cream

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Garnish Fresh microgreens such as onion, rinsed fresh whitefish or salmon caviar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Remove any side muscle from scallops, rinse, pat dry and lightly season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté mushrooms and shallots in 2 tablespoons butter until just beginning to color. Add 1 cup apples, white wine, stock and one half of the split vanilla bean and reduce by half over moderately high heat, about 10 minutes. Add cream and mustard and reduce to a light sauce consistency. Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer, pushing down on the solids. Discard

3. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil to a sauté pan and sear scallops quickly on both sides over high heat. Set scallops aside and keep warm. Add remaining butter to a clean pan and sauté remaining apples for a minute or so or until crisp-tender. Be careful not to overcook, apples should still be firm and scallops slightly translucent in center.

4. Arrange apples and scallops attractively on warm plates. Spoon warm sauce over and garnish with microgreens and caviar.

BY SONOMA-CUTRER

This is a fun recipe! One for that backyard summer party when the barbecue is on, the sun is taking hours to set and you want to spend time with guests, not going crazy with kitchen prep. Homemade burgers are always a hit, but why not spice it up a bit with lamb?

These lamb burgers are juicy, delicious and a great pairing with the Sonoma-Cutrer Owsley Pinot Noir.

And, did I mention bacon onion jam? Adding a bit of sweetness with savory bacon is an easy trick to enhance any burger. Not only that, if you make it a couple hours before your guests arrive, the whole house smells like bacon! The Aleppo pepper is originally from the ancient city of Aleppo, Syria. It is less spicy than it is tangy and smoky. As for the aioli, its easier to make than you think and is a great way to impress your guests.

INGREDIENTS

Lamb Burgers:

2 pounds ground lamb

2 eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Worcestershire

Bacon Onion Jam:

1 pound bacon, large dice

2 large red onions, medium dice

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

Aleppo Aoili:

6 egg yolks

1 teaspoon lemon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon cold water

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons Aleppo oil

6 tablespoons canola oil (or other light oil, such as corn or soy)

3 teaspoons crushed Aleppo pepper (can be found in the spice aisle of many grocery stores)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lamb Burgers: Combine all ingredients for the burgers and mix well. Weigh out 6oz. of ground meat and roll into a ball, as if making meatballs. Flatten into a patty of desired thickness and round the edges. Thicker patties take longer to cook, but are juicier.

2. Bacon Onion Jam: In a large sauté pan heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions and heat on low for 20 minutes or until translucent. Stir every 3-5 minutes to limit sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3. Once the onions are fully cooked (you can tell by putting one in your mouth and biting down. If there’s any crunch, keep cooking) add the wine, vinegar, and sugar and stir well.

4. While the onions are caramelizing, put your diced bacon in a large sauté pan and turn on low. The best way to get crispy bacon is to cook it low and slow, rendering off the fat. Stir the bacon every 5-7 minutes and as the fat begins to liquidate drain some off. When the bacon is nice and crispy, but hopefully not too dark, add into the onion mixture and stir well to fully incorporate.

5. Tip: Save bacon fat for future use, it’s great in mashed potatoes!

6. Aleppo Aioli: To make the Aleppo oil, place the crushed pepper in a small sauce pot and heat on medium for about 3 minutes. Stir continuously so as not to burn the pepper. Carefully add the oil into the pot (turn the stove off while adding the oil). Turn the heat back on low for about 5 minutes and stir continuously.

7. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, save the oil and allow to cool, dispose of the cooked pepper.

8. Separate the yolks from the whites, then place the yolks in a blender with lemon juice, mustard, water and salt.

9. Blend on medium speed. Very slowly add the Aleppo oil into the center of the blender. You will notice that the consistency will begin to thicken. Ideally you are looking for the thickness of mayonnaise. You may not need all 6 tablespoons of oil to reach this thickness. Use within 5-7 days.

BY SONOMA-CUTRER

Spring marks the beginning of morel season here in northern California. Morel mushrooms, which are generally harder to find and more expensive, are now available in abundance and well-priced. Cooking morels with shallots and white wine will result in an explosion of flavor and umami!

Pickling is a great way to preserve leftover vegetables and white asparagus is one of my favorites to pickle! Try this terrific appetizer paired with the Russian River Ranches Chardonnay to get the full experience.

INGREDIENTS

1 baguette sourdough bread, 1/8-inch slices

2 cups ricotta cheese, whole cow's milk

1/2 cup heavy cream (substitute whole milk or half & half)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 lemons, zested

1 tablespoon black pepper

15 medium or large mushrooms, cleaned and sliced in half vertically

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, peeled and minced

1/2 cup white wine

15 spears pickled white asparagus, halved vertically

Pickled Asparagus:

1 bunch white asparagus

2 cups champagne vinegar (substitute apple cider or white vinegar if necessary)

2 cups water

5 black peppercorns

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Season baguette slices with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven for 5-7 minutes, just long enough to get crunchy. Remove from oven and set aside for later use.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, cream, lemon zest and black pepper and whisk together. Set aside in refrigerator for later use.

3. In a medium sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and shallots over medium/high. Sweat shallots for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add white wine while the pan is away from the flame and return to the flame gently. Begin to reduce the wine and then add morel mushrooms and gently stir. Morels will be cooked after just 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a cookie sheet. Reserve for later.

4. The asparagus needs at least a week of pickling before it is ready to eat. If you need a substitute in a pinch, pickled red onions can commonly be found in the condiment aisle at the store. If you’d like to pickle the asparagus yourself, the recipe is below.

5. Evenly spoon enough ricotta mixture over the top of the crostini. Place one or two halves of the cooked morels over the ricotta. Place one half of a head of pickled asparagus over the top of the morels.

6. Pickled Asparagus: Combine all ingredients other than asparagus in a soup pot and bring to a boil for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.

7. Wash and trim the bottoms of the asparagus to the desired height depending on the size mason jar you have. I recommend using a quart size mason jar for this recipe.

8. In a large pot, boil water, place the mason jar and lid in the boiling water for at least 30 seconds. Carefully remove the mason jar. Place the asparagus in with the heads facing the lid.

9. Fill jar with the pickling liquid. Close the lid and tighten. Place the mason jar back in the boiling water for at least 30 seconds. Store upside down in a cool and dark location for up to 6-12 months.

BY CHEF JOHN ASH

We usually think of avgolemono as a soup served warm on a rainy day but on a hot day, it also works well cold as a refreshing vehicle for dipping fresh vegetables into. It has been a staple of Greek cuisine for centuries.

Avgolemono is made with eggs, lemon juice and chicken broth. It can also be used as a sauce on meats or vegetables. The true wonder of avgolemono is its extremely smooth texture, which it achieves without cream or dairy of any kind, aligning it with strict kosher dietary rules which prohibits the mixing of meat and dairy.

The rich, lemony flavor complements the 2024 Founders Reserve Chardonnay nicely.

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound; 450g)

2 quarts rich chicken stock, preferably low-sodium

1/3 cup rice or orzo (about 3 1/2 ounces)

5 large eggs

1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Dash Kosher salt

Minced dill, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a deep saucepan, combine chicken breast halves with chicken stock. Heat gently, using an instant-read thermometer to keep the temperature of the stock around 150°F. Cook until the chicken breast reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), about 10 minutes, then remove from stock.

2. When chicken is cool enough to handle, dice or shred the meat and set aside. Add rice or orzo to stock and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes for rice and 12 minutes for orzo. Lower heat to a bare simmer.

3. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, combine eggs with 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice and beat until lightly foamy.

4. While whisking constantly, ladle in about 1/2 cup of the hot chicken broth into the eggs (it's okay if some rice or orzo comes along for the ride). Ladle in three or four more 1/2-cup additions of the hot chicken broth while whisking, then whisk the egg-broth mixture back into the broth in the saucepan. Season to taste with salt.

5. Cook the chicken soup over low heat, whisking and scraping the sides constantly with a heat proof spatula, until thickened by the eggs. Taste soup, then, if desired, whisk in remaining lemon juice until your desired level of lemon flavor is reached. Season with salt again, if needed. Add chicken meat, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with dill and serve.