A Fall Food and Wine Tasting Plus Recipes

Guest Chef Jennifer Rossano served the third organic food and wine tasting at Vintology's new location on Palmer Avenue on Friday, October 4th. Twenty-five guests enjoyed six courses and wine pairings.

Guests were greeted with a a tasting of a white blend from Oregon, 2012 Borealis, and a Ratatouille Tartlet with fresh ricotta and herb infused oil. The tart was light and crisp and the fresh cheese and ratatouille was very flavorful.

The next course was a Truffle Scented Cauliflower Soup – see the recipe below. It was pureed and smooth and paired with a 2011 Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay, a well-balanced Chardonnay from Chile.

The soup course was followed by a Fall Harvest Salad including shaved fennel, celery root apple and hazelnuts served with a Hazelnut-Shallot Vinaigrette. The salad had a perfect balance of both texture and flavor. The salad was matched with a 2011 Marcel Deiss Alsace, a very good white blend from Alsace, France.

The two main courses were a Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Crust and Apple Chutney (recipe below) served with a 2009 Benziger Merlot, Sonoma County and a Braised Beef Ragu over Celery Root and Turnip Mash served with a 2010 Montirius Vacqueyras. Both meat courses were tender and savory and the wines matched up perfectly.

For dessert, the group enjoyed the chef's homemade Fresh Plum Tart served with Vanilla Bean Gelato and a 2012 Vajra Moscato d"Asti.

The combination of terrific food and wine along with the knowledgeable and personal staff all helped to make for a perfect evening.

Here are a few of the delectable recipes:

Truffle Scented Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP minced shallot
1 cauliflower, about 2 pounds, florets and stems cut into small pieces
3 cups whole milk
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp white pepper, plus more to taste
1 tsp white truffle oil, plus more to taste
1 tsp finely minced chives (optional)

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium size pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for two minutes, until soft. Do not let them brown. Add the cauliflower and milk, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, and then blend with salt and pepper to desired consistency. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the truffle oil. Taste, and add more salt, pepper or truffle oil as desired. Serve with a sprinkle of finely minced chives (optional).

Notes:

- This soup tastes lovely without any truffle oil at all. You can also change the seasoning by replacing the truffle oil with 1 teaspoon curry powder or ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg.
- If you do not have any white pepper, use freshly ground black pepper, however you will see the little flecks of black pepper in the soup.
- If you are looking for a low fat option, substitute the whole milk with low-fat milk.
- If you want a dairy free option, use ghee or olive oil instead of the butter, and replace the milk with chicken stock.

Makes approximately 6 cups.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Spice Rub and Spiced Apple Chutney

Ingredients:

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp dried mustard
½ tsp black pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
1 pork tenderloin, well trimmed, about 1 ¼ pounds

Directions:

Mix the first 8 ingredients together in a small bowl. Dry the pork tenderloin well with a paper towel, and then rub the spice mix well into the pork on all sides. Let the pork sit, well covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The pork can be seasoned up to 8 hours in advance, or the night before.
When ready to grill, take the pork out of the fridge 30 minutes beforehand and let it come to room temperature. Pre-heat the grill to medium, about 400-450 degrees. Grill the pork until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, medium-well, about 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice, pour any juices that have accumulated on the cutting board over the meat, and serve with Spiced Apple Chutney, recipe below.
Serves 4.

Apple Chutney

Ingredients:

1 TBSP butter
¼ cup currants (or raisins)
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp fennel seeds
pinch salt
3 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup orange juice, preferably fresh, strained of pulp

Directions:

Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds, and sauté until the butter froths and the seeds begin to darken, about 1-2 minutes. Add the apples, currants, brown sugar, cinnamon and juice. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let the apples simmer gently for about 10 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, stir and continue to simmer uncovered for another 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the apples become very soft and the mixture becomes thick and glazed. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

For more information, contact:

Vintology Wine and Spirits
2 Palmer Avenue
Scarsdale NY, 10583
(914) 723-2040
www.vintology.com

Jennifer Rossano
Chef and Culinary Instructor
jenrossano@verizon.net
914-713-8665

Contributor Dina Braun spent fifteen years as a Catering Sales Manager and loved planning the menus.
She currently spends her days raising her three boys and in her spare time, follows the local food scene and tries many of the new restaurants in Westchester County. She enjoys sharing her opinions with other foodies.