November - Wine & Dine

Can it be? Is it really the beginning of the holiday season again? To get used to the idea, you might consider making a list while drinking a glass of nice wine. We’ve come up with three you might like. They all go well with many holiday foods.

As usual, all our wines are purchased locally with food in mind. If you can’t find them in one shop, you’ll probably find them in another. The chardonnay is a bargain. But, each of them is fairly priced.

Our top pick this month is the 2019 Cèline + Frédéric Domaine Gueguen Bourgogne Rosé ($19-$21). Rosés are quite popular in the warmer months. Then, some people just forget about them when the temperature gets lower. For a food friendly, versatile wine any time of the year, this French offering fits the bill. It has aromas of strawberry and mint and strawberry flavors with a slight bite. Quite dry and medium bodied, serve it at the Thanksgiving dinner table. It will complement many of the dishes.

Other good bets this month are the 2018 Via Blanca Terroir Series Chardonnay ($13-$15) and the 2016 Wolfberger Pinot Blanc ($14-$16). From Argentina, the chardonnay is crisp, clean and very food friendly. It has a nice apricot flavor that will pair well with our pumpkin bisque, as well as crab cakes, goat cheese and dishes with Alfredo sauce. Seafood and lean fish are other good matches.

The Wolfberger wine is fairly typical wine from Alsace in France. It has a very light fragrance of pear with a little spice. Pineapple, pair and other fruit flavors combine to make it a very fruity, medium-bodied wine that is soft and refreshing. Roast turkey is a good match and is a nice change from more traditional Thanksgiving wines. Feta and blue cheeses work well with this wine. It’s a good wine for quiche Lorraine at a holiday brunch.


Pumpkin Bisque

• 1 medium onion, chopped (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 (18-ounce can) pack pumpkin
• 6 cups homemade chicken broth or about 4 (14-ounce) cans of chicken broth
• 4 Tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 Tsp. ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan. Add onions and cook until soft but not browned, about five minutes. Stir in pumpkin, chicken broth, ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired. Makes two quarts. (8-12 servings).


Cheddar Cheese and Chive Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus 2/3 cup for garnish
• 2 Tbsp. fresh or 1 1/2 Tsp. dried chives
• 3/4 cup milk
• Black pepper to taste
• Fresh chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl or food processor fitted with steel blade. Cut in butter or process with several on-off turns until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add one cup cheese and chives; mix. Add milk, mix until mixture is moistened or in processor until dough forms a ball.

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Knead gently eight to 10 times. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut with floured pumpkin or other cutter. Place on ungreased 14- by 20-inch cookie sheet. (Dough may be re-rolled to make remaining biscuits.) Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle remaining cheese on biscuits (about one tablespoon per biscuit) five minutes before done.  Makes 8-10 biscuits.


Turkey Pot Pie

• 1 cup diced peeled potatoes
• 3/4 cup sliced carrots
• 12 cup butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1/2 Tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 Tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 2 sheets refrigerated pie  crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put potatoes and carrots in large saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered for 8-10 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, stirring until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until well blended. Gradually add milk and broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, about two minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, corn and potato mixture.

Place a pie crust over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan. Add filling. Top with remaining crust. Trim edges and seal. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting. Makes six generous servings.


Cranberry Thanksgiving Pie

Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. cold skim milk

Sift flour into mixing bowl.  In small bowl, mix oil and cold milk. Pour all at once into the flour and stir lightly with fork until blended. Chill 15 minutes. Flatten dough slightly between two sheets of wax paper and roll out. Place in 9-inch pie plate, trim and flute edges.

Filling

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 Tsp. grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to boil; stir in cranberries and grated orange rind. Boil until cranberries pop, then remove from heat and cool until mixture is lukewarm. Turn into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 20 minutes; reduce oven heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes.