Life Lately: Golden Hour

August 23, 2019

Tuesday evenings generally consist of a pilates class for me before I head home for the night to make dinner and unwind. Last Tuesday, however, following a VERY long interview with a very passionate candidate, I wound up missing my class and found myself at work a little later than normal. The last 60 minutes before sunset are almost always golden at the vineyard, but on this particular night, the light was exceptional. I wound up strolling through the garden and vines, camera in tow, to capture just a sliver of nature’s magic.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

[ view to the pathway/entry to the garden at the vineyard ]

[ tobacco drying racks currently being used as make-shift gates until our “real” gate gets installed ]

[ our green beans took off like wildfire and are finally climbing the arch into the garden! ]

[ the tiniest green beans! ]

[ the light on the vines was incredible! ]

[ august cabernet grapes ]

Fig + Prosciutto Salad with Almond Milk Ricotta

September 21, 2017

Currently in Napa, the mornings are crisp, the vines are changing color, and harvest is in full force. It’s clear that fall is just around the corner (tomorrow in fact) and that summer days are coming to a close. I always get a burst of energy when the seasons start to change and I feel it in the fall more than any other time of the year. A new wave of productivity usually takes over for me and I’m inspired to cozy up and try new recipes with a different influx of produce at the market and in the garden. Just as sweet summer stone fruit is winding down for the year, figs reach their ideal ripeness between the end of August and early September in Northern California. Using nectarines and brown turkey figs as our jumping-off point for a late summer salad, I completed the dish with almond milk ricotta, arugula, a simple vinaigrette and Viognier to pair.

I asked our Director of Wine at ONEHOPE, Mari Coyle what wine she would pair with this and she said, without a doubt, Viognier. I was delighted, as Viognier has become one of my favorite varietals since Jake introduced it to me six or seven years ago. I asked Mari for some background on why she selected this wine and she said, “the nectarine brings out the stone fruit flavors in the Viognier, while the figs compliment the spicy ginger and honey notes in the wine. Rhone whites are often mineral-like in flavor with viscosity like honey. This minerality seeks salt, found in the Prosciutto. Arugula plays off the spicy notes again and a little Ricotta sets the stage for the honey dressing which oozes to complete the perfect Viognier pairing.”

Wham bam. Sounded fabulous. And it was. Enjoy!

FIG & RICOTTA SALAD
Yield: 1 serving
Wine Pairing: Viognier

INGREDIENTS

4 tbs. Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta
1-2 brown turkey figs, sliced
1 nectarine, sliced
3 oz. prosciutto, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup arugula

Dressing
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tbs. honey
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Using the back of a spoon, spread ricotta irregularly on a plate or platter.
Form prosciutto into small bunches (one slice of prosciutto per bunch) and stagger the bunches along the outside of your plate.
Fill in negative space with sliced figs and nectarine.
Top with arugula and drizzle dressing over top.
Serve with ONEHOPE Viognier.

PS: Nervous about almond milk cheese? I was too. Here’s a little (actually kind of long) back story on my relationship with nut milk cheeses…

I haven’t talked about it much over here, but I made a complete 180 in terms of my diet and lifestyle this year. With major cleanups to my diet and a new found love for pilates, I’ve tried to reverse years of careless eating and have seen incredible changes to both my health, both physically and mentally. My goal in January was to lose 30 lbs before I turned 30 (April! A bit of an aggressive goal), but when I found pilates and dropped inches while building more muscle mass than I’ve had since college, it became less about the number and more about how amazing I was feeling. I made it down to 22 lbs lost by my 30th and I’m hovering at 25-27 lbs lost now, knowing that one day I’ll drop those last 5 or so. For now I’m happier and feeling better than ever.

A big part of my diet change was cutting out dairy almost entirely. I’ve mentioned this before, but having grown up in the midwest, dairy, particularly cheese, was a huge part of my diet growing up. It was unfathomable to eat eggs, a salad, a sandwich, chili, literally almost anything without cheese. I LOVE cheese. After moving to California and getting into the wine industry where cheese is one of the most prominent pairings for wine, my love for cheese only grew with the discovery of burrata, Humboldt Fog, Truffle Tremor, triple cream brie… it was endless.The thought of a nut milk based cheese irked me and I refused to give them a try until I scrolled past a picture on Instagram. The shot was of a fully loaded sandwich with a delicious combination of sprouted bread, turkey, avocado, jalapeno sauerkraut, and Kite Hill almond milk cream cheese. WHAT?! I hopped on to Kite Hill’s site to see where they were sold and were conveniently at my local Whole Foods. I picked up a package on my next visit and gave it a try. It was love.

When I started seeing figs in the market, I picked some up and started scouring the internet for some new fig recipes to try. A frequent combination that intrigued me was ricotta with sliced figs and honey. I knew that Kite Hill had an almond milk ricotta that would be perfect for this dish and it truly was. I can’t wait to explore some more recipes with almond milk cheese this fall. Cheers!

Grilled Peach + Corn Salad

October 4, 2016

While we’ve had a few chilly days so far this fall in wine country, the vast majority of our weather is still 75+ and even up into the 90’s. With temps that high, heavier fall flavors and hot dishes simply haven’t sounded all that enticing thus far so I’ve been trying to embrace easy summer recipes for as long as possible. After a long hiatus from corn (definitely had way too much of it growing up in the midwest), Jake reintroduced it to me earlier this year when we got our new grill in May. On a recent trip to Whole Foods, I picked up the last of the corn I could find for the season, as well as some juicy peaches that I could practically smell from an aisle away. I did some poking around online for inspiration and found this late summer salad which sounded perfectly simple and yet packed with flavor. Since I didn’t have everything on hand, I made some tweaks along the way and it was absolutely delicious. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 ears corn, shucked
4 peaches, cut into wedges
Salt and pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons red wine vengar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup crumbled feta
4 cups baby arugula
1/2 jalapeno pepper, halved, seeded thinly sliced *optional

Suggested Wine Pairing: ONEHOPE Riesling leads with aromas of honeysuckle flower and peach blossom on the nose. With a fruity flavor profile of white peach, mango and pear, it’s the perfect compliment to the grilled peach, corn and feta in this delicious salad.

DIRECTIONS

Heat grill to medium/high heat.
Lightly drizzle some olive oil on the corn and peaches and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place corn on bottom rack of grill and turn periodically until grill and char marks develop (10-15 minutes).
After corn has been grilling for 5 minutes, place peaches on the top rack of grill and turn periodically until grill and char marks develop (5-8 minutes).
Remove corn and peaches from grill, allowing them cool slightly.
Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and jalapeno (optional).
When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut remove kernels from cob. Add corn, sliced peaches, almonds and feta to to your bowl with the dressing and toss to coat.
Add arugula to salad bowls and top with peach and corn salad.
Serve with a chilled glass of ONEHOPE Riesling. Cheers!

Recipe adapted from here.

Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza

September 29, 2015

Last week when I was experimenting with fall figs, I whipped up a yummy Fig & Rosemary Sparkling Cocktail that ended up being a team favorite. We had a pound of figs left over and some prosciutto so I fired up the oven to create a crispy flatbread. I was so surprised at how incredible this was! I’d never rolled our my own dough so this was the first pizza from “scratch” that I’d made, (although the fresh dough was still store-bought – can’t take all of the credit!) so I had no idea what to expect. I was ecstatic at how perfect the crust was and the combination of salty and savory prosciutto, creaminess of the mozzarella, sweetness of the figs and slightly sharp parmesan made this a crowd pleaser. This paired perfectly with a glass of Edna Valley Pinot Noir… with just the right amount dark cherry on the nose, concentrated fruit, a touch of nutmeg and fall spice on the palate, the Pinot really complimented the sweet and savory flavor profile of the pizza. I’ll definitely be making this again! So easy and so worth the TINY bit of extra effort to get that perfect crust. Cheers!

Time: 45 minutes
Yield: One 16″ round flatbread pizza

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 tbs. flour
16 oz. pizza dough (we used Trader Joe’s pre-made classic dough)
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. prosciutto
8 oz. fresh mozzarella (sliced)
5-6 figs (thinly sliced)
1.5 cups arugula
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (shaved)
1/2 tsp. sea salt

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you’re using a pizza stone, make sure your stone is in the oven during the preheating process (dramatic shifts in temperatures can cause a pizza stone to shatter if the stone isn’t warm before placing it in your oven).
If your dough is refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature before working with it. Flour your work surface and gently kneed, stretch and roll dough to desired shape and size. Ours was ~16″ in diameter.
Brush a little olive oil on the dough and top with prosciutto and mozzarella. Transfer dough to your pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes (or until crust has started to crisp).
While the pizza is in the oven, carefully top the pizza with figs and bake for 3 more minutes. You want to give the figs time to warm up and heat throughout without over cooking them.
While the figs are warming, place arugula in a bowl and toss with olive oil and sea salt.
Remove pizza from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Allow pizza to sit for 1-2 minutes before slicing. Top with arugula and shaved parmesan. Serve with a glass of ONEHOPE Pinot Noir for the perfect pairing. Cheers!

Pappardelle Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions & Goat Cheese

February 13, 2015

When brainstorming for a simple meal to pair with our Pinot Noir at ONEHOPE, I had one thing stuck in my mind and knew we had to make it work – pasta. Pasta is so simple to make and can be manipulated to perfectly pair with any wine. Whether you’re craving something creamy, acidic, cheesy, spicy – there’s a pasta for every desired taste profile. Since mushrooms and goat cheese are both wonderful for a Pinot Noir, I searched the web for inspiration and landed on this. Done and done! A ribbon pasta just seemed more romantic (a la Lady and the Tramp) so I decided on Pappardelle in lieu of Ziti to keep with our Valentine’s Day theme and to also really soak up that goat cheese. This savory, hearty pasta pairs wonderfully with ONEHOPE’s Edna Valley Pinot Noir. This wine is just acidic enough to cut through the rich goat cheese and is the perfect, full bodied and earthy compliment to portobello mushrooms and sweet, caramelized onions. YUM!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound pappardelle pasta
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 onions (chopped)
1 pound portobello mushrooms (stems and gills removed, caps sliced in half and then crosswise into ~1/4″ slices)
4 ounces goat cheese (crumbled)
4 ounces freshly grated parmesan
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

Directions

In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir occasionally for ~30-40 minutes or until onions are golden brown.
While onions are caramelizing, in a large pot, boil your pasta in salted water according pasta’s instructions.
Remove onions from pan and heat 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add mushrooms and stir until soft and medium brown. In the same pan, add the onions, balsamic vinegar, pepper, half the parsley.
When pasta is fully cooked, drain and add remaining olive oil to the pot. Return cooked pasta to pot, add the onion and mushroom mixture, salt, water, 2/3 of the goat cheese and 2 ounces of grated parmesan. Toss while making sure to evenly coat pasta and meld flavors. Plate immediately.
Garnish each dish with remaining fresh, crumbled goat cheese, top with remaining parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley.
Pair with ONEHOPE’s Edna Valley Pinot Noir. Cheers!

PS: Check out my other Valentine’s Day wine pairings here and here.

Wilted Frisée with Coarse Grain Mustard Vinaigrette and Granny Smith Apples

February 12, 2015

No meal is complete without something green so when putting together a 3 course wine dinner, I knew we needed a little something fresh that would be a perfect pairing with Chardonnay. While I was bouncing around ideas with our Sommelier, she threw out the idea of a wilted frisée salad. Honestly, I was skeptical. Frisée are the little bitter greens that I’ve always picked out of a mixed green salad simply because they’re always a little too tough or frankly, bitter (which they are by nature). I’ve never been a fan. Creating a salad comprised of all frisée scared me, but she convinced me when she suggested slightly wilting it to make it easier to eat and to help meld the flavors of a course grain mustard vinaigrette. I decided to take the chance and I’m so glad I did. I could not believe how much I LOVED this salad – I actually went back for seconds! The combination of light, slightly bitter greens, mustard vinaigrette and apples are the prefect compliment to our California Chardonnay. The chopped, granny smith apples bring out the hint of apple and pear in the wine while the mustard vinaigrette offers the perfect touch of acidity to compliment the bitterness of the greens. This is a delicious, light and crisp salad to enjoy before a hearty main course (coming tomorrow). YUM! Give it a try this weekend for your Valentine and I promise you’ll love it. Just be sure to pair it with a little Chardonnay. The combo is pretty spectacular. Scroll down to view the recipe!

Yield: 2 salads

Ingredients

1 head frisée
1 tablespoon coarse grain mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup feta
1/2 medium granny smith apple (chopped)

Directions

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Toss greens in pan until slightly wilted and just starting to brown.
3. To make your vinaigrette, whisk together mustard, red wine vinegar, black pepper, salt and remaining olive oil.
4. In a large bowl, toss greens, chopped apple, feta and drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve with a crisp chardonnay.

Salad Wars – Easy Spinach Salad

October 8, 2014

As much as I wish I could say that I’m a health nut, it just isn’t the truth. I blame part of it on growing up with a should-have-been-a-chef father who was always whipping up something absolutely incredible that generally included rich flavors: garlic, spices, great meats, savory cheeses, etc. Now that I work in the wine industry, my foodie levels have only been heightened by pushing myself to think about pairings and learning more about what foods bring out certain characteristics in wines and vice versa. However, when I started running a LOT earlier this year (more than ever before in my life), I started to learn a few things about my body. Mainly that I absolutely could not continue eating anything and everything I ever wanted.

The issue for me is that it’s really hard to find healthy food that is flavored well and that I really, truly crave. I need salads that are way more interesting than the pre-made quinoa and kale station at Whole Foods during lunch to keep me going or else I wind up at the ridiculous taco joint down the street for the best fish tacos on the planet, or god forbid, CHIPOTLE, which is also conveniently within walking distance to the office. Additionally, I took a hard look at my bank account a few weeks ago and it’s just sad how much money goes to eating lunch out almost every day of the week. It’s no secret that packing a lunch saves you money, but it was a truth I chose to ignore for quite a while.

Enter Salad Wars which is mainly a great big experiment and challenge to find the best, most convenient and healthy salads out there. In my quest, I have found a few and to my disbelief, I’m actually excited for them by lunch or dinner – a feat I never thought possible 😉 Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a few of those recipes and hope to inspire you to join me on the quest for good health.

#1 is my go-to Spinach Salad… check out the recipe below!

Prep: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach
1 handful of cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 avocado
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt (to taste)
a dusting of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

If you’re taking this for lunch and would like to prep it the night before, I usually mix the spinach, pine nuts, parmesan and a little salt in a travel container. I slice the avocado and tomatoes just before eating to keep things fresh 🙂

This salad could not be simpler, which I love. No dressing at all (including EVO) is always better than dressing, but cutting out pre-mixed, store bought dressing also cuts out major calories so I feel ok with a little drizzle of olive oil. With a tiny bit of salt and just a slight dusting of cheese, I’ve found that I don’t miss the pre-mixed dressing at all and I feel fulfilled and re-energized when I’m done eating instead of slipping into total food-coma… We’ve all been there after lunch. You know what I’m talking about.

*If you’re having this for dinner or if you’re allowed to have a taste of wine at work, this wine or this one are great options and pair deliciously with all of the flavors above 🙂 Cheers!

Wine Wednesday (HalloWINE Style)

October 30, 2013

When one of our co-founders at work suggested that we put an adult spin on Halloween and pair our wines with classic trick-or-treat candy, I was game. She conducted a tasting and figured out which flavors would work the best with one another before passing it over to me to style and shoot. The office was FULL of goodies yesterday so we all did our own little tastings and they were AMAZING… Some of the pairings were really different and unique so I didn’t expect to like them all as much as I did, but I guess you really can’t go wrong with candy and wine! It was tough to pick a favorite. Thought I would pass these along for a little Halloween inspiration in case any of you wanted to give it a whirl on your own! And I know it might be tempting, but try not to eat all your kids’ Halloween candy 😉 Cheers!

Follow Along!