Category Archives: Wine

The End of the Venison

Posted on April 27, 2014 by AnnieRie

Finally, roughly a year after getting a few dozen packages of venison, courtesy of our neighbor, we grilled the last package. Tenderloin chops.

Served with naan, bread cheese and a very tasty strawberry sauce, made using some of our IQF (individual quick frozen) strawberries from Friends and Farms.

This dinner was a mix of old and new, near and far.

And, thanks to Iron Bridge we had one absolutely perfect wine to drink with it.

Isabel Mondavi Deep Rose, made with Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. I have to admit. I really like this wine, even thought it is big, bold and must be served with food, unlike many rose wines.

I bought some Carr Valley bread cheese at Wegmans a few weeks back. Picked up some naan. A container that included roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes at the olive bar. All the makings of an easy to grill meal.

The bread cheese reminds me of halloumi. That Greek cheese perfect for sautéing or grilling. Alongside the venison it was a good pairing for a fairly simple dinner.

The venison was marinated in a mix of blended strawberries and red wine. With a few basic seasonings like salt and pepper and garlic powder. The biggest strawberries were set aside to heat up on the grill and use for garnish. Tricky to keep them from falling into the grill. But, I managed to only lose two.

Venison tenderloin. Grilled until it is medium rare to medium. Served with strawberries. A fitting way to end the adventure of a freezer full of venison.

Final thoughts on venison. Love the roasts. The tenderloins. The ground venison. Not a fan of the steaks. If we get another opportunity to pay for processing and get more, I will maximize the ground meat, for chili. And only take the shoulder roasts, neck roasts and tenderloin. Glad we did this, to see how flavorful it can be, and how different it is, when compared to the fattiness of beef.

#hocofood

1 Comment

Posted in Farms, Food, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, grilling, Locavore, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Out and About: Gadsby’s Bar American

Posted on April 20, 2014 by AnnieRie

What a great way to spend a Thursday evening. Watching a master of mixology (aka Beverage Mercenary) create craft cocktails for a small group of local bloggers.

The venue. Gadsby’s Bar American in the northeast corner where Columbia meets Ellicott City. A little difficult to find, but very convenient right off Route 100. I like individually owned restaurants where the food is made from scratch, and there are many local ingredients, wines and beers on the menu. Gadsby’s delivers in this respect.

Chad Spangler, who obviously loves his craft, and excels at it (he makes one very tasty Sazerac as well as the five craft cocktails he made for us. All while explaining the art surrounding his craft. Right down to making their own tonic syrup for their Gin and Tonic. Their own simple syrups. A lavender foam. Yes, you read it right. Creating the foam using a stabilizer, like lecithin. Science in cooking. What isn’t there to like about it?

This was our introduction to a restaurant where we will return, as the menu looks very tempting. As does the wine list. I was happy to see Herman Wiemer’s wines on the menu. One of our long time favorite Finger Lakes producers, of dry Riesling and Cabernet Franc.

Other little goodies are enticing as well. Just take a look at the tasting trays they put out for us.

Thanks to Chef Gadsby (you were robbed in Iron Chef America), Chad Spangler, and Michael the bartender, and to Jessie Newburn, our hocoblogs den mother who arranged this demonstration.

If you live around here and want a new place to try that isn’t a boring chain restaurant, check out Gadsby’s. And order their seasonal cocktails, made with rhubarb.

Or, if you like your Manhattan a bit smoky, this one is a treat.

#hocofood

4 Comments

Posted in Adventures, Food, Howard County, Local Businesses, Restaurants, Wine and tagged community, Food, hoco loco, Howard County, local businesses. Bookmark the permalink.

Looking for Local …

Posted on April 15, 2014 by AnnieRie

… in all the right places. And sometimes finding it. And sometimes not.

Case in point. Looking for local wine to take to my brother’s house for Easter. This year I am bringing deviled eggs. Local eggs from the Friends and Farms basket. I have been saving eggs to get them old enough to hard boil. Old eggs are easier to peel.

I am also bringing wine. Which I do for every holiday gathering. I almost always bring local wines. From MD and VA. This year no exception. We are having ham, so this is what I am bringing.

Barboursville Brut Rose and Linden Rose. Ah, but here’s the twist.

This sparkling wine is imported. I suppose I wasn’t paying much attention to those details on our visit to Barboursville in September.

I think I was too busy buying seeds from their selection of exotic vegetables, in order to expand my garden. Like these cardoons.

The large leafed seedlings are the cardoons. I also bought Malabar spinach seeds. They will go in the ground once we ever get past the frost and freeze seasons around here.

So, are cardoons and Malabar spinach local? They are definitely not native to this area. But, if I grow them in my garden, they become local, at least to me.

The Malabar spinach intrigued me, in the kitchen garden at Barboursville. They maintain a garden to supply their restaurant.

It grows up the trellis and takes over the area if you aren’t careful with it.

After all the discussion, it comes down to this. I try to think locally and regionally. But, I don’t get all obsessive about it. My mantra, everything in moderation. Besides, being a conflicted locavore/foodie makes for a more interesting life.

Crossing my fingers that the veggies turn out great, because those Virginia wines certainly are winners.

#hocofood

Leave a comment

Posted in Food, Gardening, Hobbies, Locavore, Restaurants, Wine and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, gardening, Locavore, VA wine, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Keeping It Close …

Posted on April 13, 2014 by AnnieRie

… to home. As in eating regionally. More and more foods that come into our house are regionally sourced. And most of what we eat are items that we make.

I just finished the next to last lamb from England Acres this weekend. It was a loin roast, that we grilled Saturday night.

It ended up feeding us for two nights, as we finished it tonight with a bunch of thrown together side dishes. We bought half a lamb last April. All that is left are one package of ground lamb, and one rib roast. There were 24 pounds of lamb in our delivery.

We didn’t order a lamb this year, as we are getting a good variety of locally sourced meat from the Friends and Farms basket.

Along with the lamb last night, we grilled a few of those lovely potatoes that were in this week’s basket. And some pesto rubbed bread.

The potatoes were coated with garlic powder and rosemary. Olive oil too. The bread, from Wegmans bakery, had a coating of red pepper pesto.

The lamb was marinated in red wine, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.

Tonight the last few pieces were served with some collard greens, and a grilled naan with pesto.

Those greens. Sautéed in olive oil, with scallions, the last banger, garlic, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and cayenne flakes. Who can resist perfectly cooked collards with that brightness of the lemon and kick of the garlic and cayenne.

Tonight, though, the star may have been the last Elk Run 2001 Cabernet from the cellar. Yes, 2001. Thirteen years old. From Maryland. And still hanging in there. Light. Soft. Almost sweet, since the tannins have faded. Who says Maryland can’t make good wine?

So, the lamb was from Mt. Airy. The wine was from Mt. Airy. Can’t get much closer for wine and meat. And, better than many restaurants. Not a bad start to grilling season, and spring in Maryland.

#hocofood

2 Comments

Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged cooking, CSA, farms, Food, foodie, grilling, local businesses, Locavore, MD Wine, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Beef or Wine?

Posted on March 23, 2014 by AnnieRie

Trying to decide what was the star of tonight’s “mostly local” dinner. The fall apart tri-tip, or the fifteen year old VA wine.

I think it was the wine.

That’s not to say the beef was underwhelming, because it certainly was a highlight of the meal. Slow cooked in the oven. With sliced onions and green peppers.

I was going to do tacos, but we were in the midst of spring clean up and I needed a meal to cook all by its lonesome in the oven while we worked with the landscapers to get things all ready for springtime.

Nice to be all mulched, weeded and swept up. In case spring every arrives here in Maryland.

I cooked the beef in a covered dish on a low (190 degree) setting in the oven. With a splash of red wine. A glug of olive oil. Peppers, onions, garlic. The peppers and onions and beef in baskets from Friends and Farms.

Late this afternoon I emptied a can of black beans into a small amount of beef broth, with about 4 ounces of corn (IQF, from Friends and Farms). Made a black bean and corn side dish. Microwaved a couple of potatoes.

Piled it all on a plate and served it with the local wine.

Yes, this wine is fifteen years old. Yes, this wine is from Virginia. You wouldn’t know it though, if you tasted it blind. The equivalent in taste and nose, to a fine Bordeaux. Cherries all over the nose and the taste. No sense of age. No mustiness. Absolutely beautiful. Glad I have a couple more of these down there somewhere.

Jeff left Linden to head out on his own, years ago. Many of us love his wines at Glen Manor. Can’t beat something this special.

Who needs to go out and eat “meh” food at chain restaurants. Give me good food and good wines from around here and bring on springtime!

#hocofood

Leave a comment

Posted in Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Weather, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, Linden Vineyards, local businesses, Locavore, VA wine, weather, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Grillin’ Tuna

Posted on March 22, 2014 by AnnieRie

Hooray, springtime arrived for a day! It will probably be gone tomorrow but you know we should celebrate when we can.

My grilling choice was influenced by a post on a new local blog. The picture of the ahi reminded me we had lovely tuna steaks in the freezer, after a buying spree from Friends and Farms last month.

We chose some extra tuna and put it away anticipating a lovely day like today.

Turns out this was a really local feast. The tuna, green beans, green pepper, and sweet potato all came from F and F baskets.

Add to that one awesome 2001 Elk Run Cabernet. That’s right. 2001.

Who would have known that Maryland Cabernet could be soft, subtle and compliment the tuna so perfectly.

Grilling was a real joy today.

Simple tuna. Brushed with Italian vinaigrette.

Veggie packet.

Green beans from the IQF packet. Scallions. Green pepper. Sun dried tomato and garlic from the olive bar at Harris Teeter (seriously, get a container of stuff from them and use it everywhere). Italian vinaigrette for the marinade.

Spring may only be a day long around here, but tonight. Dinner was regional sourced, and excellent.

#hocofood

Leave a comment

Posted in Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Weather, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, Food, foodie, grilling, local businesses, Locavore, MD Wine, real food, weather, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Monkfish Stew

Posted on March 6, 2014 by AnnieRie

OK, monkfish is something I don’t ordinarily buy. Thanks to Friends and Farms, we got some very fresh, very nice monkfish in today’s pickup.

So, I made a stew. I sort of followed a recipe. Carrots, onions, parsnips. Red pepper tomato soup. Tomatoes from my freezer. Broccoli from the freezer. All mixed together and slow cooked.

Finally, seared the monkfish in a pan and added it for the last 15 minutes.

Served with a lovely Verdeca bought at Iron Bridge during the Italian wine tasting series.

What else was in this week’s basket? The makings of a very good dinner this weekend. Short Ribs and polenta.

Maybe with some of these lovely mushrooms.

Along with the mushrooms, there was curly endive and beets. And, O’Henry sweet potatoes.

Apples. And a couple of quick frozen veggies.

Broccoli is always welcome. As are the green beans. I like the frozen veggies. They do well in soups.

What did I forget? Oh yeah, eggs and muenster cheese.

And, bread. This week I picked honey whole wheat. As for the polenta, this is something I really enjoy making, but don’t make it enough. That will be remedied.

There is enough here for two meals for us. Just the right amount.

Can’t be happier about all these inspiring choices for dinners.

hocofood@@@

Leave a comment

Posted in CSA, Food, Friends and Farms, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, CSA, Food, foodie, local businesses, Locavore, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Pizza? Frittata?

Posted on March 4, 2014 by AnnieRie

So, what is it?

A frittata without potatoes? Or a Pizza with no crust?

Inspired by the Swiss Chard from last week’s basket.

Besides. I needed to use up some eggs.

I started with some leftover thin sliced sausage. Reminiscent of pepperoni. Sautéed with scallions and garlic and sun dried tomatoes. Chard added to wilt down.

Eight eggs whisked with a little milk. Leftover mozzarella.

Everybody into an oven proof pan and put in a 300 degree oven until browned.

Looks like a pepperoni and cheese pizza meets an eggy crust.

We had half of it tonight and the rest will be brunch this weekend.

The star of the dinner though? A 2001 Elk Run Liberty Tavern Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Found in the cellar. Still hanging in there!

Who says Maryland can’t make good wine? This one was smooth, fruity, just a hint of smoke.

hocofood@@@

1 Comment

Posted in Food, Friends and Farms, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged cooking, Food, Locavore, MD Wine, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

This Week’s Basket

Posted on February 28, 2014 by AnnieRie

It’s been so busy around here, I almost forgot about this week’s Friends and Farms basket. A really full basket this time.

Today my husband and I were talking. He is amazed that we rarely see a need to visit grocery stores much. This pick up of food, and my visits to the local farms, and my freezer full of Larriland goodness pretty much keeps us stocked for the winter.

What did we get this week?

Let’s take it in stages, as it wouldn’t all fit in a picture.

I get a dozen eggs weekly, instead of milk. We are now getting eggs from a farm in Clinton MD. Mostly brown eggs, with a very deep yellow yolk. We got four more Asian pears. Love these pears, as they are so crisp and sweet. We got hydroponic spring mix, enough for two salads. And, grapefruit. Two of those. Root veggies, said the preview. That meant a few parsnips and one humongous carrot. A couple of onions.

The meat included one whole chicken, uncured bacon and a small pork loin roast. Perfect sizes for the two of us. This was an egg week in the description, but since I get eggs weekly instead of milk, this week I got the yogurt. I picked vanilla, in order to mix it with my frozen berries from our summer picking at Larriland. We got rosemary and garlic, perfect for the chicken, and the pork. Potatoes and swiss chard. There will be a frittata early next week.

And, I almost forgot the bread. On the table they had lots of fruit breads this week, from the Breadery. Pumpkin, blueberry, cinnamon raisin. We aren’t fruit bread people so I picked a par-baked ciabatta.

Should be good when I make chicken soup with the leftovers from baking the chicken today.

This chicken, spatchcocked with butter, rosemary, garlic, and tarragon under the skin, and drizzled with olive oil became dinner. Except for the breast meat, which will become soup Sunday.

I made creamed spinach with the rest of the spinach from last week. The rest of the angel hair pasta, cooked and served with grated Parmesan and lemon infused olive oil.

With a local wine. What could be better for a Friday night?

A Linden Avenius chardonnay.

Dessert? Trickling Springs salted caramel ice cream. This was really a local meal, in the dead of winter. Can’t beat that.

hocofood@@@

1 Comment

Posted in CSA, Farms, Food, Friends and Farms, Locavore, Real Food, Wine, Winter Eat Local and tagged cooking, CSA, farms, Food, Linden Vineyards, Locavore, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

My Take on Cassoulet

Posted on February 24, 2014 by AnnieRie

A favorite one pot meal. Cassoulet. With all sorts of options and the ability to use what you have hanging around in your fridge.

Served with an excellent local Big Cork Chardonnay. The last one, so it must be time to head up to Frederick for a few more bottles.

This dish came together because I had leftover chicken breast and garlic sausage. About 6 ounces of chicken breast and the same amount of a fresh kielbasa. They were both main elements of last weekend’s meals.

Start with the base.

Olive oil heated in the pan. Added one sliced yellow onion and a handful of scallions sliced. Half of a green pepper. Three roma tomatoes, sliced. Half dozen cremini mushrooms. Other than the scallions, the rest of this dish was in last week’s delivery from Friends and Farms.

When the vegetables are soft and the onions translucent, add the sausage and chicken. Deglaze it all with a splash of white wine and some stock. Empty a drained can, or two if you like beans, of either cannellini or Great Northern beans. Some fresh basil, slivered. A couple of cloves of roasted garlic, smashed, or a teaspoon of garlic powder. A teaspoon of herbs de Provence. A little salt and white pepper. A teaspoon of tomato paste.

Put everything in a low setting in the oven. I use the slow cook setting, which is 250 degrees. For about an hour for all the flavors to meld.

This picture is the before the oven photo. The plate up top is the “brown” version. It may not be the prettiest dish out there, but it definitely tastes wonderful.

You don’t need duck to make cassoulet. It works just fine with chicken. Not a bad mostly locally sourced meal.

hocofood@@@

1 Comment

Posted in Food, Friends and Farms, Locavore, Real Food, Wine and tagged cooking, Food, Locavore, MD Wine, real food, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

AnnieRie Unplugged

Category Archives: Wine

The End of the Venison

Out and About: Gadsby’s Bar American

Looking for Local …

Keeping It Close …

Beef or Wine?

Grillin’ Tuna

Monkfish Stew

Pizza? Frittata?

This Week’s Basket

My Take on Cassoulet

Looking for Something?

The Latest

Old Posts

My File Cabinet

Tags

Follow Blog via Email

Meta

Most Popular

When Did I Post?

Copyright Reserved