I'm celebrating New Year's Eve with with bubbles-of course! and small bites to accompany them. I like an appetizer buffet so friends can stop by throughout the evening and participate in the excitement. I use green foods for life, health, and prosperity in the new year. I'm serving a pesto torte with beautiful basil flavors and a variety of cheeses to accompany the 'yeasty' characters in the wine. I will also make my Mother-in-love's (preferred phrase to Mother-in-law) Italian lentil soup. I love the lentils and so does my family, so I will have a pot of those warming. I like a big fruit driven red wine to pair with the lentils to compliment their earthiness-I'm going to pair a California mountain Zinfandel tonight! For something sweet, I will make some pears poached with thyme and a hint of caramel. This dish can be made anytime throughout the evening and the pears can stay warm in the liquid until the perfect moment to serve.
Enjoy a wonderful celebration and Happy New Year from The Winemaker's Table!
Italian Lentils by Loretta Coyle and Keri Crane
2 T olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
1 bag lentils ( 12 to 16 oz)
3 qts low sodium chick broth (water works
too)
2 C chopped onions
2 C chopped garlic
1 C chopped carrots (I do not always add but yummy) "I never measure anything except the liquid to
bag of lentils and if it is too thick
near the end I add more liquid."
1 lb cooked Italian sausage mild or hot. I crumble and add to soup after the lentils
and veggies are tender.
Saute garlic, and veggies in 6 qt or a bit less pot or dutch
oven. Do not let garlic turn brown.
Add
broth and rinsed lentils to pot.
Bring to a boil and simmer for as long as you
like 30 min to 1 hr. Lentils need to be
soft.
Cook sausage in a pan if links remove casings crumble
sausage no matter what the original form.
Drain and add to soup .
Poached Pears in Thyme
3 Bosc pears, peeled and halved, and cored
Fresh Thyme sprig
1 qt water
1 C sugar
In a large saucepan, heat the water and sugar until dissolved. Add the fresh Thyme sprig.
Place pears in water and keep covered in the liquid. Add a touch more water if needed.
Continue simmering the pears until soft, approximately 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool in the liquid. Once cooled, remove the pears and enjoy with a touch of Caramel sauce or vanilla bean ice cream. Delicious with bubbles!
Note: Method Champenoise is the traditional method that is used in the Champagne region of France. This method adds yeast and sugar to the bottle to ferment in the bottle, producing CO2. The yeast can remain in the bottle for quite sometime, producing this 'yeasty' flavor component essential to pairing with delicate and rich flavors. More about Champagne
My Sparkling wines are going to be California grown this holiday. Technically bubbles made from any other parts of the world, outside of Champagne, are called Sparkling Wines.
