CHERRY CAPRESE

Cherry season is just a fleeting moment of time. The crop is susceptible to changes in spring weather and one minute our tree is full, the next minute the birds have eaten EVERYTHING. I love getting the whole family out to pick cherries and creating lots of savory foods and sweets. My husband decided to go cold stone creamery style and roll fresh cherries and chocolate chips into vanilla ice cream. YUM!

We harvested our cherries in two picks this year. One a little less ripe-tangy with lots of acid. Another pick was juicy sweet and more complex in flavor.

Cherry is one of the basic fruit descriptors found in many

rosé and red wines. It's often the first fruit flavor recognized because of it's familiarity and it is characteristic across many grape varietals. Descriptors can range by type of specific cherry-Bing, Rainier, and black to name a few-all the way to cherry cough syrup.

Like olives, sometimes it's best to pit them. In this recipe I use a stainless cherry pitter that I purchased primarily to help my kids develop small motor skills. I really love this tool because it takes out the pit and saves all the fleshy fruit. 

I created this recipe to pair cherry and basil. I love the sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. The cherry component really matches a wide array of wines and makes a great side dish for summer grilling. I'm taking this to a Memorial Day BBQ this weekend! 

Cherry Caprese Salad

Additions:

3 C pitted cherries, halved

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 C basil

2 T olive oil

2 t balsamic vinegar

Balsamic glaze

salt and pepper to taste

Protocol:

Place the mozzarella on a plate, top each piece with fresh basil. Carefully, mound cherries on the basil leaf.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Top with balsamic glaze and enjoy!

 Winemaker's notes:

The cherry flavor compliments the similar flavors in

rosé and red wines. The basil adds spice. You can add this side dish to your BBQ and sip Barbera, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon or Sangiovese. 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND ROSEMARY SEA SALT CRACKERS

The holiday season! It’s loaded-that’s for sure. I try to slow down to enjoy a few short weeks of holiday magic, but it can be pretty challenging.  When I need an escape or simply some time to recharge, the kitchen feeds me. I celebrate the quiet moments-did I just say that? There’s nothing quiet about our house. I must have been dreaming!-the moments where I can focus amidst the busy-ness of life and think, create, and finally share and enjoy with the ones I love.

During the low light of winter, I crave invigorating flavors of Rosemary. The hardy properties in this evergreen kitchen herb complement the big wines that keep me warm and cozy all season long.

This is the perfect wine snack to bring out when friends stop by with a bottle of wine or just to enjoy while wrapping gifts and putting the final touches on holiday decorations. Yeah-when I made these and kind of over indulged (just a LITTLE bit) because they were so yummy straight out of the oven! Grab a glass of wine and settle into this easy recipe that would be a great gift for the wine lovers in your life.

ROSEMARY SEA SALT CRACKERS

Additions:

1 C all-purpose flour

¾ C whole-wheat flour

½ t salt

5 T olive oil

¾ C water

2 T finely chopped Rosemary

sea salt to top

Protocol:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large kitchen mixer with paddle attachment combine flours and salt.

Next, add olive oil, water, and rosemary. Mix on low speed until dough forms.

Remove promptly to avoid overworking and divide dough in half.

Place one piece of the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Roll out dough evenly and as thin as possible.

Use a knife to cut the dough into squares or rectangles. You could also use a cookie cutter to make special cut outs

Use a fork to pierce each cracker shape.

Sprinkle with sea salt

Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness of crackers.

Enjoy with a glass of Cabernet, goat cheese, and sliced roast beef.

Winemaker’s Notes:

Rosemary flavors are intense and the texture is rich. There isn’t much that’s delicate about this pungent herb. I enjoy a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon with slightly peppery flavors that range just beyond green bell pepper into cracked paprika. Rosemary brings out the botanical aromatics that lie beneath these big beauties full of texture and complexity.