January 2016   Food Fun



A lot of people take January off Alcohol and rich foods, we do the opposite. It's a quiet month with minimal work in the cellar, the tasting room is more quiet than other months and Mat & I can have fun with Food and Wine, travel a bit and plan food adventures for the year to share.

We started the with a search for great pairings with our Brut Rose' and continued all month.
Freestone Artisan Cheese shop owner / cheese monger Omar hosted us graciously at the store. We went through about 20 cheeses, pickled chanterelles and more.

Dinner at Seaside Metal in Guerneville, beet salad

 Baked hot wings at home, one of Mat's favorites.

More cheese tasting

 A visit to Anderson Valley and a few nights at the Mendocino Inn & Spa.
This 10 room Inn is a great get away with a hiking path out the back that links directly to Van Dam State park and beach.

Searing Liberty Farm Duck Breast, we moved into some library Pinot's for this.

 Village Inn in Monte Rio has a new Chef and menu of course. My high light was the mushroom soup, in the center was a nice group of crunchy pickled chanterelles.

More sampling of cheese and other bites

 One of our favorite cheese pairing for the brut Rose'. From Anderson Valley, this goat soft cheese is rich and creamy and adheres closer to the classic sparkling pairing of Brie type cheeses. Available to purchase at the Freestone Artisan Cheese shop.

 Next up we started sampling recipes for our Annual February Mushroom Foray. We always serve a mushroom filled lunch and a lot of Paul Mathew Vineyards Pinot's.
This 1st time tried recipe was a hit for us, Mushroom and turkey Pot Pie.
Now we can start making some adjustments from the original recipe, think DUCK!

Next up February filled with mushrooms.