Winter Recipes, Food & Wine

By: Katie Grandy; Beverage Buyer

As the holidays approach, I have been looking into different recipes using wine that are sure to impress your guests. This first one was my favorite, I can’t wait to try it for a Christmas treat!!

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Red Wine Poached Pears with Mascarpone Filling

Ingredients

6 firm in season pears

1 bottle red wine

1 vanilla bean, whole

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

2 cups sugar

2 (8 ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, softened

1/2 cup heavy cream

Pinch cinnamon

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter

Peel pears and leave stem intact. In a large saucepan, bring wine and an equal amount of cold water to a simmer. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and add to wine and water mixture. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and sugar, to taste. Add pears to liquid and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Cool pears in wine mixture to room temperature. You can refrigerate them in the poaching liquid until you're ready to fill them.

Remove stems from pears and set stems aside. Core pears with an apple corer, leaving pear whole.

Whisk together mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, pinch cinnamon and powdered sugar until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag, or if you do not have one, use wax paper tightly wrapped into a cone with the corner snipped off. Pipe filling into cored pears and finish by putting the stems gently into the mascarpone filling on top of the pears.

Bring sauce up to a simmer and reduce by half. Add butter to reduced sauce and stir until combined. Spoon generously over pears. Cool to room temperature before serving.

This next recipe is a good way to stay warm in the cold months. It’s also a good excuse to enjoy a buttery Chardonnay, as they pair perfectly. I recommend coming in and trying our Wente “Morning Fog” Chardonnay. The Wente Family was the first family to bring the Chardonnay vine over to America, and almost all other Chardonnay’s grown in CA come from them! If Chardonnay is not your favorite, we also have a Riesling by them.

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Vegetarian Pot Pie

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 small heads fennel, finely chopped (about 3 cups)

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)

12 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced (about 5 cups)

1 small russet potato, peeled and diced small (about 2 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup low-sodium mushroom broth

1 cup whole milk

1 cup frozen baby green peas

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives

1/4 cup parsley

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 large egg yolk

7 ounces store-bought puff pastry or pie dough, defrosted if frozen

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.

Melt butter over medium heat in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan. When it foams, add fennel, onions, and carrots, and cook until just soft and onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and potato, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring rarely, until mushrooms have let off water and are shrunken, about 6 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir to coat, and cook until raw flavor is gone, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add broth and milk, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, add peas, herbs, and vinegar, and stir to coat. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn filling into an 8 by 8-inch baking dish.

Whisk egg together with 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt until evenly mixed. Set aside.

With kitchen shears, cut dough to fit over the baking dish. Place dough over filling and tuck into the edges of the dish. Brush dough with egg wash and cut slits in the top to vent. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.

Well, I hope these Recipes help to inspire you all through this cold season! I am keeping my eyes peeled for more yummy recipes that pair well with our wines here. Please feel free to let me know if you’ve tried any of these and how they turn out, also looking for your favorite recipes using wine!

Have a great holiday!!

Katie