Tag Archive for 'vegetables'

Rose Tasting at SpiritLand Bistro

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joanie
on July 14, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Other News and Wine and Food Pairing
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Santa Barbara residents and wine lovers from out of town should not miss SpiritLand Bistro’s recent project: themed wine tasting dinners on the last Wednesday of each month.  These Wednesday Wine and Dine Socials include a four course organic dinner, where all the attendees bring a bottle (corkage free) to share of a designated varietal.  

Each evening they invite a winemaker who specializes in the night’s varietal to discuss the wine as well as the food pairings.  Themed tastings, as I have said many times, provide the perfect opportunity to expand your palate.  Tasting wines of the same varietal side by side allows you to see difference more clearly and understand the terminology of wine discussion.  Of course, this works up to a certain point before you reach palate fatigue and they all start to blend together, but at least then we are always enjoying ourselves.  

The SpiritLand tasting encourages mingling between guests who share a collective enthusiasm for wine and fine dining experiences.  The theme for July 30th is Rose from around the world, and the speaker will be Leigh Readey (from J&L Wines).  You can’t beat the price of this event, $45 including tip and tax.  Ryan (Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond Winery Assistant Winemaker) and I have already made our reservations to attend so come see us.  Here is the menu for the Rose tasting:

First course: Assorted gourmet cheeses (from local gourmet cheese shop, C’est Cheese)

Second course: Vegetable Pakoras* and Potato Samosas** with Chutney

Third course: Seafood Paella with Cajun Spice (Vegetarian option available)

Fourth course: Apricot Crisp

Next month (August 27), the theme will be Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne and the speaker will be Craig Jaffurs from Santa Barbara’s Jaffurs Wine Cellars.

Spiritland Bistro, 230 E. Victoria St., spiritlandbistro.com

805-966-7759, advanced reservations required for this event

 

*Pakora is a deep fried item in Indian cuisine also found in other South Asian countries

**Samosa is a fried pastry shell with a savory filling

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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July at Lafond Winery & Vineyards

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Pierre
on July 12, 2008
in Wine News, Winery News and Winery Visitors
. 1 Comment

July is a great month to visit the winery. The vines are green, as are the trees and landscaping. The wildflower seeds that we planted in late spring are beginning to blossom. The days are warm and the nights cool, ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

1. The winery as you enter.
2. Overlooking the front lawn and the vineyards beyond.
3. The vegetable and wildflower garden at the entrance.
4. Looking south from our vineyard across the river. The river meanders through the trees and the winery is barely discernible at the bottom of the hills.

Click images to enlarge.


 

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Rose Moradian on Nasturtiums at the Bistro Organic Garden at Lafond Vineyards

Published
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Pierre
on June 17, 2008
in Our Organic Garden, Rose Moradian, Wine News and Wine and Food Pairing
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Rose Moradian writes about our organic vegetable garden, at Lafond Vineyards, in the Bistro Restaurant & Wine Bar Blog…

A common sight in the Santa Barbara area in the springtime, Nasturtium is one of my favorite salad ingredients! I am growing some for the Bistro in many colors. Nasturtium in Latin means literally “nose-twister” or “nose-tweaker”, as a common name, refers to a genus of roughly 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Tropaeolum (”Trophy”), one of three genera in the family Tropaeolaceae.

The flower is edible, making for an especially ornamental salad ingredient; it has a slightly peppery taste reminiscent of watercress at the end tip and sweet full leaves and is also used in stir fry. All parts of the plant are edible, not just the flower and leaves. The unripe seed pods can be harvested and pickled with hot vinegar, to produce a condiment and garnish, sometimes used in place of capers, although the taste is strongly peppery.

Nasturtiums are also considered widely useful companion plants. They repel a great many cucurbit pests, like squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and several caterpillars.
Click images to enlarge:

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New Summer Cookbooks at Santa Barbara Winery

Published
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joanie
on June 16, 2008
in Gifts, Joanie Hudson and Tasting Room
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Our Tasting Room and retail shop carries some of the best cookbooks out on the market today.  Summer is a time when cooking is at its simplest.  It is a time when fresh produce is available at its peak.  Farmers Market stands are bursting with color and promise flavorful ingredients that can be served as they are without a fuss.  Who wants to sit in front of a hot stove when you can be outside enjoying a BBQ and glass of wine on the patio?  We just got in a large shipment of a variety of different seasonal cookbooks perfect to inspire your family’s summer menu. 

The new books are listed in no particular order, but the Donna Hay Simple Essentials books are my absolute favorite.

Good Day for a Picnic

Lorna Sass’ Complete Vegetarian Kitchen

Donna Hay Simple Essentials Chicken

Donna Hay Simple Essentials Salads and Vegetables

Build a Better Burger

Summer Gatherings

Rick Stein’s Complete Seafood (step by step recipes and 550 pictures included)

Anybody can be a good cook during the summer months as long as you make sure to always use fresh ingredients.  Never choose dried herbs over fresh.  Take advantage of your local Farmers Market.  Always use fresh cracked pepper and flavorful sea salt crystals.  And quality olive oil makes more of a difference than you know.  I actually heard of a great tasting room up in Los Olivos where you can taste locally grown and produced food products, olive oils grown in Los Alamos, and fruit-infused vinegars.  The retail store and tasting room is called Global Gardens (www.oliverevolution.com).

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Summer and Winter Squash Sibling Rivalry

Published
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Pierre
on June 11, 2008
in Bistro Vegetable Garden, Rose Moradian and Wine News
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Gardener Rose Moradian has written on this serious and contentious rivalry in the Bistro Restaurant & Wine Bar Blog. Rose is the creator of our organic vegetable garden at the Lafond Vineyards.
She writes…

In terms of vegetable growing, much emphasis is made on the number of days needed to produce. Many of the same vegetables need different times to produce. Thus, “Early” tomatoes, “Baby” beets, etc. In terms of squash, Summer and Winter squash need to be planted around the same time. What are some winter squashes, you may ask. Pumpkins, Kabocha, Hubbard, Spaghetti, Butternut, Acorn and Buttercup squash are some, to name just a few.

Here is a link to good visual website for more. Some winter squash are blue, like the Hubbard. “Kaikai” is another, known for its striped outer hull and delicious black seeds, full of healthy oils and vitamins! I’m growing most all of these at the Lafond Vineyard for the Bistro. Winter squash needs 100+ days to bear a full size fruit. Summer squash, like Zucchini, Crookneck and Patty Pan squash, to name a few, need only 50+ days to produce.

To read the Rest of the article…

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Organic Garden at Lafond Vineyards

Published
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Pierre
on May 28, 2008
in Bistro Vegetable Garden, Restaurant News, Rose Moradian and Wine News
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Rose Moradian writes in the Bistro Restaurant and Wine Bar Blog…

This is a VERY exciting time for the Lafond Vegetable Garden! We’ve harvested our first batch of lettuces and kohlrabi! The Bistro currently has Blush Butter and Magenta Loose Leaf lettuces as part of the mixed salads. You can purchase some of our very own Lafond Produce from the Montecito location. Very soon, like next week we will have peas as well! I chose some unusual peas for the Bistro, for beauty and flavor. Specifically, Golden India Peas.

These are a rare heirloom from India that I’ve heard so much about, I decided to grow it for the Bistro. Rare, beautiful and delicious, this unique, yellow, edible pod pea has tasty, flat pods that are sweet and crunchy.They have enchanting, two-toned purple flowers followed by their striking lemon-yellow pods. Originally from India, this heirloom is just fabulous in stir-fries. To be sure, I’m growing the usual varieties as well, like Precoville Petit Pois…

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