Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Summit Lake Pig Roast and Corn Boil 2010

The happy chickens and ducks on the working farm vineyard had another Christmas when our Community Supported Agriculture leftovers and ends were spread around their coop.
One hundred guests journeyed up to Summit Lake Vineyards for their annual wine club Pig Roast and Corn Boil on Saturday.  Like many wineries coming out of the recession, they ran a delightful deal on wine.  One case of '00-'02 Zinfandel for a great price.
Appetizers of watermelon, chips and salsa, fresh honeycomb (dark from the manzanita and madrone flowers the bees seasonally feast upon), blue cheese and crackers.
Gorgeous Zinfandel grapes that made the cut.  Perhaps three weeks until crush.
The two roasted pigs that were smoked and cooked at 235 degrees for 12 hours.  The pigs arrived at the farm alive about a week ago, and Tuesday were butchered.  Girls of the house raise pigs for 4-H, so the pig butcher visited Tuesday to also prepare the girls' pigs that were sold at the county fair.
One shocking cane of Autumnal-red leaves among a vineyard of green-leaved Zinfandel.
The farm spread:  roasted pork, caesar salad, spicy beans, corn on the cob, bread, Sweetie Pie's extra-large corn bread.
My plate before the wind blew.
With a 30% chance of rain it was suggested we move our tent into the winery.  It did sprinkle 1/3 inch of rain overnight, so I was glad for the cozy dry space.  Thank goodness there wasn't an earthquake!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

September Gourmet Group

 The president of our local gourmet club generously hosted us for dinner Sunday.  Seven of us toured the cute, pretty property and sat outside for appetizers of fried shrimp with ginger soy sauce and vodka shooters.  
One of the guests made a mozzarella, pancetta, cantaloupe, mint and cocoa salad, which we ate by the fairy ring of redwood trees along with the river trickling by.
Inside the cozy sweet 100-year-old cabin we passed around the tomato soup topped with sour cream, chives and croutons and passed around the wine, a Herrick Sauvignon Blanc and 1995 Dunn Petite Syrah.
Meanwhile, the perfectly grilled (on the outdoor barbeque) stuffed pork loin rested while we ate a homegrown garden salad with melon, cucumber, arugula and other greens brought by a guest. 
The glaze from the strained apples and cherries was poured over the pork loin (with pink smoke ring!) stuffed with the same fruit and apricot.  Beautifully roasted new potatoes, red cabbage with currants and cloverleaf rolls accompanied.  Wines poured:  2007 Mueller Cabernet, 2005 Mount Veeder Cabernet and a 2008 Thomas Fogarty Gewurztraminer.
Dessert featured a refrigerator strawberry pie that stayed solidified and had a concentrated strawberry taste.  De Viante Late Harvest Viognier and a Summit Lake Zinfandel Port went down smoothly.
Obviously the meal was outstanding, and the company told amusing stories.  The president of the gourmet club expressed her desire to not eat much meat or eat out in restaurants (due to her want to help animals, and people who don't have access to enough food).