This Thursday night, July 29th, Chef Richard Haake will do a recipe demo paired with  X Winery’s Carneros Chardonnay. Richard will do a cajun classic, Chicken Maque Choux, which is pronounced “Mock Shoe”. Its is so good and the recipe is below.  This dish is seasonal classic that utilizies corn, peppers and tomatoes. Its paired with the X Winery Carneros Chardonnay. We hope to see you at the Chefs Market. Richard will be giving out samples with the help of Chef Annie Baker. X Winery will also be there so join us for a summer pairing.

Cheers!!!

Chicken Maque Choux

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon corn oil

salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skin off, cut into bit size pieces

½ cup bacon

1 tablespoon bacon fat

½ cup onions, small diced

¼ cup celery, small diced

¼ cup green bell pepper, small diced

¼ cup red bell pepper, small diced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 cups white wine

4 ears fresh corn, fresh cut off the cob, be sure the scrape out all the pulp

1 cup roma tomatoes, seeded and medium diced

1 tablespoon fresh picked thyme

1 tablespoon old bay seasoning

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup of heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a large sauté pan over high heat add the corn oil. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the pan; sear the meat well making sure to brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and to a plate lined with a paper towel. In the same pan add the bacon. Cook until crispy. Strain the bacon fat into a small bowl, reserve and place the crisp bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel. Place deep-sided sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of bacon fat to the pan. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic then sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes or until tender. Add the wine and reduce until almost dry. Add the corn and tomatoes, stir together with the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and Old Bay seasoning. Place the chicken back in the pan and cover with the chicken stock. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan, stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Finish with a dash of hot sauce and serve over rice with te crispy bacon as a garnish.

Summer 2010

Family Style Menus

1.
heirloom tomato salad with caper vinaigrette

grandmother Bowman’s Maryland style fried chicken
German potato salad

Sebastopol berry trifle

2.

watermelon salad with pickled onion, cucumber and feta cheese

pork tenderloin with summer beans, roasted peppers and Brentwood corn

apricot and pistachio tart

3.

penne pasta salad with mozzarella and basil pesto

roasted Pozzi Ranch leg of lamb with ratatouille

tiramisu

4.

chopped salad with cucumber, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes,
garlic croutons and buttermilk dressing

pan seared flat iron with chimichurri
roasted zucchini and fingerling potatoes

Santa Rosa plum galette

Drop off $30.00 per person plus tax
Includes platters, Serving Utensils and Bread
Minimum order of 10

Join the wineries of Howell Mountain as they host the 2010 Taste of Howell Mountain. A garden party, tasting and auction being held this Saturday June 19th at the Charles Krug Winery.

Here’s some of what will will be serving:

Smoke Duck Tacos with Pickled Beet and Sweet Onion Salad

Porchetta Sandwiches with Rapini and Spring Garlic

Grilled Don Watson Spring Lamb Piadini, Fava Bean Puree, Arugula, Feta

Hungry yet?

After taking home the Critics Choice Award for the 2010 Mustard Festival, we’ve gone and done it again and entered ourselves into a recipe contest. The Hall Cabernet Cook Off.  This time its a popularity contest as the guest will be asked to vote on the winning dish. That means we need you to join us Sunday May 16th at Hall Winery in Saint Helena. Come taste our creation along with dishes created by other Bay Area chefs, both professional and amateur.  Visit the link below for more information. Reply to this post for a coupon.

http://www.hallwines.com/cabernetcookoff

Cheers!!

Richard Haake

Spring 2010

Family Style Menus

1.

Asparagus with Tarragon Aioli

Roasted Lemon-Thyme Marinated Cornish Hen with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Strawberry-Rhubarb Galette

2.

White Bean Salad with Arugula, Piquillo Peppers and Fennel

Cazuelas of Pork Shoulder with Ancho Peppers, Sundried Cherries, and Spring Garlic

Meyer Lemon Tart

3.

Mozzarella Salad with English Pea, Crispy Prosciutto and Mint

Roasted Pozzi Ranch Leg of Lamb with Roasted Nante Carrots and Cured Black Olives

Polenta Cheese Cake with Macerated Strawberries

4.

Chopped Salad with Fava Beans, Kalamata Olives, Garlic Croutons

Green Goddess Dressing

Grilled Flat Iron with Confit of Wild Mushrooms and Shallots

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Drop off $30.00 per person

Includes platters, Serving Utensils and Bread

Well, sometimes you go through life just doing what you know. Next thing you know you win an award. Thanks to everyone with the 2010 Mustard Festival, the team at Winery Chefs and my wife Virginia. Oh, and to everyone I met at the awards event, you are the best. Here’s the recipe:

Dutch Mustard Soup with Speck Ham and Gouda Cheese Crouton

Serves 6

Soup;

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup leeks, white part only, finely sliced and rinsed

1 cup yellow onions small diced

½ cup celery, small diced

1 cup russet potato, small diced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons white pepper

3 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken stock or rich vegetable stock for vegetarian option

½ cup cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup crème fraiche

½ cup Gouda cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard, preferably Grey Poupon Harvest

salt and white pepper

Crouton:

2 slices of sour dough bread

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, preferably Edmond Fallot

2 slices Speck Ham

¼ cup shredded gouda

1 tablespoon soft butter

1 tablespoon chives, sliced

Soup:

In a large pot over medium heat add the butter and allow it to melt. Once the butter melts, add the leeks and onions. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 5 minutes. Lightly sprinkle the flour over the top of the vegetables while continually stirring. Cook for 3 minutes. Slowly stir in the chicken stock. Use a whisk if necessary to prevent lumping. Allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are falling apart. Remove the soup from the heat. Allow the soup to cool slightly. Carefully puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to a clean large pot and place over medium high heat. When the soup returns to a simmer whisk in the cream cheese and cream fraiche. Once the cream cheese is incorporated into the soup stir in the gouda and cook until it melts. Whisk in the whole grain mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce to low heat until you are ready to serve.

Croutons:

Preheat the over to 375°F. To make the croutons lay out the two pieces of bread. Spread the Dijon mustard on one side of the bread. On the other slice of the bread place the two slices ham and top with the gouda cheese. Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese forming a sandwich. Butter both sides of the sandwich with the soft butter. In a non-stick pan over medium high heat toast the sandwich on both sides. Use a spatula to press down the sandwich. Remove the sandwich to a cutting board to cool. Slice the crust of the sandwich. Cut the sandwich into small cubes like a crouton. Place the croutons on a sheet pan and bake for 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown.

To serve ladle the hot soup into a bowl. Top with crouton and sliced chives.

Chef Richard Haake and the team from Winery Chefs have been participating in the Mustard Festival this year. On March 12 Richard and his wife Virginia will be serving Dutch Mustard Soup with Ham and Cheese Croutons at Black Stallion Winery for the Mustard Recipe Competition. Below is the recipe for those who miss the event.

Dutch Mustard Soup with Speck Ham and Gouda Cheese Crouton

Serves 6

Soup;

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup leeks, white part only, finely sliced and rinsed

1 cup yellow onions small diced

½ cup celery, small diced

1 cup russet potato, small diced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons white pepper

3 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken stock or rich vegetable stock for vegetarian option

½ cup cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup crème fraiche

½ cup Gouda cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard, preferably Grey Poupon Harvest

salt and white pepper

Crouton:

2 slices of sour dough bread

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, preferably Edmond Fallot

2 slices Speck Ham

¼ cup shredded gouda

1 tablespoon soft butter

1 tablespoon chives, sliced

Soup:

In a large pot over medium heat add the butter and allow it to melt. Once the butter melts, add the leeks and onions. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 5 minutes. Lightly sprinkle the flour over the top of the vegetables while continually stirring. Cook for 3 minutes. Slowly stir in the chicken stock. Use a whisk if necessary to prevent lumping. Allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are falling apart. Remove the soup from the heat. Allow the soup to cool slightly. Carefully puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to a clean large pot and place over medium high heat. When the soup returns to a simmer whisk in the cream cheese and cream fraiche. Once the cream cheese is incorporated into the soup stir in the gouda and cook until it melts. Whisk in the whole grain mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce to low heat until you are ready to serve.

Croutons:

Preheat the over to 375°F. To make the croutons lay out the two pieces of bread. Spread the Dijon mustard on one side of the bread. On the other slice of the bread place the two slices ham and top with the gouda cheese. Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese forming a sandwich. Butter both sides of the sandwich with the soft butter. In a non-stick pan over medium high heat toast the sandwich on both sides. Use a spatula to press down the sandwich. Remove the sandwich to a cutting board to cool. Slice the crust of the sandwich. Cut the sandwich into small cubes like a crouton. Place the croutons on a sheet pan and bake for 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown.

To serve ladle the hot soup into a bowl. Top with crouton and sliced chives.

Winter 2010

Family Style Menus

1.

Chicory Salad with Cara Cara Orange, Pistachios, Goat Cheese, Shaved Fennel

Duck Cassoulet with Rancho Gordo Beans

Dried Fruit- Scharffen Berger Chocolate Galette

2.

Spinach Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Dates

Pozzi Ranch Lamb Stew with New Potatoes and Rosemary

Gingerbread Cake with Caramelized Pineapple

3.

Endive Salad, Smoked Trout, Horseradish Crème Fraiche

Braised Pork Shank, Turnips, and Kale

Almond-Orange Torte

4.

Chopped Salad with Meyer Lemon-Mint Dressing and Croutons

Beef Bourguignon, Crimini Mushrooms, Pearl Onions

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Drop off $30.00 per person

The food comes on our platters with serving utensils and bread.

Minimum order of 10

No drop off fee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYxHEvSZ2EE

http://www.winecrush.com/

This press release features the recent menu for the Duckhorn and Paraduxx Vineyards wine and food programs. Both these programs offer a unique experience with exquisite wines and seasonal food.

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/11/20/wine/doc4b062ac66e8f1651750957.txt