Friday, Mar. 13, 2009

Serenity of spring

By Braiden Rex-Johnson, Wine Press Northwest

As winter recedes, Northwest cooks welcome the serenity of spring and the fresh, delicate foods it brings. We celebrate the arrival of baby new potatoes and greens, seasonal celebrations with lamb as the centerpiece, the first catches of salmon and halibut and the appearance of the first rhubarb and strawberries.

Our serene spring feast begins with an elegant appetizer: New Potatoes with Smoked Trout (or Salmon) Mousse, a recipe from Short Cuts to Great Cuisine (The Crossing Press, 1994, $12.95). Begin by placing eight unpeeled baby new potatoes in a saucepan that will hold them in a single layer. Cover them with one inch of lightly salted cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Place in a colander and run cold water over the potatoes to cool them. Drain thoroughly. Slice each potato in half and place on a serving platter.

Now whip up a batch of Smoked Trout (or Salmon) Mousse by cutting two green onions into quarters crosswise and mincing in a food processor. Add four ounces of skinned, boned smoked trout or salmon, three ounces of cream cheese (room temperature) and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Purée until completely blended. Top the potatoes with the mousse and a sprinkling of snipped fresh chives or additional green onion.

Pair the new potatoes with a luscious sparkling wine from Washington's Columbia Valley: Domaine Ste. Michelle 2002 Luxe ($23). Made in the traditional Méthode Champenoise, this beautifully crafted bubbly delivers on every level, from its fine bubbles and color to its toasted nut and delicate citrus aromas to additional citrus, toast and vanilla on the palate.

A Hazelnut-Berry Salad provides the perfect taste of spring. Make the berry vinaigrette by whisking two tablespoons each of raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar and strawberry jam with one teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a dash of freshly grated nutmeg and a sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black or white pepper. Slowly whisk in four tablespoons of hazelnut or walnut oil until the dressing is smooth and shiny.

Rinse and thoroughly dry eight cups of mixed baby spring greens (mesclun mix) and add to a large salad bowl. Rinse, hull, dry and thinly slice one pint of fresh strawberries and add to the bowl along with one-quarter cup of hazelnuts or walnuts. Toss the greens and goodies with the vinaigrette.

Serve the salad with Cooper Mountain Vineyards 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir ($24), a certified-organic and Biodynamic wine from the Willamette Valley. You'll love the way the spunky raspberry and cherry components and toasty oak in the wine mesh with the berry and nut flavors in the salad.

Our serene spring entrée, Lamb Loin Stew, comes from Mike Neuffer, owner and winemaker at Nicolas Cole Cellars and GraEagle Winery in Walla Walla. The recipe is featured in my book, Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining (Wiley, 2007, $34.95). Begin by heating three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add two cups of chopped yellow onion and cook until slightly softened. Add two large minced garlic cloves and cook until softened.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add one pound of boneless lamb loin (cut into one-third-inch strips and sprinkled with salt and black pepper to taste). Cook until browned on the outside but still pink within, then add six sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, but drained and cut into thin strips), one-half cup of reduced-sodium chicken stock and one-quarter cup of loosely packed basil leaves (cut into thin strips).

Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, then add one 15-ounce can of butter beans (rinsed and drained), four sun-dried tomatoes (prepped as above) and one-quarter cup of basil (ditto). Stir well and cook until heated through, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Mike likes to serve this luscious, Mediterranean-leaning stew with GraEagle Winery 2006 Cabernet Franc ($30) from the Walla Walla Valley. It's a lovely example of this varietal, deep purple in color, medium-bodied and rife with black currant, spice notes and velvety tannins that complement the stew so well.

We conclude our serene spring supper with Buttery Pound Cake with Grand Marnier Glaze. You can look up venerable Vancouver chef John Bishop's complete recipe for Lemon-Orange Pound Cake in Simply Bishop's (Douglas & McIntyre, 2002, $30), or simply substitute a good-quality store-bought cake as I did.

Meanwhile, make the glaze by zesting, then straining the juice of one orange and one lemon into a saucepan. Add one-and-one-quarter cups of granulated sugar and one-quarter cup of Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur) and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the stove and cool to room temperature. Slice the cake and drizzle with the glaze - be generous - then dollop with unsweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche.

The chef suggests pairing the orange-y cake with Quails' Gate Late-Harvest Optima (375 ml, $33 Canadian) from the Okanagan Valley. Made from botrytis-affected Optima grapes, this unique dessert wine displays beautiful aromas and flavors of fig, beeswax, and ripe citrus. It's the perfect wine to salute the serenity of spring.

Braiden Rex-Johnson has been writing about Pacific Northwest food and wine for 18 years. She is the author of seven books, including Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining (Wiley, 2007). Read her blog, Northwest Notes, online at NorthwestWiningandDining.com.

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