These are the wines that our neighbors make.
Virginia Wine Class ~ Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar ~ Roanoke, Virginia
Ox-Eye Winery Riesling and Shy Ox Rosé and were my favorite of the wines we tasted in the Virginia Wine Class. $20 range. The Riesling was smooth, clean and bright with crisp apple notes. The Shy Ox Rosé has a lovely pink color and tasty crisp apple notes that seem to give the wine a bit of effervesce.
The Ox-Eye Riesling will be a lovely pairing for Thanksgiving turkey.
A yummy pairing to begin a holiday meal ~ Ox-Eye Riesling or Shy Ox Rosé served with this little nosh ~ Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (balanced sharpness, slight nuttiness, caramel sweetness), Murray’s Heirloom Apple Butter on Firehook Cinnamon Baked Crackers.
Grande Réserve Brut, Héritage Familial NV
66% Pinot Noir
33% Chardonnay
Smooth mousse with rich pear, brioche and spice notes. A delightful aperitif leading into Thanksgiving dinner.
www.champagne-barnaut.com
Here’s my favorite recipe for green beans ~ always on my Thanksgiving table…enjoy!
Parmesan Prosciutto Green Beans
A family favorite! You’ll find this dish on my holiday table often. Easy to prepare and full of flavor. Here’s the recipe:
1.5 pounds fresh green beans
3 oz prosciutto (I use the packaged Boar’s Head brand. Prosciutto sliced in the deli may not fry very well)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup shaved Parmesan
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 stick butter, cut into small pats
Wash green beans and remove stems. Place in large pot of boiling water (no need to add salt since this recipe has lots of salty ingredients). Cook beans until they are just tender. Drain and set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place olive oil in a frying pan and place over medium-high heat. When oil is hot place prosciutto slices in the pan and fry, turning once, until prosciutto is crispy. Remove slices from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
In a bowl combine parmesan and panko bread crumbs. Place green beans in a baking dish and sprinkle with panko bread crumb mixture, toss to combine. Dot the green beans with the butter pats. Crumble the prosciutto and sprinkle it over the green beans. Place green beans in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
And a lovely cocktail to sip as all of the Thanksgiving frivolity has begun to curtail…
Spiced Orchard Pear
Recipe from the Culinary Institute of America ~ as published in the October 18, 2017 issue of The Roanoke Times
Scotch is the star in this crisp Fall cocktail recipe!
Servings 1
2 ounces blended scotch
1/4 ounce pear puree
1/2 ounce orange liqueur
1/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 ounce Winter Syrup (recipe below)
1 cinnamon stick for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, combine the scotch, pear puree, orange liqueur, and syrup. Add ice, then shake until well-combined. Strain into a rocks glass, over fresh ice, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Chef’s note: If desired, lightly burn on end of the cinnamon stick with a torch. Invert the rocks glass over the cinnamon stick on a heat-safe surface or plate while you prepare the cocktail.)
Bubblybee note: This will envelop the interior of the glass in cinnamon smoke which will give a cinnamon spicy note to the cocktail.
Chef’s note: You can find pear puree in the freezer section of some grocery stores, but if not, just put 3 to 4 pears in a saucepan with about 1/4 cup of water. Cook until the pears are soft, then blend them to a smooth puree.
Bubblybee note: To make pear puree I put the peeled and cored ripe pear in my blender with the other ingredients and pureed the mixture until very smooth. Then I put the mixture in my cocktail shaker with ice to complete the recipe.
Winter Syrup
Makes about 3 cups syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
the peel of 1 orange, white pith removed (I used the peel of 2 clementines. Then I used the clementine segments as a garnish for the cocktail.)
1 star anise (note: star anise and cardamom pods can be quite expensive when purchased by the jar. I purchased mine by the ounce at our local natural foods co-op, purchasing only what I needed, which was much less expensive.)
3 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cardamom pods
Combine water, sugar, orange peel, anise, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until mixture is simmering and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside until cool, then strain. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!
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