By Robert Trottmann

This super comfort food has some spice and richness that pairs deliciously with our Tempranillo.

Serves 4

Lid Crust

2 cups All-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

13 tablespoons cold unsalted butter coarsely grated (I use my cheese grater)

6 tablespoons sour cream or whole Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/4 cup ice water

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash prior to cooking)

Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 strips thick cut black pepper crusted Applewood smoked bacon

1 large or 2 small onions, fine chop

1 large carrot, fine chop

1 large stalk celery, fine chop

Red pepper flakes to the amount of heat you like (I like it medium spicy so I use about a teaspoon)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

8-10 ounces of finely chopped Swiss chard (you can also use kale spinach or collards and I go heavy on the greens because I really like them))

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

3 1/2 tablespoons (25 grams) all- purpose flour

3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups white beans, cooked and drained (you can use canned beans for convenience)

Make lids: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender/knife or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles little pebbles. Break up the bits of butter until the texture is like the size of rice grains. In another dish whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, and water, and then combine it with the butter-flour mixture. With a flexible spatula, stir the wet and the dry together until a rough dough forms. If needed, get your hands into the bowl to knead it a few times into one big ball. Form into a flattish ball, cover it and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Make filling: Cook the bacon on low-medium heat until quite crisp. Remove it, let it cool and chop into bits. Leave the heat on and the renderings in the pan. Add an additional tablespoon of olive oil if needed and heat until shimmering. Add onions, carrot, celery, red pepper flakes, add salt, and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more. Add the greens and cook until wilted. Season with the additional salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer all of the cooked vegetables to the bowl with the bacon, and set aside.

Make sauce: Lightly wipe the large saucepan and don’t worry about bits stuck to the bottom. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour, and stir with a whisk until combined. Continue cooking stirring the whole time, until it begins to take on a little color. Whisk in the broth about a cup at a time mixing completely between additions. Once you’ve added a third of the broth things are well heated and you can add the rest more quickly you can begin to add the rest more quickly, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom — they’re flavorful.

Once all of the broth is added, stirring the whole time, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. Cook the sauce until it is thickened about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the beans and vegetables into the sauce.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Assemble and cook pot pies: Divide the filling between four ovenproof 2-cup bowls. (You’ll have about 1 1/2 cups filling in each.) Set the bowls on a baking pan. Divide the dough into four pieces, and roll it out into rounds that will cover your bowls with an overhang, or about 1 inch wider in diameter than your bowls. Whisk the egg wash and brush it lightly around the top rim of your bowls to keep the lid glued on and drape the pastry over each pressing gently to glue it. Brush the lids with egg wash, then several small vents in each lid to help steam escape. Bake until crust is lightly bronzed and filling is bubbling, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Note: You can place a bottom to your pie if you wish. I do just because like the extra richness and it reminds me of childhood.

By Robert Trottmann

Serves 4

Pomme Rösti or röschti is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes. It was originally a common breakfast eaten by farmers in the canton of Bern, but today is eaten all over Switzerland and also in many restaurants in the western world. Many Swiss people consider rösti a national dish. Today, rather than considering it only for breakfast, it is more commonly served to accompany other dishes such as “Spinat und Spiegelei” (spinach and fried eggs, sunny side up), cervelas or Fleischkäse. It is also a dish one can order in many Swiss restaurants to replace the standard side dish of any given meal.

This is a real comfort food dish. I served it with poached eggs, a dollop of sour cream and a side of asparagus. This is an in between time for seasonal cooking at my house as things start to get going in my gardens. Potatoes are readily available and in honor of my new chicks in the coop, the poached eggs seem a fitting tribute to springs arrival. All of these are delightful served with Ledger David 2013 Viognier. A perfect pairing, simple and delicious!

Ingredients:
4 medium sized potatoes
2 tsp. salt
Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup melted butter

Directions:
Coarsely grate the potatoes and place in ice water until thoroughly chilled. Lay the potatoes out onto a cloth and roll them up to thoroughly squeeze out the moisture. Put the potatoes into a mixing bowl and pour the melted butter over them. Add salt and pepper. Toss until the butter and salt and pepper are evenly distributed on the potatoes. Place the potatoes evenly into a 10” diameter cast iron skillet on medium high heat and cook on one side until crispy and golden brown, flip and repeat until both sides are equally browned. It is divine!

To poach an egg (it is so easy):
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place one tablespoon of water in a muffin tin cup (you can make as many poached eggs as you have spaces in your tin). I like to add a dash of melted butter to my egg but it is not necessary. Put one egg per muffin tin cup and cook at 350 degrees for 8-10 minute depending on how well done you like your egg.

Serve immediately. I like asparagus, collards, chard, kale, spinach or other cooked leafy greens as a side. You can top the potatoes with sour cream, Greek yogurt, and chives. Other toppings that are wonderful are pickled vegetables. Get creative and enjoy!