Baked Custardy Orzo with Spinach, Bacon and Feta
By Robert Trottmann
Ingredients:
Salt to taste
1 cup orzo
12 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pounds leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
10 ounces baby spinach
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the orzo until al dente. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl.
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned, 8 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until tender, 8 minutes. Add the leek mixture to the orzo, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted; transfer to a colander and press out the excess liquid. Add the spinach to the orzo, fold in the feta and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt and milk, season with pepper and stir into the orzo. Scrape the mixture into an oiled 12-by-8-inch baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes, until the eggs are set and the top is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Pairs with Ledger David Sauvignon Blanc.
Apple Cinnamon Crock Pot Pork Loin
Serves: 5-6
INGREDIENTS
3 Lbs. Porkloin
1 Sweet Tart Apple/ Such as Crispin, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith
3 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 medium yellow onion
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice slits every ¾” to 1” into Porkloin horizontally about ¾ through the meat.
Fill each slit with an ¼” thick slice of apple skin edge out.
Brush honey over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Transfer the Porkloin to the crock pot and layer the onions over the top.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes.
A perfect pairing with Ledger David 2011 Viognier.
Robert’s Good Luck Black Eyed Peas
Robert’s healthier riff on Hoppin’ John Black Eye Peas for luck in the New Year of 2014
This stir-fried version of black-eyed-peas-and-rice has plenty of flavors from bits of bacon or ham, without a pound of ham hock needed. It’s a great way to use up holiday leftovers. You can add whatever vegetables and grains you have on hand to this and it only gets better. Black Eye Peas and Collard Greens (on the side) are good luck foods to ring in the New Year and a big Trottmann Family and Southern tradition.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces slab bacon or smoked ham, cubed
2 onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and black pepper
2 cups cooked white or brown rice, preferably chilled. Choose the rice you love.
2 cups cooked or canned black-eyed peas, drained, liquid reserved
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Put the oil in a large skillet or large Wok over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are crisp and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and lower the heat to medium. (If you’re using smoked ham, which is very lean, you won’t need to pour off any fat.) Add onions, peppers, and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the rosemary and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Begin to add the rice, a bit at a time, breaking up any clumps and stirring it into the oil. When all the rice has been added and is glossy, add the peas with 1/2 cup of their liquid. Cook and stir until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve, garnished with parsley and steamed or braised collard greens. Delicious!
Serves 4.
Robert’s Day-After-Thanksgiving Quiche
By Robert Trottmann
Serves 4
Quiche
6 eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 cup roasted turkey leftovers, chopped
¼ cup tomato seeded and diced
¼ cup apple wood smoked bacon, cooked until crisp and finely chopped
1- 8-inch pie shell
Mornay sauce
2 ½ tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1 pinch nutmeg
2 oz. grated hard dry cheese (your choice), plus more for sprinkling
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
1 tbsp. paprika (Smoked Paprika really makes this dish shine)
2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp. parsley
To make the quiche batter, whisk eggs and whole milk together. Chill well.
Split the turkey, tomato and bacon evenly into the 8 pie shell. Pour in quiche batter, filling to the rim. Bake in a preheated oven at 325° for 10-15 minutes until set. The quiche should be golden brown and firm.
To make the Mornay sauce, first make a roux by melting the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and adding the flour to it. Continue to cook and whisk to keep it from burning. Add cream and whisk in the roux to slightly thicken the sauce. Add nutmeg, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.
Pour Mornay over the now cooked quiche. Sprinkle with the paprika and place evenly the pieces of Roma tomato on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake at 325° for 5-7 minutes or until sauce bubbles. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately. Pairs with Sangiovese Rose’ or Primoris Chenin Blanc.
Grilled Pears with Rogue Creamery Oregonzola Blue Cheese, Walnuts & Spicy Mustard Vinaigrette
By Robert Trottmann
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
1 large shallot, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons Stone Ground Spicy Mustard
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
¾ cup olive oil
Season with salt and pepper to taste
For the Pears
2 Ripe Southern Oregon Bosc Pears
¼ cup Walnut pieces (chopped)
¼ cup Rogue Creamery Oregonzola Blue Cheese
1 tablespoon local honey
For the Salad
4 cups Mesclun Salad mix
Instructions
You can either grill the pears on your grill or use a cast iron griddle with ridges on the stove top.
Make the vinaigrette. In a food processor or blender chop/pulse the shallots, garlic, both mustards and vinegar until incorporated. Add the olive oil and blend until the oil is emulsified.
Grill the pears. Cut the pears in half, core them and brush all surfaces with a light oil like walnut or hazelnut. You can slice a small piece off the back side of the pear to keep it from rolling but this isn’t necessary as the pears will rest on the greens just fine. Grill the pears cut face down. Cover and cook until heated through and nice grill marks appear…about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, toast the walnuts in a cast iron skillet on medium heat until toasted, about 5 minutes. Pour the warm toasted walnuts into a small bowl and add the crumbled Oregonzola Blue cheese and the honey. Stir lightly to incorporate.
On four plates place equal amounts of the mesclun mix and drizzle lightly with the vinaigrette.
When the pears are nicely grilled turn them over and place an equal amount of the walnut and cheese mixture onto each pear and place the pears on the beds of greens.
Serve warm. Enjoy with Ledger David Primoris Chenin Blanc for a perfect pairing!
Scallops with Grapefruit and Bacon with Ledger David Sauvignon Blanc
Scallops with Grapefruit and Bacon with Ledger David Sauvignon Blanc
A tangy, buttery white wine and grapefruit sauce with smoky bacon is the perfect accompaniment to sweet sea scallops.
1 large grapefruit
3 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1-by- 1/4-inch matchsticks
1 1/4 pounds sea scallops (about 20)
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup Ledger David Cellars Sauvignon Blanc
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Peel the grapefruit and set aside ½ the sections. Squeeze and strain the remaining to get three tablespoons of juice. Cook bacon on moderate heat till crisp. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Cook in skillet on moderately high heat until just brown. Add onions and cook an additional 3 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add wine and grapefruit juice to skillet and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cook liquid scraping up any bacon bits. Strain liquid into heatproof cup and then return to skillet. Add capers and butter to liquid and cook until sauce is thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add scallops back into the skillet, turn them to coat in the sauce. Add grapefruit sections and bacon and serve immediately over a bed of field greens.
38 Central’s Mousseline of Crab with Ledger David Viognier
38 Central’s Mousseline of Crab & Rogue Creamery TouVelle Cheese with Ledger David Viognier
- 1 Cup Crab Meat (picked through to remove shell)
- 1/2 Cup Ledger David Viognier
- 1 Tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Egg Whites
- 3/4 Cup Whipping Cream, Stiff Peak
- Pinch Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Fresh grated Nutmeg
- 1 tblsp Chives, Chopped
- 1/2 cup TouVelle Cheese Mornay Sauce (see below)
If Live Crab, Poach in 1/2 cup water & 1/2 Cup Ledger David Viognier & Lemon Juice, reserve poaching liquid.
Put bowl of mixer in freezer for 10 min to chill down, add egg whites and pulse on high until egg whites start to stiffen. Add crab, lemon juice and 2 tblsp Ledger David Viognier and pulse 3-4 times to mix. Put crab puree in cold bowl and fold Mornay Sauce into crab until mixed. add salt pepper and spices, then add cold Stiffly whipped cream a spoonful at a time again folding into the crab mix (The Mousseline should be consistency of soft mashed potatoes, if it separates, stop and chill everything for at least 20 mins, then continue to add whipped cream) cover and again chill for 10 min. Put a shallow pan on heat with 1/2 cup Ledger David Viognier & 1/2cup water (or reserved poaching liquid) bring to simmer and form quenelles of the Crab Mousse using 2 spoons, drop these into liquid and poach for 2 min. Remove to a grate to drain, place on toast or cracker to serve. Drizzle with lemongrass oil or Lemon and Olive Oil ~ serve with Ledger David Viognier.
- TouVelle Cheese Mornay Sauce
- 3 tblsp Flour
- 2 tblsp Butter
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Nutmeg
- Pinch White Pepper
- 2 oz grated TouVelle Cheese
- 1 1/2 cups warm whole Milk
Melt butter in heavy pan, add flour and stir and cook on med-high heat stirring constantly until the roux is medium yellow and frothy. With a whisk, add milk slowly. Continue to whisk until sauce starts to thicken. Add spices and continue to stir on low heat for 3 more minutes. Add cheese and stir until
