A free weekend

It is pretty rare that I head into a weekend where I don't have any plans. Such was the case last weekend. Having no plans, I thought I would see what CWH was doing for dinner. As is usual whenever CWH and I cook, planning begins with the wine choice. I offered up a Loire wine, Chinon, I picked up in DC last weekend. I also was interested in opening a 2007 JKL Napa Syrah I had been gifted. CWH offered a 2005 Oregon Pinot Noir he had cellared a few years. Each of these wines were so different, the collection of the three did not call out one particular meal or another. The only rational way to choose a meal meant we should choose based on what was on the big board sale at the Ballard Market. A quick search online revealed we would be cooking leg of lamb. Tough.

After having made our protein selection we needed a recipe to accentuate our wine pairing; by this point we determined that the Pinot was out and we'd sample both the Syrah and the Chinon. Poor little Pinot. The Silver Spoon inspired a recipe for the lamb and seasonal green beans made our vegetable choice easy. In the end, we prepared herb crusted leg of lamb, sauteed carrots, onions and green beans, and oven roasted Yukon gold potatoes. The key to the preparation was probably the lamb jus added to both the roasting potatoes and the saute.

The wines went quite well with the meal. We started with a glass of the Chinon Les Perruches and then we had the JKL Syrah. Boy were these wines different. The Chinon was very delicate and subtle in its flavors. Meanwhile the JKL Syrah was big and powerful and it changed quite a bit throughout the night. At the beginning the JKL had a oaky nose and I could smell raw bacon and popcorn. CWH argued it was smoked bacon and creme de cassis. The palate was jammy with dark blackberries and blueberries and a bit of cola. With the lamb, I picked up a bit of licorice. All and all, these were fantastic wines and very different wines to pair with a delicious piece of lamb.


By the end of the night, we still had a pound and a half of lamb remaining. We hatched a plan to consume the leftovers for lunch on Saturday before visiting our neighborhood winery. Earlier in the week I had been reading Alice Waters' cookbook about cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients. She begins the cookbook with some fundamental ingredients everyone needs in their kitchen and some basic sauces one should have in their repertoire. When CWH suggested lamb sandwiches with garlic aioli, I immediately thought of Ms. Waters. The result was carved lamb served with garlic aioli, a sprinkle of blue and Parmesan cheese served on rustic Italian loaf. Broiled in the oven and it was a masterpiece. To add to the delight, we had leftover vegetables from the night before.

LBG, CWH and I decided we would visit our neighborhood winery on Saturday. We ventured just a few short blocks to Domanico Cellars and enjoyed our tasting with wine maker.

After wine tasting, JA, CWH and I thought we'd take advantage of the beautiful fall afternoon and head to the park. Discovery park was a perfect choice. There were ripe black berries in the meadows, the forest area is starting to smell like autumn, and the beach was warm. It is always fantastic to feel like you left the city and visit the park.

The walk in the park made us hungry and we remembered the poor Pinot Noir we had neglected the night before. It was quickly decided that fresh salmon was on the menu. Our trip back to Ballard Market revealed the remaining pieces of our meal. Coho salmon from Washington. Then we discovered shrimp skewers were on sale. The fresh peaches looked amazing. After finding these ingredients, we decided a white wine was in order.

The last few weeks, I've been enjoying a book- Adventures from the Wine Route by Kermit Lynch. Lynch tells stories from his many trips around France, tasting wines and meeting wine makers in the 1970's and 80's. He emphasizes lesser appreciated wine growing regions and romances the artisanal nature of French wine making. Some of these wines were from the Loire Valley (note the Chinon from the night before), Provence and Languedoc.

My reading led me to decide that a Sauvignon Blanc would be a fine wine for our salad course. I selected a Domaine du Salvard- Cheverny, imported by none other than Kermit Lynch. When I got home, I wanted to choose a dressing for our salad that would complement the Sauv Blanc. I turned to a magazine I recently picked up that had some serious recipes and wine pairs. Inside the Wine Spectator, I found a salad recipe from Ms. Alice Waters. Ms. Waters suggested a spinach salad with an herb crusted baked goat cheese to pair with a Sauv Blanc. This meal was meant to be. The influence of Waters and Lynch was so evident in the weekend's food.

What began as a weekend with no plans turned out being a wonderful weekend, cooking with friends, enjoying the park and tasting delicious wine. I have a feeling this is only the beginning of an excellent fall.