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Poached Salmon with Chanterelles
Serves 4

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
12 oz. Chanterelle mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
4 six-oz. salmon filets or steaks, 3/4- to 1-inch thick
3/4 cup bottled clam juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 Tbsp. chopped shallots
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
fresh chives and parsley, chopped

To cook the mushrooms, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms. Cover with a buttered round of wax paper and the lid. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve pan juices. To cook the salmon, to the skillet with the reserved juices, add salmon, clam juice, wine and shallots. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes. Halfway through, gently turn fish using two spatulas. Fish is done when it flakes in the center. Remove salmon with slotted spatula, cover and keep warm. Reserve remaining juices. To make the sauce, gently boil the pan juices until they are reduced by half. Strain and return to skillet. Stir in lemon juice, mustard and cream. Add previously cooked chanterelles. Boil gently until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, place one salmon on each plate, ladle sauce over fish and garnish with chopped fresh herbs.


Classic French Cream of Mushroom Soup
Serves 4 to 6

1 bunch shallots
2 oz. butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
4 cups chicken stock or canned broth
8 oz. white button mushrooms
1/2 cup cream
one small bunch chives, finely chopped
mint sprigs for garnish

Trim shallots and wash well. Finely slice the shallots, incorporating green parts. In a deep saucepan, melt the butter and add the shallots and garlic. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until shallots and garlic are very soft. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over low heat for a minute or two and whisk in the flour. Add the stock, stir gently until soup comes to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer soup for 10 mintues. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and thinly slice them. In a blender, combine the warm soup with the sliced mushrooms and puree. Return the puree to the saucepan. Add the cream and reheat. Ladle soup into individual bowls, sprinkle with chives and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve either hot or well chilled.

Honey Lime Chicken
Serves 4


1/4 cup peanut or other oil
1 broiler or fryer chicken, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup white wine
1 lime, sliced or cut in wedges

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and brown chicken lightly. Push to one side. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is tender. Redistribute chicken with onion. Mix honey, turmeric, red pepper, cumin, coriander, soy sauce and wine. Cover and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle chicken with lime juice, place on a hot platter and garnish with lime.

Recipe Courtesy of Graeser Winery

Roasted Chicken Breasts with Tarragon Sauce
Serves 6

6 boneless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups Chardonnay
3 cups heavy cream
1 shallot, diced
2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
paprika, black pepper and salt to taste

Dust the chicken breasts with the paprika, salt and black pepper. Heat a heavy skillet until hot, but not smoking, and add the olive oil. Sear the chicken breasts in the skillet until brown on both sides. Place in a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a saucepan and add the Chardonnay, lemon juice and diced shallot. Reduce to half. In a separate saucepan, heat the cream on medium heat and reduce to half. Slowly whisk the wine mixture into the reduced cream, blending thoroughly. Add the tarragon. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts and serve immediately.

Recipe Courtesy of Bargetto Winery.

Creamed Sorrel Soup
Serves 6

2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 large leeks, whites only, sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
12 oz. sorrel leaves (spinach may be substituted)
2-1/2 cups half-and-half or cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Carefully wash the sorrel leaves, spin dry and chop coarsely. In a large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil. Saute the leeks over medium heat until just tender, about five minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the sorrel leaves. Cook two minutes until wilted. When cool, puree, using a hand blender or by transferring to a food processor or blender. Return the soup to the saucepan, stir in the half-and-half or cream. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Heat through and serve. This soup is also delicious served cold.
Grilled Salmon with Orange-Saffron Butter
Serves 6

For the grilled salmon:
6 salmon steaks (1 inch thick)
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat grill. Brush salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on each side for 4 to 5 minutes.

For the butter:
5 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. saffron
1 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. orange zest
2 tsp. chopped shallots
Salt and pepper to taste

Dissolve saffron in the orange juice. Place all ingredients into a food
processor or blender and puree. Saffron butter may be prepared in
advance and stored in the refridgerator for up to one week. Serve salmon
with a dollop of saffron butter and a side of julienned summer
vegetables.

Courtesy of The California Wine Country Cookbook II

Duck with Pistachio Sauce
Serves 8

4 roasting ducks
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
3 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cup chicken stock
1-1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc
1 cup raw pistachios, finely ground
2 Tbsp. Amaretto
Pan drippings, fat removed
6 Tbsp. (approx.) lemon juice
1 cup duck stock
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the duck: Roast the duck according to your favorite recipe. Save the pan drippings, making sure all fat is removed. (Drippings will be added to sauce later.) Remove the roasted skin and bake it on a cooking sheet at 425 degrees until thoroughly crisp. Julienne the skin and reserve for garnish. To make the sauce, saute the garlic and shallots in the oil and butter until transparent. Add the chicken stock and wine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the ground pistachios and simmer until sauce is thickened. Add the Amaretto. Continue to simmer. Add the reserved pan drippings, lemon juice and duck stock. Reduce to desired consistency.

Presentation: carve the ducks and arrange slices on plates. Pour the sauce over the slices and garnish with the julienned skin.

Courtesy of Renaissance Winery.

Savory Grilled Scallops
Serves 4 to 6

1-1/2 lbs. scallops
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 cup green onions including green tops, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger or 1 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced

In a bowl large enough to hold the scallops, mix the oil, soy sauce and wine. Stir in green onions, ginger and garlic. Wash and drain scallops. Add to bowl and stir to cover completely. Cover. Chill one to two hours. To serve: arrange scallops on skewers, leaving a small space between each one. Grill four to five minutes, turning a few times and basting with the marinade.

Roasted Pork Loin with Rosemary, Garlic and Tomato
Serves 4

2 lbs. center-cut boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of all fat
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
10 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup fat-free chicken broth, kept warm
one 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make slim incisions all over the pork roast and insert the garlic slices. Rub the meat all over with the olive oil. Choose a small roasting pan and in it make a bed with the onion slices and rosemary sprigs. Place the pork loin on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the pork for one hour, turning it every 15 minutes and basting with the chicken broth. When it's done, remove the pork to an ample cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. Scrape off the pan's remaining contents and transfer to a small saucepan. Add whatever broth is left over and boil it down to equal one-half cup. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, place pork slices on individual plates and spoon the sauce over them.