Saturday night was fun. We were invited to a BBQ at one of the most coveted vineyards in the Napa Valley, the "Herb Lamb" vineyard. The couple that invited us, who also own a coveted winery in the Valley, didn't give much detail, except that the dress was casual. It was fun not knowing what to expect, and even more fun was that the scene was so incredibly simple, and the antithesis of what some percieve Napa to be-snobby and overstated. Indeed, the wine that flowed would have made even the most well stocked cellar look pedestrian. As I toiled over which white wine to pour first, the first appetizer came around. Bacon. Yep-just nice, crispy, bacon. I was a bit puzzled-our friends are uber-gourmets. Then, the second app came along. Perfectly bbq'd pork shortribs. The perfect texture-not too soft, yet falling off the bone, and slathered properly in an equally balanced sweet/tart homemade sauce. Even the women in Manolo's dove into the ribs with abandon!
I meandered over to the bbq area, a well thought out, well equipped, unassuming array of cooking apparati made up a generous corner of an impressive wrap-around porch. A four foot high, open hearth fireplace, a sink, grill and best of all-a blackened from much use, sticky, yummy smelling smoker. Then I met Herb.
A soil scientist turned ag-supply store turned vineyard owner, this man at heart is really a bbq man. Over copious wine and cigars, Daniel and I well over stayed our visit by talking to Herb about raising animals, butchering animals and properly smoking them. All with a twist on how sustainable people really could be if they tried just a little bit. We closed the night agreeing we lived in a utopia, and that we wanted to smoke a goat together. I also vowed to achieve perfection on smoking salmon in Herb's smoker, a feat he gave up on after many failed attempts.
Sunday came, and as usual, Daniel and I indulged in sleeping in. Upon a lazy wakening, I decided to cook brunch. I headed to the garden and Daniel to the chicken coop. My fruitful journey provided the first two tomatoes of the season, as well as the first crooked neck squash-and some blossoms! Two, purple romas bulged with ripeness. Along with them I harvested an array of peppers, oregano, coriander flowers and arugula.
Daniel poured us a glass of our house bubbly-Point Reyes Vineyards Late Disgorged 1992 Blanc de Blanc. Our friends Steve and Sharon own this unassuming winery that doubles as a dairy cattle ranch right on Tomales bay. I began a frittata, so that Daniel would have extra to take for work. Simple and divine, the plate of frittata sat in the center, cut like a pie. Farm fresh eggs, laid that morning, with sauteed garden peppers, tomato, onion and squash, along with its blossoms. I made a fresh salsa and put it on the plate with some locally made cottage cheese, an arugula salad and a couple handmade white corn tortillas. I topped it all with the coriander flowers. After that, we adjurned to the pool and tried to cool off from the heat and catch a few rays.
Later, we settled to an equally scrumptious dinner. Daniel made his amazing marinated then grilled, custom cut extra thick veal chops and braised cannellinis with a basil parmesan broth. I went back to the garden and selected swiss chard to accompany the beans, as well as a beautiful array of salad greens-tsat zoi, baby bok choy, arugula, romaine and butterleaf. A simple vinaigrette of Napa Red Wine vinegar and Daniel's own sevillano olive oil, a few roasted marcona almonds, some apple slices, a few slices of the same yellow squash from that morning, and shaved parmesan made it the perfect accompaniment to his hearty summer plate. We moved an outside table into the living room, lit a single candle, and enjoyed some of Dave's Griffin's Lair Sonoma Coast pinot noir while watching NatGeo on polar bears.
What a life!
I meandered over to the bbq area, a well thought out, well equipped, unassuming array of cooking apparati made up a generous corner of an impressive wrap-around porch. A four foot high, open hearth fireplace, a sink, grill and best of all-a blackened from much use, sticky, yummy smelling smoker. Then I met Herb.
A soil scientist turned ag-supply store turned vineyard owner, this man at heart is really a bbq man. Over copious wine and cigars, Daniel and I well over stayed our visit by talking to Herb about raising animals, butchering animals and properly smoking them. All with a twist on how sustainable people really could be if they tried just a little bit. We closed the night agreeing we lived in a utopia, and that we wanted to smoke a goat together. I also vowed to achieve perfection on smoking salmon in Herb's smoker, a feat he gave up on after many failed attempts.
Sunday came, and as usual, Daniel and I indulged in sleeping in. Upon a lazy wakening, I decided to cook brunch. I headed to the garden and Daniel to the chicken coop. My fruitful journey provided the first two tomatoes of the season, as well as the first crooked neck squash-and some blossoms! Two, purple romas bulged with ripeness. Along with them I harvested an array of peppers, oregano, coriander flowers and arugula.
Daniel poured us a glass of our house bubbly-Point Reyes Vineyards Late Disgorged 1992 Blanc de Blanc. Our friends Steve and Sharon own this unassuming winery that doubles as a dairy cattle ranch right on Tomales bay. I began a frittata, so that Daniel would have extra to take for work. Simple and divine, the plate of frittata sat in the center, cut like a pie. Farm fresh eggs, laid that morning, with sauteed garden peppers, tomato, onion and squash, along with its blossoms. I made a fresh salsa and put it on the plate with some locally made cottage cheese, an arugula salad and a couple handmade white corn tortillas. I topped it all with the coriander flowers. After that, we adjurned to the pool and tried to cool off from the heat and catch a few rays.
Later, we settled to an equally scrumptious dinner. Daniel made his amazing marinated then grilled, custom cut extra thick veal chops and braised cannellinis with a basil parmesan broth. I went back to the garden and selected swiss chard to accompany the beans, as well as a beautiful array of salad greens-tsat zoi, baby bok choy, arugula, romaine and butterleaf. A simple vinaigrette of Napa Red Wine vinegar and Daniel's own sevillano olive oil, a few roasted marcona almonds, some apple slices, a few slices of the same yellow squash from that morning, and shaved parmesan made it the perfect accompaniment to his hearty summer plate. We moved an outside table into the living room, lit a single candle, and enjoyed some of Dave's Griffin's Lair Sonoma Coast pinot noir while watching NatGeo on polar bears.
What a life!
