"The Charcuterie Plate" - The Charcuterie Restaurant, Healdsburg, CARosette de Lyon Salami, Duck Rillette, Pork Pepper Pate, Garlic Salami, assorted olives and cornichon. Very good with a Dry Creek Merlot.
Finally got to eat at the Charcuterie - have been lusting after this place for years and Coleenie and Roger took us to lunch there after our arrival Thursday, Feb. 22nd. While this lunch was wonderful - everyone else had pasta - I was very disappointed in the dinner menu. I had visions of all sorts of pork specialties - O.K., the pate and rillette I was able to sample, but where were the galantines, the crepinettes, the other sausages and goodies????? Were not offered on the dinner menu either! I wanted so much to taste the professionally made products we had tried (after a fashion...) in culinary school, but twas not to be.
What fun to be with C&R again - the kind of friends you just take up where you last left off no matter how long it's been...and it's been too damn long. And they are both healthier than I think I've ever seen them - boy does retirement agree with these two!
Before we get to the food - must comment on Collenie's wonderful life as an artist - seems like everytime I get a handle on her 'style' she morphes into another level. She's now into COLORS!! And oh my, are they gorgeous colors - their house is full of art, I can't even say mostly hers, she has so many other artists also, but hers are my favorites! And best of all bests, she allowed me to choose my favorite as a house warming present - I'm not writing which I chose, I will wait till I can take a picture of it and post here. She doesn't do a lot of 'food' pictures, but this picture will always remind me of the food and wine we have enjoyed over thirty years!! Coleenie, I so thank you.
And she cooked for us in her newly remodeled kitchen that is a page out of Monet's color scheme. Cook's Illustrated's Daube Provencal - oh my, what a treat -
Daube Provençal -11/2005
Serves 4 to 6
3/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed well
1 boneless beef chuck-eye roast (about 3 1/2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces salt pork , rind removed
4 large carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds (about 2 cups)
2 medium onions , halved and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
4 medium cloves garlic , sliced thin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 bottle red wine (bold, such as a Cabernet)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
4 strips orange zest (from one orange), removed with vegetable peeler, each strip about 3 inches long, cleaned of white pith, and cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 cup niçoise olives , pitted and drained well
3 anchovy fillets , minced (about 1 teaspoon)
5 sprigs fresh thyme , tied together with kitchen twine
2 bay leaves
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes , drained and cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1. Cover mushrooms with 1 cup hot tap water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and chop into 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 4 tablespoons). Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with 1 paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking; add half of beef. Cook without moving pieces until well browned, about 2 minutes on each side, for total of 8 to 10 minutes, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke. Transfer meat to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and remaining meat.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add salt pork, carrots, onions, garlic, and tomato paste to now-empty pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add wine, gently scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add broth, water, beef, and any juices in bowl. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to full simmer. Add mushrooms and their liquid, orange zest, 1/2 cup olives, anchovies, thyme, and bay, distributing evenly and arranging beef so it is completely covered by liquid; cover partially and place in oven. Cook until fork inserted in beef meets little resistance (meat should not be falling apart), 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. Discard salt pork, thyme, and bay leaves. Add tomatoes and remaining 1/2 cup olives; warm over medium-high heat until heated through, about 1 minute. Cover pot and allow stew to settle, about 5 minutes. Using spoon, skim excess fat from surface of stew. Stir in parsley and serve.
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What a wonderful dish this is - I'll have to get with June and see how her's compares - ingredients - to this one. It would be hard to top. They served a MacMurray (remember Fred MacMurray and June Haver???) '04 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, very tasty. Also, joining the Provencal on the table - noodles and a green salad of grapes, pears, gorgonzola, candied walnuts and a Balsamic/Oil vinaigrette. Great flavors. And, for dessert - a cheesecake sampler!! It's fine - we love cheesecake!
We brot a couple of Washington wines with us to invade their Napa wine country offerings - and I must say our wines held their own!!
This was too short a trip - if we can work into their busy schedules, we will stay at least two days from now on - not enuf time to get caught up. As an example of how much the two of us can talk, one year she & I rented a house on the beach and spent three (?) days before the guys joined us and the only time we were not talking was when we were asleep!! She is one of the most interesting, well-read and just a tad opinionated women I've ever known and I love her dearly!! Thank you Coleenie and Roger for a few fast flying hours.
And in October (?), they are off to China on an artist's trip - I can hardly wait to see how her art emerges after this....
P.S. Always have to make a forage thru her new cookbooks - found this to play with later - probably fill a jalapeno or.....?
dried apricots, gorgonzola, mayo, mint, walnuts - fun combination.
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