Mendocino Cooks!

VV ERJUSERJUS

‘Navarro Vineyards’ Verjus Cookbook SHELLFISH | 3

Oysters with Verjus Mignonette

1/2 cup Verjus Not just sour grapes. Fresh and simple. 1/4 cup peeled Fuji apples, 1/8 inch dice 2 tablespoons shallots, 1/8 inch dice 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper avarro Vineyards has been making Verjus since the early 1980’s, but the sensational ingredient Stir together and serve over 2 dozen fresh, raw, Point Reyes oysters on the has been around since the middle ages. Verjus is N half shell. French and translated into English means “green juice.” It is non-fermented grape juice from unripe grapes with high Alan Kantor acidity and a tart apple-like flavor. In the middle ages Verjus MacCallum House Restaurant Mendocino, CA was often preferred to vinegar and it was widely used as a sauce ingredient, a meat tenderizer, a condiment and as a component of salad dressing. While vinegar may interfere, Verjus compliments wine. Mendocino is blessed with sparkling fresh seafood, abun- dant organic gardens and creative chefs who have been Curried Verjus Mussels using Navarro’s Verjus to bedazzle food lovers. Some of our favorite Mendocino restaurants and B&B’s have been Curry Powder 1 tablespoon cardamom pods generous enough to share their 1 cinnamon stick Verjus recipes with us. These Toast all spices except saffron and 1 teaspoon whole cloves turmeric on cookie sheet at 350º recipes are just a few ideas of 4 teaspoons black peppercorns for 5 minutes. Add saffron and put how to be creative with Verjus. 3 tablespoons cumin seed in spice or coffee grinder. Grind to Our daughter Sarah likes to pour 3 tablespoons coriander seed a fine powder. Empty into small 1/2 teaspoon saffron, packed tightly it over crushed ice, adds some bowl and add turmeric, so turmeric 2 teaspoons turmeric sparkling water and calls it does not color your grinder. Save in tightly lidded jar for future use. “winemaker’s lemonade.” Mussels (Tip: clean grinder by grinding 1 tablespoon butter white rice before and after use). Verjus can be stored just like fine 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, diced wine but please refrigerate after 1 1/2 cup Verjus Sweat ginger in butter for 1 minute opening. Unlined cast iron and aluminum can react with 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft, but not brown. Add rest acids such as Verjus to form off flavors, so an enameled 2 teaspoons curry powder or to taste of ingredients. Cover and bring to simmer in large stockpot, or pot cast iron, stainless steel or lined copper pan is preferred 2 pounds Prince Edward Island Mussels (small and sweet, but use twice as large as mussel volume. for the following recipes. local if not available; discard open Steam gently until mussels open mussels if they don’t close when (do not boil, or mussels will Sincerely, tapped) toughen). cilantro for garnish Serves Four Ted Bennett & Deborah Cahn Alan Kantor MacCallum House Restaurant Mendocino, CA 4 | SHELLFISH SOUP | 5

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat oven to 375º. Slice the squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds and pulp. Place the two squash halves flesh side down on 1 3 pound butternut squash a greased baking pan. Roast about 2 cups sliced yellow onion one hour, until the squash can be 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic easily pierced with a knife. Set A drive to 1 tablespoon olive oil aside to cool. the town of 2 cups chicken stock* Place the onions, garlic, olive oil Mendocino and 1 cup water in a saucepan always includes 1 1/2 cup Verjus and bring to a boil. Reduce to a a stop for * We make our own dark, rich stock fresh crab in simmer and cook, stirring occasion- at the Rendezvous. Canned chicken season. ally, until the water evaporates. broth can be substituted, but we recom- Continue cooking and stirring on mend that you reduce 4 cups of unsalted low until the onions are translucent. chicken broth by half for this recipe. Scrape the flesh from the squash Crab Caper Sauce with Brie 1 cup heavy cream with a large metal spoon. Add salt and freshly ground white pepper squash, chicken stock and Verjus 1 tablespoon butter to the onions. Bring to a boil and 1/2 cup chopped green onion Saute butter and onions until simmer 20 minutes. Puree in 3 tablespoons capers lightly brown. Add capers and batches in a blender or food pro- 1/2 cup shredded crab crab then set aside. cessor and pass through a sieve. 4 teaspoons cornstarch Whisk together cornstarch and Add the heavy cream and season 1 cup Verjus 2/3 cup Verjus and cook on low to taste with salt (about 1 3/4 heat until thickened and clear. teaspoons) and white pepper 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (about 1/4 teaspoon). 1/8 cup pine nuts Combine crab mixture and sauce, stir in brown sugar. Add a little of Serve with a simple, colorful 1 pound Brie wheel, garnish such as chives. baked on serving dish the remaining Verjus to thin the sauce. Add pine nuts. 2 sweet baguettes, sliced diagonally Kim Badenhop This sauce may be made ahead, Rendezvous Restaurant refrigerated and reheated. Add Fort Bragg, CA more Verjus when reheating to get the right consistency. Pour over baked Brie and serve with sweet baguette slices. Butternut squash is best with this soup, but Jo Bradley pumpkin works too. The Victorian Farmhouse Little River, CA 6 | SALAD SEAFOOD | 7

The spinach Spinach Salad with salad, opposite, tastes best with Pomegranate Verjus Dressing fresh homemade Mendocino goat cheese. 1/3 cup Verjus 1/3 cup olive oil Fall Salad with Apples, 1/3 cup canola oil 1/4 teaspoon sugar Pears and Walnuts 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon pomegranate essence Petrale with 1 cup Verjus 2 tablespoons soft goat cheese 1/2 cup walnut oil Verjus and Shallots 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 1 pound fresh spinach leaves 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds 10 ounces Petrale Sole fillets 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard Combine first six ingredients for 2 tablespoons chopped shallots 1 garlic clove, split dressing. 1/2 cup Verjus 1 crisp apple 1/2 cup heavy cream Mix half the dressing with 1 table- 1 crisp pear 1 teaspoon tomato paste spoon goat cheese. 1/2 pound mixed greens Toss with spinach and pomegranate Rinse the fish and pat it dry with 1/2 cup toasted walnuts seeds. Add more dressing and goat paper towels. cheese if needed. Whisk the Verjus, oil and spices Simmer the shallots and Verjus. Add together. Hollandaise for Crab the fish and sprinkle with salt and Pat Daniels pepper. Cover and cook over high Navarro Vineyards Slice the apple and pear in 1/4 heat for three minutes. Remove fish to Philo, CA. 5 egg yolks inch wedges and toss with dres- 1 tablespoons Verjus a platter and store in a warm oven. sing to coat (you will have some 1/2 cup butter, melted leftover.) Add cream and tomato paste to the skillet. Bring to a boil and stir until Serve over a bed of mixed In a blender on low speed blend the sauce thickens. Pour accumulated greens and garnish generously egg yolks. Slowly add Verjus. Add liquid from the fish plate into the with toasted walnuts. hot butter in a slow steady stream. sauce and stir. Serve immediately. Sauce will thicken as butter is Serves Four added. Serves Two

Jim Larsen Serve with crab or asparagus. Fran Gage The Restaurant Makes 2 cups Neighbor, Customer and Chocolatier Fort Bragg, CA Philo, CA Jo Bradley The Victorian Farmhouse Jesus interrupts Little River, CA picking Navarro grapes to gather apples for a harvest lunch. 8 | SEAFOOD SEAFOOD | 9

Crab and Wine Days Cioppino

Poached Petrale with 6 lbs ripe Roma tomatoes, peeled 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Braised Spinach, Red 1/4 cup olive oil Flame Grapes and Verjus 2 medium onions, 1/4 inch dice 2 bell peppers, 1/4 inch dice 3 stalks celery 1/2 cup minced shallots 1 to 2 pounds Red Snapper, 1 inch pieces 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup clam juice 1 cup Court Bouillon 1 1/2 cup Verjus (or canned clam juice) Dinner at 1/2 cup Navarro Gewurztraminer Albion River Inn 4 quarts fresh spinach leaves 2 bay leaves is beautiful as well 4 six ounce Petrale fillets salt, pepper and tabasco to taste as delicious. 1 pound salad shrimp, cleaned 1/4 cup Verjus and cooked 1 cup seedless Red Flame Grapes, halved 3 pounds fresh cooked crab Sauce 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Combine 1/2 cup Verjus, honey, 7 tablespoons butter Rock Shrimp and Simmer tomatoes over medium heat shallots and cream in sauce pan. with Italian seasoning. Saute onions in Reduce over medium heat until Saute shallots in butter until they are soft. Panko Crusted Halibut olive oil until soft. Add peppers and almost dry. Remove from heat and Add bouillon and simmer five minutes. celery and cook for another 3-4 minutes. wisk in butter. Add lemon juice with Verjus, Honey and salt and pepper to taste. Wash spinach and cook in covered stock- Add garlic and saute lightly. Add pot with half of the stock-shallot mixture, mixture to tomatoes. and Lemon Sauce Fish stirring occasionally. Add Red Snapper, clam juice, Verjus, In saucepan add rock shrimp, shallots, garlic and 1/4 cup Verjus. Meanwhile, poach the Petrale in remain- Gewurztraminer and bay leaves to 3/4 cup Verjus Simmer until shrimp are cooked ing shallot and stock (about 3 minutes). tomatoes. Simmer for 1 hour. Add salt, 2 tablespoons honey and all Verjus is reduced. Let cool. Remove Petrale and set aside, covered. pepper and tabasco to taste and simmer 2 tablespoons chopped shallots Add cooked rock shrimp, basil, for another 1/2 hour or until tomatoes 2 tablespoons cream Add Verjus to Petrale pan and reduce by are broken up. Add shrimp and crab Panko, and melted butter in food half. Add basil and grapes. Mix in butter, 1/4 cup butter processor. Pulse to blend, leaving and simmer for another 5 minutes. 1 whole lemon, juiced 1 tablespoon at a time. Add salt and Serve in bowls with French bread. large chunks of rock shrimp. pepper to taste. Warm Petrale in sauce. salt & pepper Brush fillets with melted butter Serves a crowd and top wth shrimp mixture. Bake Divide spinach into four portions in 4 ounces rock shrimp at 400º for 15 minutes. Place on the center of four warmed plates. Place 1 teaspoon fresh garlic minced Pat Hanks plate or platter with sauce and Petrale on spinach and pour finished 1 teaspoon fresh shallots minced Navarro Vineyards 6 six ounce Halibut fillets serve immediately. sauce over all. Philo, CA 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) Serves Six Serves Four 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil 3 tablespoons melted butter Steve Smith Joe Harris Albion River Inn The Moosse Café Albion, CA Mendocino, CA 10 | SEAFOOD SEAFOOD | 11

Navarro Cream Sauce with a Puree of Oven Roasted Beets for White Fish or Scallops

The rugged 1 medium red beet beaches on the Mendocino coast 1 cup Verjus beckon fishermen 2 sprigs thyme and sportsmen 1/2 peeled and finely diced shallot 2 bay leaves Wrap beet in aluminum foil with 1/4 cup clam juice In a small bowl, dissolve the corn- a dash of olive oil and oven roast 1/3 cup heavy cream starch in water. In a non-reactive for approximately 1 hour 20 min- 3/4 cup unsalted butter Pan Seared Sea Scallops saucepan, combine the verjus, soy utes at 400º. with Ponzu-Verjus and sauce, lemon juice and mirin and 1/4 tablespoon fresh lime juice In a saucepan, combine Verjus, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and 1/4 cup of fresh red grape juice shallots, thyme and bay leaves; Wasabi Cream Sauces whisk in the cornstarch solution salt and white pepper to taste simmer and reduce by half. Add until thickened. Set aside and allow clam juice and reduce. Add heavy to cool. Fill a squeeze bottle with the cream, bring to below simmering 12 large sea scallops (1 lb) cooled Ponzu-Verjus sauce. point and reduce by 1/4. If sauce 1/4 cup white flour In a small saucepan, heat the cream, gets too close to boiling point, 3 tablespoons clarified butter then whisk in the wasabi and soy. Set take off heat then continue. 1/2 cup Verjus aside and allow to cool. Fill squeeze Peel and cut roasted beet into 1/2 cup soy sauce bottle with the cooled Wasabi cream quarters and puree with sauce 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice sauce. until completely incorporated. Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons mirin (sweet sake) Heat the clarified butter in a large in lime juice and fresh grape juice. 1 tablespoon cornstarch saute pan until hot. Dust the Add salt and white pepper to taste. 1 1/2 tablespoons water scallops with flour and saute until Strain through a very fine sieve. 3 ounces prepared wasabi golden brown, about 1-1 1/2 minutes Serve over any grilled or sautéed 1/2 cup heavy cream per side. Do not overcook. white fish or scallops. 2 tablespoons soy sauce Using the two squeeze bottles, drizzle Makes Five 2.5-3 oz servings 2-3 ounces prepared pickled ginger the sauces in a cross-hatched pattern brunoise of red yellow and green bell on 4 large warmed plates. Place 3 Silver exhibits his Silver Canul peppers for confetti scallops on each plate and garnish innovative cuisine in The Little River Inn with the pickled ginger and confetti. the garden of Little Little River, CA River Inn. Shelby Creagh Mendocino Cafe Mendocino, CA 12 | PORK PORK | 13

Rosa usually dries a portion of Navarro’s bumper crop of tomatoes, perfect Pork Loin with to use in the winter with this Verjus and Fennel pork recipe from The Restaurant.

1 four to five pound pork loin 1/2 cup fennel leaves (packed) or 1/4 cup fine chop fennel root 1 1/4 cup Verjus Mix all ingredients except pork 1 cup dry white wine (Navarro and 1/4 cup Verjus in large glass Gewürztraminer) bowl or baking dish. Pierce pork 2 cloves garlic, minced so that liquid can penetrate. Pork Scallopini with 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground Marinate at room temperature at black pepper least 2 hours or marinate a few Fresh Rosemary and 1/2 cup chicken stock hours in the fridge, then take out 2 Cut the pork into 1/8 inch slices and hours before cooking so it reaches Sundried Tomatoes pound lightly. Dredge with flour. room temperature. Heat the butter and oil in a sauté Preheat oven to 425º and bake for pan. Add pork and brown on both 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º sides. Salt and pepper to taste and 4 pound pork loin and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, remove to a warm platter. flour for dredging basting every 20 minutes. Add shallots to pan and cook to 4 teaspoons butter Remove pork to a carving plate soften. Add enough flour to form 1/4 cup olive oil and pour and scrape drippings a roux. salt and pepper into a pan. Add 1/4 cup Verjus 1/4 cup minced shallots Add lime juice, orange juice, sun- and chicken stock and reduce for 1-2 tablespoons flour dried tomatoes and rosemary then 20 minutes. Slice pork and serve cook for one more minute. with the sauce. 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice 1/4 cup fresh orange juice Deglaze with Verjus and pour sauce Serves Four 1/4 cup julienned sundried tomatoes over pork platter. Garnish with fresh 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped parsley. Pat Daniels Navarro Vineyards 1 cup Verjus Serves Four Philo, CA Jim Larsen Pat has been the manager of Navarro’s tasting room for over The Restaurant twenty years. Her meals are a Fort Bragg, CA testament to her tasting skills. 14 | POULTRY POULTRY | 15

Roasted Lemon Pepper Duck with Navarro Verjus Sauce

1 Muscovy duck zest of 1 lemon 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon chopped garlic Preheat oven to 450º. Working 2 shallots, thinly sliced from cavity side, gently slide finger 1 tablespoon butter in between the meat and skin of the 1 cup Verjus duck. Combine lemon zest, salt, pep- 1 basket blackberries per and garlic then rub under the 1/2 cup duck or chicken stock skin on to surface of duck meat. Tie the legs together and roast about 40 minutes, until done. Sweat shallots in butter until soft. Turn heat to high and add Verjus, reduce by half and add blackberries and chicken stock. Reduce by half Season chicken with salt and pepper again and strain through a fine mesh and coat with flour. Brown slowly strainer, pressing to remove as much Poulet au Verjus in skillet about 5-7 minutes per side. sauce as possible. Reduce to desired Remove chicken to plate and pour consistency and keep warm. off excess fat from skillet. Deglaze 1 chicken cut into pieces Cut breast meat from duck and cut skillet with Verjus. Add shallots, 1/3 cup flour legs at the thigh joint. Pour sauce tomatoes and paste. Return chicken salt and pepper over and serve with roasted sweet and simmer 5 minutes on high heat 2 tablespoons light olive oil potatoes mashed with garlic. to reduce liquid by half. Add stock 2 T unsalted butter and return to gentle simmer another Serves Two 1 cup Verjus 5-8 minutes, turning chicken pieces 4 shallots peeled and sliced once. Remove chicken to low oven Nicholas Petti 2 tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped and reduce sauce in pan to concen- Mendo Bistro 1 tablespoon tomato paste trate flavors and thicken. Off heat Fort Bragg, CA 1 cup chicken stock swirl in remaining tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons parsley, chervil and fresh chopped herbs. Serve and or tarragon sauce over warm chicken. Serves Four If blackberries aren’t available Chris Kump for this recipe, raspberries are Café Beaujolais a nice substitute. Mendocino, CA 16 | RABBIT LAMB | 17

Rabbit Pasta with Verjus and Rack of Lamb with Verjus-Shiitake Whole Grain Mustard Mushroom Reduction Sauce

1 pound rabbit meat, preferably loin 1/4 cup olive oil flour 8 Shiitake mushroom caps, quartered 3 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 1/2 cups Verjus 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup Verjus 4 teaspoons whole grain mustard Cut the rabbit meat into strips about 1/2 cup veal or beef stock salt 1/4 inch by 2 inches. Pat the meat salt and pepper black pepper, fresh ground dry, season liberally with salt and 4 six to eight ounce racks of lamb white pepper, fresh ground fresh ground black pepper, dredge in (4 bones per rack) chives, chopped for garnish flour then toss in a strainer to remove excess flour. Meanwhile, heat salt and pepper oil in a large saute pan until almost 1/4 cup olive oil smoking. Add some of the rabbit- enough so that it cooks in a single In saucepan heat olive oil until almost layer without crowding. Cook, toss- smoking. Add mushrooms, shallots, ing lightly until browned. Repeat garlic and mustard. Cook on medium with the rest of the rabbit. If the pan heat 3 minutes. Add Verjus and begins to burn, wipe clean and start reduce by half (about 10 minutes). with fresh oil. Add veal or beef stock and reduce until sauce is desired consistency When all the rabbit is cooked, (about 10 minutes). Add salt and degrease the pan. Add the Verjus and pepper to taste. shallots and cook until the shallots are translucent and the Verjus is Sprinkle racks with salt & pepper. In reduced to a golden, syrupy consis- large sauté pan, add olive oil and heat tency. Add the cream and reduce until almost smoking. Carefully add lamb and sear until golden on all until thickened to a nice sauce. Navarro was a sheep ranch Whisk in the mustard. Season to sides. Place in 450º oven for 15 - 20 before the land was planted to taste with salt and freshly ground minutes. Remove from oven and let grapes in 1974. We still raise white pepper. Add the rabbit back to rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 4 chops a few lambs each year. the sauce and toss to coat the meat. and fan out on plate or platter. Sauce and serve immediately. Serve over Fettuccini with chive garnish. Serves Four

Okay, we admit it. Serves Four Steve Smith Sometimes rabbits nibble Albion River Inn our lettuce and vines and Kim Badenhop Albion, CA sometimes we nibble rabbit. Rendezvous Restaurant Fort Bragg, CA 18 | DESSERT DESSERT | 19

Verjus Granite

3/4 cup water 6 tablespoons sugar Navarro Verjus Poached Pears 1 cup Verjus 2 tablespoons lemon juice Place the water and sugar in a 4 fresh firm pears (not too ripe) saucepan and bring to a boil, 2 cups Verjus stirring to dissolve the sugar. 1 cup granulated sugar Remove from heat and stir in 1 lemon, sliced the Verjus and lemon juice. Let 1 cinnamon stick cool to room temperature. Place Preheat oven to 350º. Skin pears, in a shallow container in the 4 cloves leaving stem on. Remove the core freezer. Stir every hour while the 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts from bottom without piercing the mixture is freezing to keep it 1/2 cup whipped cream top. Soak pears for 5 minutes in homogenous, until it is a fairly Verjus to prevent discoloration. thick slurry. To serve scrape the surface with a fork, creating Strain Verjus into a heavy pot and large crystals. Verjus Sorbet add lemon slices, sugar, and cinna- mon. Simmer gently until it becomes 4 cups water a light syrup (225º). 2 cups sugar Mint Verjus Granite 3 cups Verjus Stick a clove into each pear near the stem. Place pears in the syrup, Place the water and sugar in a cover and bake until soft (about 45 1 recipe Verjus Granite saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring minutes). 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves to dissolve the sugar. Remove from Serve hot or cold with whipped After removing the sugar and heat and stir in the Verjus. Let cool to cream and toasted chopped walnuts. water from heat, add mint room temperature. Place in ice cream leaves. Cover and leave to infuse freezer and freeze according to manu- Serves Four for five minutes, then strain and facturer's instructions. proceed with Verjus Granite Yields 1/2 gallon Jean and Anne Duvigneaud recipe. Navarro Vineyards Kim Badenhop Jean and Anne keep Philo, CA Yields 2 cups the crush crew fed Rendezvous Restaurant and happy during Kim Badenhop Fort Bragg, CA the harvest. Rendezvous Restaurant Fort Bragg, CA How to purchase Navarro Vineyards Verjus.

avarro produces Verjus from green grapes Npicked off estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapevines. Sometimes the varieties are bottled separately and sometimes they are blended. As of Fall, 2001, Navarro Verjus sells for $8.50 per 750 ml. bottle. Deduct 5% for 6 bottle orders, 10% for 12 bottle orders. Verjus is non-taxable and can been delivered in the continental United States with the following additional shipping prices:

CALIF WEST CENTRAL EAST 1-3 bottles $7.00 $8.00 $9.00 $10.00 4-6 bottles $8.50 $10.00 $13.00 $16.00 7-12 bottles $12.00 $15.00 $21.00 $26.00

To order please phone 800-537-9463, fax (707) 895- 3647, send us an email at [email protected] or check out our website at www.navarrowine.com. You can also send us a letter at POB 47, Philo, CA 95466. Verjus orders can be combined with orders for Navarro’s non-alcoholic Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir Grape Juices. When ordered with wine, alternate shipping rates may apply. Availability and prices are subject to change so please contact us for the latest.

Too busy to cook? Try tasting Navarro Verjus by making reservations at one of these Mendocino county restaurants which feature recipes with Verjus:

Albion River Inn (707) 937-4044 Café Beaujolais (707) 937-5614 Little River Inn (707) 937-5942 MacCallum House (707) 937-5763 Mendo Bistro (707) 964-4974 Mendocino Cafe (707) 937-2422 Moosse Café (707) 937-3611 Rendezvous (707) 964-8142 The Restaurant (707) 964-9800 Victorian Farmhouse (707) 937-0697