Wine tasting this Thursday and a recipe too…

Please join us Thursday Feb. 12 from 6 to 7 for tasting of Wind Rose Cellars wine and assorted chocolates. Cost is $5— but it will be deducted from your $20 purchase of wine and/or chocolate. Perfect time to pick up some treats for the special folks in your life. Just two days until Valentines. See the end for a recipe from Wind Rose.

By the way there is a pancake breakfast on Sat. Feb 14 (8 am to 11 am) put on by the Lions that is a fund raiser for the Ruby Jean Murray Scholarship Endowment. Come have a good breakfast prepared by the Lions, see what is in the silent auction and donate to a good cause. Your contributions will go twice as far because there is up to $5000 available as matching funds, Eat, see friends and help Quilcene senior go to college for many years to come. Give a valentines gift to the whole town by helping our students.

Hope that you have been in and seen the new location for the alcohol and the new produce we are adding. We are committed to local and organic when possible, and if not available at at reasonable price, we get you the best we can find. We have cauliflower now ( plus broccoli, carrots, salad greens etc.) We will be getting Serendipity salad greens as soon as they are available (maybe next month)–but do have their great salad dressings and non local organic salad greens.

My favorite way to cook cauliflower has been to brown it in butter and olive oil. But recently I have have modified how I fix it—6 minutes to cook–max. In a large skillet add about two Tablespoons of water, enough cut up cauliflower and carrot pieces (baby carrots or inch long pieces) as you all will eat, The veggies should be in a single layer! COVER and cook for about 3 minutes. If you have added the right amount of water it will be all gone–if some remains, drain it off. Add a spritze or a Tablespoon or so of olive oil (or as much of what ever type of oil/butter) , and turn heat to high again, leave lid off and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring once or so….should get some gentle browning on both the carrots and cauliflower. Now I don’t like much salt and Tom doesn’t like herbs on his so I dish out the veggies and add some chopped green onion and cilantro to mine and let him salt his. (Mine is much prettier!) Fast, fresh, healthy and very tasty.

Now back to Wind Rose. This recipe is from their website. http://www.windrosecellars.com/ I have not made it but it sounds wonderful.

GRILLED SALMON WITH PLUM KIWI SALSA
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> Serves 4
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> 4 wild-caught salmon fillets
> 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
> 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 juice orange)
> 2 Tbsp good olive oil
> freshly ground salt/pepper to taste
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> Salsa
> 1/2 cup cubed plump peeled ripe Japanese or hybrid plums (ex: Early Golden, Shiro, Burbank)
> cup peeled ripe kiwi peeled and cubed
> 1/4 cup orange juice (about half an orange)
> 2-3 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
> 2-3 Tbsp Wind Rose Cellars Rosato
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> Marinade
> Salt/Pepper both sides of the salmon fillets
> Mix together chopped thyme leaves, orange juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil in container with lid large enough to hold the salmon fillets in a single row.
> Place fillets in marinade, turn several times to insure good surface coverage.
> Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more.
> Turn fillets at least once while marinating.
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> Salsa preparation
> Mix together salsa ingredients in small bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving time.
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> Grill fish on indirect heat about 8-10 minute till fillets press lightly when touched and just begin to flake in the center. Do not overcook because the fish will continue to cook when it is taken off the heat. Brush fish with marinade several times while cooking and cover grill . Either coals or gas grill can be used but my preference is coal because it gives a soft smoky flavor to the salmon that seems perfect with Wind Rose Cellars Rosato.
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> Serve with spoonfulls of salsa across the salmon and on the side. Buon Appetito!!
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> Side dish suggestions:
> Grilled corn on the cob, mixed lettuce salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar