by Duskie Estes of zazu & bovolo restaurants + farm and Ziggy the WINEgal
a note from Duskie...
Harvest time is our favorite time of year. Our friends are all working outside all hours of the day and night to bring it all in when the fruits are ripe. Our winemakers come into the restaurants bleary eyed from lack of sleep with their blackened grape stained hands looking for someone else to prepare them plate of warm food. The wineries are a buzz with visitors wanting to check it all out. The aroma of apples is everywhere as you drive in western Sonoma County; the smells of fermenting grapes are alive and well on a drive through the Dry Creek Valley. I like to take our girls on harvesting adventures so they can see where it all comes from.
My favorite pumpkin patch discovery is Andersen’s Pumpkins. They are organic with a ton of heirloom varietals of pumpkins and gourds that you can go into the field and pick from the vine yourself. There is no commercialism of activities here, just honest true awesome pumpkins… so many colors and shapes… rouge d’etampes, Australian blue, cinderellas, kabocha, turk’s turban, speckled swan gourds, kuri… They also have a farm stand of just picked apples, pears, and melons if you need a little bite after all that hard work.
ANDERSEN’s PUMPKINS
4588 Bodega Avenue, Petaluma, CA 94952 p. 707.763.3852
(open: end of September through end of October)
I love chestnuts. I love them honey glazed on roasted chicken or with sherried cream on brussel sprouts. I also love using chestnut flour in crepes with chocolate ganache or in our pasta at the restaurant under vin santo braised rabbit. I had never seen a chestnut on a tree so I wanted to see what it was all about. We set out for the Green Valley Chestnut Ranch. WOW! I thought the chestnuts as I got them were a lot of work (you have to double peel them). I did not know there was a whole other outer layer I had never seen before. They come encased in a sea urchin like case of prickly spikes. Harvesting them requires gloves to save yourself. I had no idea how to tell if they were ready to pick. Well at least that part was easy. They fall on their own to the ground. No tree climbing or reaching with a pole required here. Although my girls may have spent as much time climbing in the trees as pretending to be squirrels harvesting the nuts. You pick them up from the leaf covered ground. Some have come out of the prickly casing on their own and others need to be cracked either by hand or in my case, with my steel toed boots (the pokers seemed to make their way through the gloves when I tried to do it by hand). The folks at the Chestnut Ranch supply the gloves and buckets. The rewards are worth the pain, I promise. 
GREEN VALLEY CHESTNUT RANCH
You pick first 2 weeks of October, but you can order their chestnuts picked for you, no pokies that way. You can call them to ask them for these handy dandy chestnut splitters they have that are easier to use than a pairing knife. Sometimes they offer honey and puree too. Go get the goods online at http://www.chestnutranch.com/
It is not too early to reserve for next years Sonoma Grape Camp (in fact, you need to now if you want a spot). September 21 – 23, 2009. You can come to Sonoma County, harvest grapes yourself, and then follow those grapes from vine to bottle.
SONOMA GRAPE CAMP
Come see how it is done! For more information, go to www.sonomagrapecamp.com
a note from Ziggy, The WINEgal...
Speaking of vine to bottle.......here I am, still in harvest mode. This is truly my favorite time of year! As the season changes, I think about different wines to enjoy and seasonal foods to go with.... The day time here is still warm but the evenings get cool. Time to bundle up...bring out the sweaters! What better than a cozy fire and wines to warm you up a bit? Wines that go with wonderful Fall type foods like, soups and chili. Zinfandel is one of those wines that goes with so many things. California, of course, is well known for it’s fabu Zinfandel. This varietal goes with such a large variety of foods. And, often, by itself it is fantastic! And for white wines, the Fall means, for me, a little bit more weight on the palate. Wines that are medium to full bodied. Flavors and textures that will envelop the foods they will accompany. The amazing white wine I have chosen to pair below with Duskie's awesome brussel sprouts is such a fantastic pairing. As well as the red wine pairing -the Zin- that follows...the incredible Bella Zinfandel is a treat! Both wines I have chosen below come from smaller Artisan producers from the Dry Creek Valley appellation in Sonoma County. They sit about 1\2 mile from each other on the same small winding picturesque road in Healdsburg. And, as we think about farming, harvest and the bounty of the county, I think it's befitting to feature small producers like Preston and Bella Vineyards! So...as you dig out your sweaters... watch the leaves fall gracefully to the ground and embrace the cooler season, try these wonderful unique wines to diversify your step into Fall.
Warmly - Ziggy
Click here if you want to get more information about farms in Sonoma County.
RECIPE
brussel sprouts + chestnut crema
serves 8
2 cups chestnuts, peeled
1 cup sherry
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
2 pounds brussel sprouts, cut in half outer darker leaves removed
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, peeled and minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a sauce pan on medium high heat, combine the chestnuts and sherry and 1 cup of the cream and let simmer 20 minutes. Puree chestnuts in a blender with enough of the cooking liquid to yield an apple sauce like consistency. Let cool. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup of cream to stiff peak. Fold in the chestnut puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the brussel sprouts a few minutes to slightly soften, drain. In a saute pan on medium high heat, sauté the shallots in the butter a minute and add the sprouts. Saute until slightly browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dollop with the chestnut crema.
WINE PAIRING
2007 Preston, Madam Preston, Dry Creek Valley
This Rhone Style white wine is one of my favorite blends that pairs so well with food! Limited in production and organically farmed, it is a standout in my book! Aromas of pears, mineral, earth and a hint of floral develop to flavors of crisp pear, yellow plum, minerals and a hint of white fig. This is so delicious with Duskie's brussel sprouts with chestnut cream. WOWeeeee! This wine is a limited production wine and I encourage you to check out the Preston winery website for more information. Better yet, go and visit. Their winery is a site to behold and a pleasure to spend time at. They have a bocce court to play on and bake bread from their wood fired oven on Sundays. We love the Prestons! Check them out!
RECIPE
pumpkin & venison chili
serves 4 – 6
1 pound venison, denver leg, diced into 1 inch cubes
6 poblanos, diced
3 red onions, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 cups red wine
1 x 28 oz. can, chopped canned tomatoes
4 cups stock
2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash, 1 inch cubes
2 cups cooked white beans
suggested accompaniments: limes, cilantro, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese
Combine the venison, peppers, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and oil in a large sauce pan on medium-high heat and stir until golden, about 10
minutes. Add the spices and saute another 5 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes. Add the squash and beans. Simmer another 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve up with all the fixins!
WINE PAIRING
2006 Bella Vineyards, Zinfandel, Belle Canyon, Dry Creek Valley
The fruit for the Belle Canyon zinfandel comes from an old clone vineyard also in Dry Creek Valley. Grape yields are kept to a minimum, resulting in a distinct wine that stands out for its incredible aromatics and the explosive fruit flavors and a hint of spice. This wine is lovely and balanced and pairs extremely well with food. I just love this Zinfandel with chili! Duskie has the best recipe that will pair perfectly with this wine. The folks at Bella are friendly and encourage folks to visit their beautiful winery and caves....I hope you do. Aromas of mixed berries and spice lure you to flavors of black currants, tea, cola and black pepper! Juicy and just enough spice! Here is a link to the Bella website for more info on visiting their winery and caves. Enjoy!!! Bella vineyards and wine caves