Green Goat Cheese Spread

Green Goat Cheese Spread

Here is a simple spread that can be made in minutes and is interesting and tastes great. The Edamame are high in fiber and protein and beautifully compliment the Goat Cheese. Serve in a bowl alongside sliced baguette or sturdy crackers or spread on toasted slices of baguette as an elegant crostini.

3/4 cup Shelled Soybean Edamame
5 ounce Creamy Goat Cheese (Chevre)
1 Clove Garlic
1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Thyme
2 tablespoon Milk

Baguette (narrow French bread) sliced and toasted

Add Edamame, Goat Cheese, Garlic, Thyme and Milk to food processor. Process these ingredients for about 30 seconds until well blended to a creamy consistency. Place in serving dish or spread directly on toasted slices of baguette. Garnish with a small sprig of thyme. This appetizer will pair will with a crisp, un-oaked Chardonnay.


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Woodinville Wine Cellars Merlot, 2003

Woodinville Wine Cellars Merlot, 2003

Woodinville Wine Cellars is an excellent winery that produces small quantities of handcrafted wines from grapes bought from several prominent Washington State vineyards. Their wines are fermented in small lots and barrel aged for up to 18 months, using French Oak selected to complement, not mask the terroir. Last night we went for dinner to the Purple Café, in Kirkland. After scanning our wine cellar, I decided to bring a bottle of the Woodinville Wine Cellars 2003 Merlot. This bottle was signed by the winemaker, Sean Boyd, and had been in our cellar for about 3 years. What a great wine! In any given year, there are a few wines that really “blow you away” and will be fondly remembered for the next few years. This Merlot is one of those. The color is a deep ruby red with a faint violet rim. This wine has a beautiful nose with concentrated aromas of blackberry, chocolate, cassis and a hint of spicy oak. On the palate, ripe black fruit, espresso, spice, marshmallow and mocha commingle to create a luscious and balanced wine. This is a medium to full bodied wine with abundant sweet, soft tannins and gentle acidity creating a closely woven texture and a long, long finish. We had tasted this wine 3 years ago and new it was good, however, three years of cellaring revealed this wines full potential. We purchased this stunner at Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $20. Great job Sean!

Vega Sindoa Red Wine, 2007

Vega Sindoa Red Wine, 2007

This red blend is produced by Bodegas Nekeas in the Navarra region of Spain. The Nekeas valley is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees and is buffeted from the winds of the Atlantic. Warm summer days and cool nights help the grapes reach full maturity on the vines. The various micro-climates of the area allow for nice conditions for numerous grape varieties including Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and 30% Merlot. This is a simple, straight forward wine with a deep red color and pleasant aromas of black berry jam and licorice. This is a medium bodied wine made in a modern style with rich flavors of black cherries, strawberries, prune, slate and black pepper. This is a zesty wine with a smooth mouth-feel and gentle tannins that linger with the long finish. I am a fan of this winery that is run by Concha Vecino, the most acclaimed woman winemaker in Spain. This is another lovely wine imported by Jorge Ordonez. You can find this lovely value wine at Esquin, in Seattle, for under $10.

Bodegas Conde 'Vivir, Vivir', 2007

Bodegas Conde 'Vivir, Vivir', 2007

The 2007 Vivir, Vivir is 100% Tempranillo sourced from old vines in La Horra in the Ribera del Duero of Spain. This wine has a lovely ruby-red color and displays an elegant nose of blackberry, cherry and stone. This is a medium bodied wine that is a modern style with rich berry flavors that are pleasantly balanced with secondary flavors of mineral and herbs. Very smooth and fleshy in the mouth with moderate tannins and acidity and no harsh edges. This is a straight-forward Tempranillo that will pair well with any summer picnic. We served the "Vivir, Virir" chilled, with some grilled chicken tacos and wood-charred green beans….yummy! We found this “Summer-sipper” at Top Foods, in Bellevue, for about $10.

Bodegas Ateca Atteca, 2007

Bodegas Ateca Atteca, 2007

This old vine garnacha from the Calatayud region of Spain represents another great value and proves you can get interesting and delicious wines for way under $20.00. The garnacha grapes are from 80-120 year-old vines and this Atteca is aged in oak barrels for 10 months before being bottled. This is another fine wine from the Jorge Ordonez Selection. This is a full bodied wine with a deep red/purple color and a nose of fresh raspberry, cherries and wet rock. On the palate there is ripe red raspberry jam, black plum, cranberry, leather and some spicy pepper. This is a big wine with great personality. This Spanish red is quite jammy and zesty and the delicious fruit flavors are blanketed in smooth tannins and finished with a touch of creamy oak. This wine can pair well with any hearty or spicy meal or would be great for a backyard barbeque. Actually, I think this wine would be great anytime! This wine can be found in the Seattle area for about $15. Seek out this lovely old vine garancha from Bodegas Ateca.

Wrongo Dongo, 2007

Wrongo Dongo, 2007

We continue to enjoy our journey into value priced Spanish wines with the latest vintage of Wrongo Dongo, a 100% Monastrell wine from the Jumilla region. This wine has a bright red/purple color with a filtered appearance. Aromas of dark berry are accented by baking spices and roasted nuts. This wine is medium bodied with straightforward blackberry and cherry flavors along with some minerality and black pepper on the finish. There are silky tannins and gentle acidity that add to the overall package. The finish is smooth and lingering. This is another great value from importer Jorge Ordonez that is available in the Seattle area for about $8.

Olive Oil Cake

Radio Milano Olive Oil Cake

Radio Milano is another successful restaurant by LGO Hospitality, the people who created La Grande Orange, Postino and Chelsea's Kitchen in Phoenix. While dining at Radio Milano this weekend, Kate ordered the Olive Oil Cake. She first read about this cake in Phoenix Magazine, back in late 2007, when the restaurant was newly opened. So finally, after being on her 'to-try list" ever since, we ordered this dessert, while celebrating her birthday. The cake did not disappoint! This cake is dense, moist and flavorful and was served with lemon gelato and fresh berry sauce.

1 large baking pan for a water bath
1 large loaf pan

3 large eggs, beaten

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/4 cups milk

1 orange, zest removed

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon anise seeds

Cooking spray

fresh whipped cream or gelato (topping)

quality fruit jam, berries or sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking pan, half filled with hot water, on the bottom shelf. (The water bath prevents the cake from drying out while baking.) In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add oil, milk and zest. In a larger bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and anise seeds. Use a rubber spatula to create a well, or indentation, in the dry ingredients. Pour about 1/3 of liquid mixture into well. Use a rubber spatula to begin mixing wet and dry ingredients. When almost completely mixed, add 1/3 more liquid and mix; repeat with final 1/3 of liquid. Mix until the batter comes together evenly. It may be slightly lumpy. Spray the sides of the loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour cake batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Rotate pan and bake another 15 to 25 minutes, or until cake sets in the center. Allow to cool to room temperature. Run a knife along the sides of the pan and gently place cake top-side down on a plate. Remove pan and parchment paper. Place another plate on top and flip the cake back over. Cut into thick slices and serve with your choice of toppings and fruit sauce.

Makes 6 to 9 servings.

(recipe courtesy of Radio Milano)

Dow Vale do Bomfim, 2006

Dow Vale do Bomfim, 2006

This dry red wine from Portugal is produced by from the house of Dow. Their reputation lies in the production of high quality Ports during the past 350 years. The Vale do Bomfim is produced from Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, & Tinta Barroca. This is an example of modern wine making from established vineyards with traditional grape varieties from the upper Douro Valley. This is the latest vintage available in the Seattle area and we were excited to try it. The 2005 vintage was superb. This is another elegant wine with a dark red color and delightful aromas of black fruit, raspberry, oak and violets. This is a light/medium bodied wine with lovely flavors of blackberry, plum, chocolate covered marshmallow and a hint of oak. The tannins are present, but well submerged. There is ample acidity to make this wine pair well with any hearty meal. Overall, this wine from Portugal is very smooth and quite delicious. This is another example of the high quality modern wines starting to come to us from the Douro DOC. We found this “over-achiever”, from Portugal, at Esquin Wine Shop, in Seattle, for about $10.

Palestra, 2006

Palestra, 2006

This Encostas do Douro Palestra is a blend of Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz, all grapes that are indigenous to the Douro Region of Portugal. This wine has a dark ruby color and a rich nose of black cherry, cedar and espresso. This is a medium bodied wine with dark berry and strawberry flavors with a hint of black pepper and some toasted marshmallow. This wine has prominent acidity that is well integrated and balanced with creamy oak and smooth tannins. The finish is soft and elegant. This is another example of a great table wine, from Portugal, that can be found in the Seattle area for about $9. Seek out this easy drinking red, from Portugal, for your next barbecue.

Domini Douro D.O.C., 2005

Domini, 2005

DOMINI is a joint venture between Domingos Soares Franco, head of winemaking at Jose Maria da Fonseca, one of Portugal’s best known wine producers, and winemaker Cristiano Van Zeller. Back in 1999, these two men started purchasing land in Douro Superior and establishing long-term leases with growers in the Cima Corgo district of the Douro Valley, forming a combined total of 77 acres of prime Douro Valley vineyards, source of the Domini wines. Vineyards are all planted in traditional Douro Valley grape varieties, such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz, and comprise a mix of old vines as well as younger vines (10 to 15 years). The 2005 Domini is a DOC wine is a blend of these three grape varieties. The color is dark ruby with a purple hue. There is a pleasant nose of fresh berries with hints of flowers and vanilla. This is a graceful, medium bodied wine with flavors of blackberry, blueberry, plum, coffee, earth and vanilla. There is a backdrop of soft tannins and nice acidity that contribute to the overall elegance. We enjoyed this wine with some home-made Carne Adovada and an fresh avocado and corn salad. This wine is another example of the high quality wines coming from the Douro Valley of Portugal. We bought this lovely Douro Red wine at Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $15.