By popular demand, we’re excited to share some standout recipes from our on-site restaurant, winemaker dinners, and events. These recipes are perfect for recreating at home, and we hope you’ll give them a try this summer!
Chef’s Note: Right now, we’re serving this ricotta on our lunch menu with grilled snap peas, horseradish and garden herbs—excellent with a glass of Albariño. It’s equally delicious served on focaccia toast (try with sautéed mushrooms) or in your favorite pasta!
HOMEMADE RICOTTA Recipe
1 gallon whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Add the milk, cream and salt to a pot. Heat to 190° on medium heat—about 20 mins. Add lemon juice and briefly stir until it curdles. Turn heat to low, and keep the temperature between 190° and 210° for 30 more minutes. Remove from heat and strain the curds into a bowl lined with cheesecloth. Hang the curds to drain—about 2 hours for the best texture.
Chef’s Note: Currently featured on our lunch menu, these scallops are served with English peas, mushrooms, bacon, quinoa, and sauce ravigote. Ready for a challenge? Try recreating the full dish at home—including plating tips at the end of the recipe. Or focus on mastering the scallops themselves, cooked to perfection with crisp, golden edges.
perfectly SEARED SCALLOPS
FOR THE SCALLOPS
Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt. Heat a pan over high heat with 1 Tb of oil. Once the oil begins to reach its smoke point, carefully add the scallops to the pan, top side down. Sear hard over medium-high heat, until the edges begin to turn a dark golden brown. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and remove from heat. Once the butter has browned, flip the scallops and, while keeping them off the heat, allow the scallops to finish cooking in the browned butter.
FOR THE SPRING PEA HUMMUS
1150g English Peas
20g Fresh Garlic
30g Parmesan Cheese
15g Dill
30g Lemon Juice
110g Tahini
200g Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Lemon zest to taste
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
FOR THE QUINOA
1 qt water
2 cups quinoa
Salt to taste
Bring 1 qt of water to a boil, add 2 cups quinoa. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt
FOR THE PEAS
Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil, add the peas and cook for 3 minutes. Immediately transfer peas to an ice bath. Drain and reserve.
BACON, MUSHROOM, AND PEA RAGU
Dice 4oz of thick cut bacon into ¼” pieces. Render bacon fat in a pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon from pan. Add 6 oz assorted mushrooms and continue to cook, over medium high heat, seasoning with salt. Once mushrooms are golden brown and starting to get crispy round the edges, add bacon and peas to the pan. Sauté for one minute over high heat. Remove from heat, and add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, one teaspoon of sliced chives, one teaspoon of chopped dill, and a splash of lemon juice.
TO PLATE
Put a large dollop of hummus in the bottom of a bowl. Top with quinoa, and then the ragu. Place three scallops on top of the ragu, seared side facing up. Top with the ravigote and finish with a few sprigs of fresh-picked dill.
Chef’s Note: This refreshing sangria was a hit at this year’s Paso Wine Fest! Missed the event? No worries—you can easily recreate this crowd-pleaser at home! This sangria delivers a bright, summery sip, best made with a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc.
STRAWBERRY THYME SANGRIA
FOR THE GARDEN THYME SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup strawberries
4 sprigs of thyme
Combine all ingredients in a pot, mix and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 20 minutes. Strain strawberries and thyme. Set aside.
FOR THE SANGRIA
1 bottle dry, white wine (we use Sauvignon Blanc)
6 oz strawberry thyme simple syrup
3 oz Cointreau
25 oz Pellegrino Sparkling Water
Combine the first three ingredients in a pitcher. Add ice and top with the Pellegrino before serving–you can adjust the ice and sparkling water to your taste! Optional: garnish your glass with strawberry and orange slices!
Chef’s Note: This cocktail was served at our recent Pinot Noir Retrospective Dinner. It’s light and bubbly, and perfect for any occasion. We made these celebratory cocktails with our Pinot Noir Rosé.
ROSÉ COCKTAIL
½ oz Cointreau
½ oz St. Germain
½ oz blood orange
½ oz lime
2 dashes orange bitters
4 oz Rosé
Combine all ingredients and carbonate using a soda stream. Serve over ice.