|  |   |   |   |   |  


  "The Wines That Make Ashland Famous!"™

Recipes

  

 

Merlot-Poached Pears with Salad Greens

Pair with:  Ashland Vineyards Merlot or SHAKESPEARE As You Like It Merlot
Prep and Cook time:  About 50 minutes

Ingredients:

4 Red d'Anjou, Green d'Anjou, or Bosc pears, or about 12 Seckel pears (1 - ½ to 2 lb. total)
3 cups Merlot
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup each balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick (3 in.)
12 cups (about 12 oz.) mixed salad greens, rinsed and crisped
1 - ½ cups matchstick-size jicama pieces

Directions:

  1. Cut spears lengthwise into halves; core and stem.
  2. In a 3- to 4-quart pan, bring wine, brown sugar, vinegar, orange and lemon juices, lemon peal, peppercorns and cinnamon stick to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Add pears, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until pears are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, lift pears from wine mixture; set in a 9- by 13-inch backing dish to cool.  Turn heat to high; boil until dressing is reduced to 1 cup, about 20 minutes.  Discard cinnamon and peppercorns; cool slightly.  (If making ahead, cover and chill pears and dressing separately up to 1 day; rinse and crisp salad greens 1 day ahead.)
  3. In a large bowl, gently mix salad greens with 2/3 cup of the dressing. Evenly distribute dressed greens on 8 salad plates.  Place a pear half (or 3 halves if using Seckel pears) in the center of each plate and scatter jicama pieces around pears on greens.  Spoon remaining dressing equally over pears and greens.

Makes:  8 servings

 

Pear and Gorgonzola Pasta

Pair with:  Ashland Vineyards Merlot or SHAKESPEARE As You Like It Merlot or Ashland Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon or SHAKESPEARE  Henry VIII Cabernet Sauvignon
Prep and Cook time:  About 20 minutes

Ingredients:

12 ounces dried spaghetti
2 soft-ripe Bartlett, red Bartlett, or d'Anjou pears (1/2 lb. each)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup (5 oz.) crumbled gorgonzola or other blue-veined cheese
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
½ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon cornstarch
⅔ cup roasted pecans
  Salt and Pepper

Directions:

  1. Half-fill a 5- to 6-quart pan with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and boil, uncovered, until barely tender to bite, 7 to 9 minutes.  Drain; return to pan.
  2. Meanwhile, cut each pear lengthwise into eighths; core pieces, and slice them crosswise ¼ inch think.  In a bowl, gently mix the pears, lemon juice, gorgonzola, and parsley; set aside.
  3. In a 1- to 2-quart pan over high heat, stir broth and cornstarch until boiling.  Gently mix into drained spaghetti along with pear mixture. Transfer to a serving dish.  Scatter pecans on top, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes:  4 servings

 

Pesto and Tomato Crostini

Pair with:  Ashland Vineyards Merlot or SHAKESPEARE As You Like It Merlot or Ashland Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon or SHAKESPEARE  Henry VIII Cabernet Sauvignon
Prep time:  15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce baguette
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package (7 ounce) pesto sauce
8 small plum tomatoes
  shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Cut baguette into thin slices; you will need about 36 slices.  Arrange on rimmed baking sheet.  Brush tops lightly with olive oil.  Take until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. Spread about 1 teaspoon pesto sauce on each toast, making sure it covers edges.  Top with a slice of tomato, butting in half to fit, if necessary.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  3. Broil about 3 inches from heat until cheese melts.  Serve warm or at room temperature.
    4.

Makes:  About 36 crostini


 

Shrimp with Lemon-Dill Dip
 

Pair with:  Ashland Vineyards Chardonnay
Prep time:  10 minutes
Chill time:   At least one hour

Ingredients:

⅔ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pound cooked large shrimp (51 to 60 per pound)

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients but shrimp.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight to allow flavors to blend.
  2. Serve chilled dip with shrimp.

Makes:  1-¼ cups dip

 

Endive Leaves with Blue Cheese & Walnuts

Pair with:  Ashland Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon or SHAKESPEARE Henry VIII Cabernet Sauvignon
Prep time:  20 minutes

Ingredients:

3 heads endive Belgian white and/or  red endive (3 to 4 ounces each)
1 package (5 ounces) Blue cheese
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ cup walnut pieces

Directions:

  1. Cut stem ends off endive.  Separate the leaves; cut off any brown edges.  Place leaves on a platter.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir the cheese and mayonnaise until well blended, mashing with the back of a spoon to break up large pieces of cheese.
  3. Using a knife or a small spoon, spread approximately 1 teaspoonful of the cheese mixture onto the widest end of each leaf.
  4. Sprinkle tops with nuts.  Cover the filled leaves and refrigerate until chilled.
  5. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes:  30-40 appetizers depending on size of endive heads

 

 2775 East Main Street, Ashland OR 97520
(541) 488-0088
wines@winenet.com