For a bit of comic relief for those of you who are struggling with food allergies check out
http://www.tenderfoodie.com/blog/2012/8/24/one-grain-more-one-must-see.html?goback=%2Egde_4487731_member_152233500

And for good information see the fluu blog at
http://www.tenderfoodie.com/

Rum Eli

1 oz Amber rum (like Mount Gay)

2 oz Very Cherre Tart Cherry Juice

Dry ginger ale

crushed ice

Lime slice for garnish

Fill a pint glass with ice. Add rum and Very Cherre Tart Cherry Juice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with lime or orange or wedge.

Pomegranate yogurt dip

Very Cherre Pomegranate Yogurt Dip

2 cups labne (A thick soft cream cheese style yogurt. It can be easily found in Mediterranean specialty food stores or some grocery stores. Or you can easily make your own, see note.)
3 oz. Very Cherre Cherry Pomegranate Juice.
1 shallot finely minced (may substitute 2 Tablespoons of red onion)
1 small clove crushed garlic
Dried cherries for garnish (optional)
Shallot greens or scallions for garnish (optional)

In a mixing bowl combine labne and Very Cherre Cherry Pomegranate juice. Fold in shallots and garlic. Garnish with dried Cherries and shallot greens.

Serve as a dip with fresh fruit, vegetables or crackers.

Note:

Making lebne from plain yogurt is very simple. All you need is some fine cheese cloth. You can make it a week or a day ahead of time.

2 pound container of plain yogurt
2 teaspoons salt
fine cheese cloth or muslin

Start with a 2 pound container of plain yogurt. Mix in 2 teaspoons of salt. Line a bowl or strainer with cheese cloth or muslin. Pour yogurt into cheese cloth. liquid will drip out immediately.

Gather the edges of the cheese cloth twisting them together to form a ball. Keep twisting to remove as much liquid as possible. Place the ball in a strainer over a small bowl. if you don't have a strainer tie a twine around the twisted cheese cloth and around a wooden spoon. Suspend the ball over a bowl to catch the dripping liquid.

Place the whole thing in the refrigerator over night and up to two days. You will need to make sure the bottom of the ball never touches the drained liquid.

The mass of the yogurt will reduce by almost half.

To store the Labne for more than a day form the labne into golf ball sized balls. Place in a jar or plastic container and cover with olive oil.

Blueberry Glaze and Chutney

Blueberry Glaze and Chutney for Ham or Turkey.

1 bottle Cascade Winery Blueberry Wine
1 cup light brown sugar
2 Shallots, minced
2 medium Gala apples, diced
2 medium peaches, diced
2 pears, diced
2 plumbs, diced
1 cup blueberries (Fresh or frozen) Divided

Pour one bottle of Cascade Winery Blueberry Wine into a large sauce pan or stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. When the wine has reduced by half add the minced shallot and brown sugar. Stir until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Stir in the diced apples, peaches, plumbs, pears and half of the blueberries. Simmer until the fruit is soft. Add remaining blueberries and cook for two more minutes.

Remove from heat and strain liquid into a small bowl keeping one 1/4 cup with the fruit. This liquid is the glaze.

Return the remaining liquid and fruit to the pan. Add 1 teaspoon of butter to the mixture and heat until butter is melted. Serve with turkey or ham.


Turkey

1 18-pound turkey
1 carrot
2 stalks celery with leaves
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 medium onion, halved
1 lemon, halved
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
4 sage leaves
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken or turkey stock
1 cup orange juice


Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan breast side up. Season the cavity liberally with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon juice over the outside of the bird. Place lemon, celery, carrot, garlic, onion and sage in the cavity. Season the outside of the bird with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips under the bird. Roast for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the turkey from the oven. Rub the butter over the outside of the bird. Add the stock and orange juice to the pan. Return the bird to the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 325ºF. Roast for 3 1/2 hours, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165ºF, basting every 30 minutes.

Once your turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF raise oven temperature to 400ºF. Baste the bird with the blueberry liquid and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove bird from oven. Tent with foil and allow to rest for ten minutes.

Serve with chutney.

Ham
Since most hams are smoke cured they are already cooked; all that is required is heating. See packaging for instructions, usually 18 minutes per pound at 325. An instant read thermometer should read 148ºF at the thickest part of the ham.

Once the ham is at 145ºF pour the blueberry glaze evenly over the ham and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Tent with foil and allow to rest for ten minutes.

Serve with chutney.

Baked Zucchini

Baked Zucchini


4 zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch sections
1/2 medium onion diced
6 large mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
4 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs sea salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 grated Romano cheese

Combine zucchinis, mushrooms, spice and olive oil, mix well. Add half the Romano cheese, half the breadcrumbs, Mix again. Top with remaining breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake at 350° or until vegetables are tender.

Baked Apples with Mascarpone and Mead Glaze

Baked Apples with Mascarpone and Mead Glaze

Baked Apples
8 Gala Apples
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup of Cascade Winery Mead
1 cup water

Remove top one inch of apple, reserve. Core the apple without penetrating the bottom. Brush cut surface of apples with lemon juice. Place apples in oven-safe baking dish.


Combine nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle over apples. Replace apple tops. Pour 1 cup of Mead and 1 cup water in baking dish. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes.

Mascarpone with almonds
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp super fine sugar
4 Tbs Cascade Winery Orange Spiced Mead
17.6 oz Mascarpone
3/4 cup divided toasted slivered almonds (Reserve 1/4 cup toasted almonds for garnish)


In a mixing bowl combine nutmeg, vanilla, sugar and salt. Then add Mead, mix well. Add Mascarpone and 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mead Glaze
2 cups Mead
2 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs butter

In heavy saucepan, add Mead and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to simmer, until volume is reduced by half. Then add remaining ingredients. Simmer until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Combine baked apples, Mascarpone and sauce
Spoon 1/4 of the Mascarpone mixture into each apple. Drizzle with Mead glaze. Sprinkle with remaining almonds and serve.

Serves Eight.

Peach Dipping Sauce for cheese or crab balls

Peach Dipping Sauce

2 cups Cascade Winery Peach Wine
Add 1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup Peach Preserves
2 Tbs Thickening flour


Pour 2 cups of Peach Wine into saucepan, reduce by half. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer.
Stir in 1/2 cup cream cheese and 1/2 cup Peach Preserves. In small bowl combine 2 Tbs each thickening flour and Peach Wine. Pour into wine mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer until thickened to coat back of spoon. Remove from heat, allow to cool.

Makes 2 cups