Cooking with Crosby Roamann: Venison Chili

 

This Venison Chili from Miss Allie’s Kitchen is now my go-to venison chili. Even Juliana and the girls were super-impressed with the tones and flavors in this game-meat dish. The key is really the pinch of cinnamon and the addition of citrus on the meat – both are light touches that come through nicely on the palate. I made some minor alterations to the original – most notably the addition of a pound of deer strap steak that we received from friends Robert and Toffler Alvarez. Thanks guys!

 

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced 
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 1 lb. ground venison
• 1 lb. deer strap
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• ½ tsp. cinnamon (mandatory)
• 1 and ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste 
• 2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
• 1 orange, juiced (yes !!)
• 1 lime, juiced (yes !!)
• 2 cups (or one box) beef stock
• 1 box 13.8 oz. diced tomatoes, drained 
• One can 15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed 
• One can 15 oz. kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

 

Prep

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and peppers and cook until the onions start to brown on the edges, about 5-7 minutes. Then, add the ground venison and deer strap and brown on all side
3. Once the venison is browned add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Sauté for a couple minutes. Add the tomato paste. Cook for an additional minute, incorporating the tomato paste. 
4. Then, deglaze the pot with Worchestershire sauce, orange juice, and lime juice. Scrape the bottom of the pot and add the stock, tomatoes, and beans. 
5. Stir well and bring the chili to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover partially with a lid and let the pot simmer on low for an hour
6. Ladle up generous portions, top with your favorite chili toppings, and serve.

 

Cooking with Crosby Roamann: Feta Cheese Toast

 

Feta Cheese Toast

• Tablespoon butter
• 4-6 slices good bread, about ½ inch thick, toasted
• 4-6 slices good prosciutto
• Garlic powder to taste
• Maldon sea salt to taste
• Cracked fresh pepper to taste
• Ground cumin pinch to taste
• Dry oregano or fresh garnish to taste
• 2 tablespoons Olio Nuovo or good olive oil
• Leftover crumbled Feta cheese, about 4 oz.

Prep

1. Place 1 tablespoon butter on a large plate and microwave on high for 40 seconds
2. Meanwhile, toast 4-6 pieces of good bread, like a sourdough boule.
3. Place the toast in the butter and sprinkle a pinch of garlic salt on them, then flip them over, and place a piece of prosciutto on each slice of toast, tucking the edges of the prosciutto under the bread.
4. Layer on your crumbled Feta cheese generously.
5. Sprinkle the tops with Maldon Sea Salt, cracked fresh pepper, a touch of ground cumin (just a little pinch!) and a touch of dry (we used fresh) oregano (use a little more if you want a garnish).
6. Then drizzle your best olive oil (we used our Olio Nuovo from 2023) generously over the tops of the toast – about 2 tablespoons worth.

Et voila! Feta Cheese Toast. We paired this with our Tuna Puttanesca, pictured below, and a bottle of good old Merlot. What I love about these little dishes is that I had everything I needed to make them at home. They are so simple and delicious and comforting and we didn't even have to go grocery shopping for anything! Did you know, "Puttanesca translates as “in the style of the whore.” The name derives from the Italian word puttana which means whore. Puttana in turn arises from the Latin word putida which means stinking." But boy, what a dish! xo

 

Cooking with Crosby Roamann: West Coast Style Gefilte Fish

 

There is one common staple in our house over Passover, and that is gefilte fish. Traditionally, I make enough for everyone, and then am the only one to eat it. But that’s ok. These things take time. I didn’t love, or even like, or even try, gefilte fish when I was a kid either.

When we lived in NY, it was easy enough to purchase really good gefilte from one of our local grocers, but here in wine country – no such luck. So, I took to making it myself from scratch when we moved here. The first versions weren’t very good -- it turned out to be nearly impossible to find the traditional fish in the right quantities in California. So, I adapted.

Our recipe is a “west coast” adaptation of the basic gefilte recipe from the great book The Gefilte Manifesto. All of the ingredients are easy to find at almost any good fishmonger and grocer this time of year.

Enjoy, and happy pesach.

West Coast Style Gefilte Fish

For the fish stock

• 1 lb spine and head, Halibut bones
• 4 qts water
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 small onions
• 4 medium whole carrots
• 3 Tbsp sugar

Add all ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the stock and remove the carrots, cutting them into 1” pieces and set ting them aside. Discard the remaining solids and return the stock to the stove top.

For the Gefilte Quenelles

• 1 lb California or Canadian Halibut fillet, skinned
• 1 lb California Sturgeon fillet, skinned
• 2 small onions
• 2 small eggs
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (plus more fresh sprigs for garnish set aside)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• ¼ tspn fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup Matzah meal
• Horseradish, fresh, for serving.

Prep

1. Grind the onions, then the fish with it, and then all the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Remove the Gefilte mix to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Begin to reheat the stock on low. It should be warm, not hot/cold.
3. Wet your hands, and roll out large egg-shaped quenelles, just smaller than a tennis ball. Place them gently in the stock using a slotted spoon, one by one.
4. You should have about 12-14 quenelles, depending on size.
5. Cover and boil the stock and quenelles on medium high for 30 minutes. Then let cool slightly.
6. Line a serving dish with carrots and quenelles, then cover with stock, and garnish with a few fresh sprigs of dill, then wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate. The quenelles are served cool, best the next day and for 3 days after.
7. Serve with fresh horseradish and matzah for Passover.

 

Prepared Horseradish garnish recipe:

• 1 (8 to 10-inch long) piece horseradish root (4 to 5 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons water, more as needed
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar, more as needed
• Pinch salt

Peel and chop your horseradish root into half inch cubes, then pulse in a sturdy food processor with the other ingredients. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks (or as long as it takes to finish all the gefilte fish the rest of your family refused to eat.)

Cooking with Crosby Roamann: Seared Herb-Crusted NY Strip Steak with BA.1 Steak Sauce

 

For our herb-crusted NY Strip Steak, we choose prime cuts at least 1-inch think, and apply a rub of 1 tablespoon each dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, and Kosher Salt. We let these sit for the day in the fridge, and then for an hour at room temperature before cooking. We prefer cast iron skillets for searing steaks at home, with one tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of good olive oil, which we let begin to smoke in the skillet before we add the steaks. We fry these at the highest temperature we can for 3-4 minutes per side, and then finish them in the oven, covered for 2-4 minutes, until an instant read thermomemter registers 145F interior temp. We then let the steaks rest on a wood cutting board for 5 minutes before serving.

Pair this with our 2020 Crosby's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, available here.

Bon Appetit BA1 Steak Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar-based hot sauce (such as Frank’s or Crystal)
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. honey
• Kosher salt

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  BA says, "sauce can be made 2 months ahead. Store airtight at room temperature," but we store ours in the fridge.

Cooking with Crosby Roamann: Roast Chicken with Olives

 

It’s probably our favorite meal in the world … so there, I said it. No trip to Paris is complete for our family if we don’t visit Restaurant Allard, Alain Ducasse’s staple bistro near the heart of Saint-Germain-de-Pres. We’ve spent years trying to recreate the dishes we found there, and while it will never be exactly the same as sitting in the back of their small Parisian dining room and enjoying truly fine French bistro, it comes darn close. Enjoy this Roast Chicken (or Duck) with olives with our Thanksgiving selections or a magnum of Merlot. (The bird pictured here is with some late harvest zucchini form our garden while the olives finished cooking in their gravy).

• 2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat (or substitute 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter).
• 2 pounds chicken wings or backs, cut up.
• 1 chicken or duck (about 4 pounds, well-rinsed, patted dry, and trussed with neck and gizzard reserved.)
• 3 onions minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons superfine flour
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 bouquet garni: 12 parsley stems, 8 peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed and 1 bay leaf tied in a double thickness of cheesecloth.
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 8 ounces, brine-cured, pitted green olives
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a large, nonreactive stockpot or stovetop casserole, melt the chicken fat over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and reserved duck neck and gizzard. Cook, stirring over medium-high heat, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the wine, stock, bouquet garni, and tomato paste. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a nonreactive saucepan. Discard the solids.

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add olives and boil over high heat for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Taste an olive. If they are still very salty, repeat the blanching. Add the olives to the strained sauce. Set over low heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is just thick enough to coat a spoon, about one to one-and-a-half hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pierce the chicken or duck skin all over with a knife and rub the skin with the butter. Place the bird, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Turn the chicken or duck breast side up. Continue to roast the bird until the juices run clear when you pierce the thigh with a skewer, about one hour more. If you find that the breast is brown before the bird is cooked through, shield the breast by covering it loosely with aluminum foil.

To serve, carve the bird. Arrange the meat on a large serving platter and surround it with the green olives and sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

New Releases & Member Shipments

 

We are thrilled to release two new single vineyard wines from Napa Valley -- our 2020 Satyrs Ridge Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon and our 2019 Harmony School Cabernet Sauvignon -- plus a new Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Members will also receive a library selection of our 2010 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon from magnum.

Satyrs Ridge is a 4-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon in Saint Helena, planted in 1970. Extremely low-yielding, we receive 1.25 tons per acre on average. We harvested the fruit at the cusp of ripeness, to preserve the integrity of the acidity and sumptuousness of the fruit. Fermented in open top stainless steel for seventeen days, then aged in one-quarter new French oak barrels for twenty-two months. Tasting notes: Dusky raspberry and briar, saddle leather, blood orange, with a touch of French oak evident but very subdued.

Harmony School is a one-acre block in Coombsville of Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon -- "the winemaker's clone" -- fermented on native yeasts in stainless steel for eighteen days. After a natural malolactic fermentation in barrel, we aged the wine in one-third new French oak barrels for 22 months, and bottled the wine by hand at the winery, unfined and unfiltered. On the palate: aromas of sweet raspberry and cassis emerge, with integrated vanilla and spice, cocoa and coffee on the palate.

Maeve Vineyard Chardonnay is from a very small vineyard just outside the town of Los Gatos in the Santa Cruz Mountains, on a steep bowl-shaped hillside facing southeast. Maeve is an Irish girl’s name meaning “the intoxicating one" -- but don't be fooled -- This very lightly-oaked Chardonnay is more Chablis-style than Napa, with semi-tart notes of fig, licorice, and lemon zest, and it pairs delightfully with pastas, salads, and seafood.

Member Shipments will begin to ship Fedex the last two weeks of September and will continue into October, weather depending. One Magnum from our library of 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder AVA is included in the membership.



We are incredibly grateful and humbled to report a flurry of news and reviews over the past summer months! First, a review from Alder Yarrow's Vinography. Later, notes and reviews from Brian Freedman at Food & Wine Magazine, Joe Czerwinski - managing editor at The Wine Advocate, Karen MacNeil at WineSpeed, Mike Desimone and Jeff Jensen at Robb Report, and Tom Hyland at Forbes Magazine. You can find the full list at our new page dedicated to supporting Trade & Press here.



It's the perfect time of year for fresh pasta recipes with ingredients straight from the garden, and this only-very-lightly-creamy Farfalle pairs deliciously with our Maeve Vineyard Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Find our "Cooking with Crosby Roamann" blog online here for new recipes from our kitchen.

Maeve Vineyard is planted on a steep bowl-shaped hillside outside Los Gatos facing south and east. We whole-cluster press the juice to stainless steel for primary fermentation, and age the wine in all neutral oak and some stainless steel. A light pad filtration and cold stabilization is performed prior to bottling, by hand, at the winery. Tasting notes: Maeve Vineyard displays zesty notes of fig, licorice, and lemon zest, with apple cider and a touch of pineapple on the finish. Delightful now, the wine will gain complexity over the next year and reach its apogee from 2024 - 2027.

Forbes Magazine: The Unique Tale of Crosby Roamann Wines from California

In case you missed it, Tom Hyland for Forbes wrote a lovely piece on Crosby Roamann wines which you can find here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomhyland/2023/08/15/the-unique-tale-of-crosby-roamann-wines-from-california/?sh=3797ab8e2807

We are truly honored and grateful for the attention!

Cooking with Crosby Roamann: Duck a la Sean -- Seared Duck Breast with Cherries

 

There is something about seared duck that always seems so … decadent. But what I love about duck is how simple and easy it can be, whether we simply take a couple duck confit and crisp them gently in the broiler with some boiled potatoes and a green salad for Sunday brunch, or sear up some duck breasts in a sauté pan for a somewhat more formal dinner. This recipe falls into the latter category. It has all the hallmarks of fine French cooking, but while it is exceptionally decadent and serious, it also incredibly simple. Only a couple ingredients are needed, and the majority of the prep time is spent halving and pitting cherries, half of which get eaten by whoever is chopping or talking with me in the kitchen (you know who you are!).

This is also a terribly romantic meal, and sure to impress, with a minimum of tedium. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Serves four)

• 4 Duck breasts, about 1 pound each
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil for searing the duck breasts.

For the spice rub:

• 1 heaping teaspoon plus of freshly ground pepper (black or rainbow, I prefer rainbow)
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
• 6 crushed cloves
• ½ heaping teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

For the Cherry Sauce:

• ½ cup turbinado sugar
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup good red wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Pinch of Cayenne
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound ripe red cherries, halved and pitted by hand
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, like baker’s sugar
• 1 tablespoon Kirsch

Preparation

Trim excess fat from the folds of the duck skin and discard. Score the skin of the duck breasts with three 1” strips at a diagonal set 1” apart, careful not to pierce the tender meat beneath the fat. Season the duck breasts generously with Kosher salt, then evenly sprinkly the Spice Rub mixture to each top and bottom of each duck breast. Use your fingers to work the spice rub into the meat. Wrap the duck breasts in plastic and set them in the refrigerator for the balance of the day (it’s best to do this in the morning of the day you plan to cook them) -- The spice rub will infuse the duck breasts with a wonderfully gingery and tangy flavor.

Prep the sauce: Melt the turbinado sugar in red wine vinegar over medium heat, stirring continually, about 4 minutes. Add the red wine, and bring it to a boil. When the wine begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium and gently cook off the alcohol – you’ll be able to smell it when the alcohol is gone – then add the chicken broth and return the sauce to a boil. Add the ginger, pepper, and a light touch of salt, reduce the heat, and stir over a simmer for five minutes or so more. This is the sauce base, and can be set aside until you are ready to cook the cherries.

Now it’s time to prep (and snack on!) those delicious cherries. This is a good time to open a bottle of Pinot Noir and discuss the day’s events while you prep – you can find one here from Crosby Roamann – and remove the duck breasts from the fridge, unwrap them, and set them aside. For the sauce, we like to use cherries from our two cherry trees – one is a golden yellow with red highlights, and the other is a deep red – but the dish is really better with sweet red cherries from the market. Halve the cherries and pit them with a sharp paring knife, then set aside.

 

Melt the butter in a wide saucepan, add the sugar, and let the sugar dissolve, then add the cherries and bring this all together over high heat, stirring every minute or so. The cherries will start to break down and release their juice. When they do so, carefully add the shot of Kirsch, boil it all for one more minute, stir the sauce to bring it all together, and remove from the heat. Keep the sauce warm on the stovetop while you fire the duck breasts. (If the cherries are still too tough, you can add them back for another couple minutes on the stovetop when the duck is resting.)

Now it’s time to sear the duck and assemble your feast. In a large sauté pan with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat, sear the duck breasts skin side down for about 7 minutes (you may have to work in batches, depending on the size of the duck breasts and the size of the sauté pan). Flip the breasts and continue to sear another 5 minutes. The duck should have a deeply golden-brown hue. You will know the duck is just ready when the meat shows signs of juicing into the pan. Remove from the heat and let the duck rest for 5 minutes. Then slice the duck breasts on a diagonal, cover with the warm cherry sauce, and serve.

Bon appetit!

Serving recommendation: Allard Potatoes or Fancy White Mashed Potatoes, Seared Tarragony String Beans.

Wine Pairing: Napa Valley Merlot or Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

Inspired by: David Tanis for The New York Times, “Dining & Wine: Recipes – Duck With Cherries and Red Wine Vinegar” downloaded June 11, 2014 at 3:40pm.

Cooking with Crosby Roamann: Penne al Tonno

Penne al Tonno -- Penne with Tuna in Red Sauce -- is the simplest and most delicious summer pasta recipe you need to have in your weekday arsenal.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry penne
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 jar of capers (2 oz) drained
• 1 jar of Tonnino yellow fin tuna in olive oil (blue label)
• 4oz pitted black or brown olives (like from the deli counter at Whole Foods) sliced in thirds
• 1 jar of premade sauce and 1 box strained tomatoes (or just use two boxes of premade pasta sauce)
• 2 teaspoons Garlic powder or granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 6 twists of freshly cracked black (or rainbow pepper)

Preparation

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the penne, and cook for 12 minutes, making sure to stir the pasta in the beginning of the boil so it doesnt stick to the bottom of the pot.
• In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add your olive oil, and when it begins to shimmer, add the capers, letting them fry for a minute.
• Add the tuna in its olive oil, and let it fry for a couple minutes. Stir.
• Add the olives, then let them fry for a couple minutes. Stir.
• Add the pasta sauce, and the box of strained tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer, and stir, uncovered.
• Season with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red peppers.
• The penne should be done by now, so drain it, and return the pasta to the same pot. Pour all the hot sauce over the penne and stir to incorporate.
• Enjoy -- and hey -- grab a glass of Chardonnay !!

 

Cooking with Crosby Roamann: Farfalle with Creamy Smoked Salmon, Fresh Peas, and Dill

It's the perfect time of year for these fresh spring pasta recipes, doctored with ingredients fresh from the garden. This only-very-lightly-creamy pasta dish pairs so deliciously with our Maeve Vineyard Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and it was a perfect base recipe to add some fresh peas and wild dill from our garden. The inspiration came from an old recipe in Food & Wine Magazine (pictured) to which we added a couple ingredients and updated the proportions a little bit.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound farfalle
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 1 tablespoon chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small shallot, halved and sliced thinly
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup ABSOLUT vodka
• 2 cups heavy cream (plus a dash for the eggs)*
• 4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 1" strips
• 2 cups freshly shelled sweet peas
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• 3 large egg yolks (plus a dash of cream)
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped into tiny pieces
• Maldon sea salt and frehsly ground red/black/green peppers to taste

* We don't keep fresh cream in the house on an everyday basis, and we don't cook with it often enough to have any use for left over heavy cream, so this is admittedly a terribly annoying amount of cream to have to purchase for this dish and then not to use. So we just purchase a pint of heavy cream and then set aside a dash to add to the eggs in order to finish the sauce. And if you forget to add that dash to the eggs and instead add it all to the cream sauce, well like so what? Just add the eggs to the pasta sauce at the very end as if you're making a carbonara.

Preparation:

• Melt the butter in the olive oil, don't let it brown.
• Add the shallots, give it a minute, then add the garlic. Season with a little Kosher salt. Let them sweat. Time for a glass of Chardonnay!
• Remove the sauce pan from the heat, carefully add the ABSOLUT**, then return it to a simmer. A sniff of boiling vodka won't hurt anyone :) It's delish!
• When the vodka has reduced by half, add the cream, and stir to consolidate. A little spring of fresh dill in the cream isn't a bad idea, just don't get carried away. How's that chardonnay tasting?
• Give that cream a chance to come up to a gentle simmer, and start to skim the solids into the sauce. It's a good time to add the peas, to let them soften as the cream condenses. Then add the rest of the fresh dill. In about five minutes of a gentle simmer, add the smoked salmon strips, and give them a couple minutes in the sauce to tighten up. Keep stirring everything together, then remove from the heat and set it aside.
• Immediately drain the pasta, and return it to its pot. Cover it with your cream sauce. Stir in your egg yolks, and let it all rest together for about five minutes. Then plate in shallow bowls, and enjoy

Serve with our Maeve Vineyard Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 2021.

** ABSOLUT is our "absolute" favorite cooking vodka. We use it for every dish that calls for vodka. It's punchy enough to add a bit of flavor, but not so expensive we feel we're pouring money down the drain. ABSOLUT is a Kitchen Staple in our house.