Author: zbrookehester

Grenache.

No words necessary.

XOXO – Brooke

Grilled Peach Toast with Pimento Cheese

Garden & Gun has done it again. I saw this recipe and immediately headed out to the grocery store. Take my advice and try it with the LIGHTNING CdP Blanc!

XXOO – Brooke

From Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes, by Todd Richards

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE TOAST
2 firm-ripe peaches, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon blended oil
1 medium-size ripe avocado
4 (1⁄2-inch-thick) slices multigrain boule-style bread
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup thinly sliced red radishes (about 3 ounces)
1 bunch watercress
1 teaspoon gray sea salt
1⁄2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

FOR THE PIMENTO CHEESE
4 bacon slices
1 tablespoon blended olive oil
2 small red bell peppers, stems removed, finely diced (about 1 1⁄4 cups)
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1⁄4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 ounces white Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives

 

PREPARATION
For the Toast:

  • Preheat a grill to medium-high (450°F).
  • Brush the peach halves with 1 tablespoon of the blended oil, and place on the grill grates, cut sides down. Grill, uncovered, until grill marks appear and the juices begin to release, about 3 minutes. Remove from the grill, and slice. Set aside.
  • Cut the avocado in half lengthwise, pit, and brush cut sides with 1 teaspoon of the blended oil. Place halves, cut sides down, on the grill grates. Grill, uncovered, just until the avocado is charred and begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill.
  • Brush the bread slices with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and place on the grill grates. Grill until the bread is toasted, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill.
  • Spread Pimento Cheese onto 1 side of each piece of toast. Cut each piece into 4 equal rectangles, keeping the pieces together.
  • Scoop the avocado from the peel into a medium bowl and mash with 1 tablespoon of the extra-virgin olive oil until it is chunky and spreadable. Spoon onto the toast, and top with sliced peaches.
  • Top the toast slices with radish slices and watercress leaves. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over the toast slices, and sprinkle with gray sea salt and black pepper.

Note: If watercress is unavailable, arugula or curly mustard greens can be substituted.

For the Pimento Cheese:
“Great pimento cheese is all about spice. Red peppers and hot sauce are essential to cutting through the richness of the cream cheese and Cheddar. You need that spicy zing to tame the fat. Mustard also steps in to balance the rich flavors.” —Chef Todd Richards

  • Cook bacon in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels; chop. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings, and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.
  • Return the skillet to medium. Add the blended oil and the red bell peppers. Cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bacon drippings. Add the adobo sauce, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • Stir in the bacon, mayonnaise, vinegar, hot sauce, dry mustard, granulated garlic, and black pepper.
  • Combine the Cheddar cheeses, cream cheese, and bell pepper mixture in a large bowl. Stir in the chives, and serve at room temperature.

We’re moving and we can’t wait to see you!

Dear Friends,

Here at LIGHTNING we are excited about some long-awaited changes to our hospitality options and we can finally share the news with you!

We will continue to personally host our guests, by appointment only, as we always have, and now we are able to offer a more spontaneous option for tasting our small-production wines as well. Both of these tasting experiences will be located in the Oxbow District of Napa, at 1031 McKinstry Street.

Impromptu – Lightning Wines is thrilled to be a part of the Feast It Forward network in the  Oxbow District of Napa.  Feast! is all about food, drink, entertainment, and giving back.  Open Wednesday–Monday, from 11-6, guests can enjoy a selection of our wines with no appointment required.

Classic Lightning – Of course you are always invited to enjoy a curated, seated tasting of our most exclusive wines, paired with a few of our favorite nibbles. Personal guidance through our wines is how we have come to know so many of our customers so well. Please continue to contact us by e-mail or phone as this tasting experience is only available by prior arrangement.

Although the location of our tastings will be changing, a few things have NOT changed! We continue to focus on making delicious Rhône-inspired wines and are always eager to share these wines with you! As always, we appreciate your support of Lightning Wines and will continue to work hard to entertain you and your clients, your friends and family, and all Grenache lovers, with great wines and a great time.

We look forward to seeing you soon –
Randy, Rosemary & Brooke

What a cheese ball.

It feels like many of the normal things I grew up with in West Texas are now considered hip.  Some are surprising to me (like having chickens in your backyard) and others not surprising (like pimento cheese). One snack always on the table at parties back home was a cheese ball, so I was happy to see this yummy recipe in a recent issue of Garden & Gun.

Sounds good right? Randy is heading to the grocery store now so we can test it….

XXOO – Brooke

From Vivian Howard’s Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup high-quality blue cheese (I like Maytag)
⅓ cup (5½ tablespoons) butter
¼ cup fresh goat cheese
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cream cheese
¼ cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions (both white and green parts work here)
½ teaspoon hot sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Salt-and-Butter-Roasted Pecans (recipe below), roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

SALT-AND-BUTTER-ROASTED PECANS
2 cups pecan halves or pieces
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

PREPARATION
For the cheese ball:
Take the blue cheese, butter, goat cheese, and cream cheese out of the refrigerator to soften 30 minutes before making your cheese-ball mixture. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the ingredients except for the pecans and parsley. Paddle it up till homogenous. It will be loose and sticky and you’ll wonder how you’re ever going to form that mess into a ball. The answer is, you transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so. During that time the cheese mix will firm up enough for you to pat it into a sphere. Once it’s stiff enough to hold up, form the ball and roll that ball in the pecans, followed by parsley.
For the salt-and-butter-roasted pecans:
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Toss the pecans thoroughly with the melted butter and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and slide that sheet onto the middle rack of your oven. Roast the pecans for 11 minutes if using whole pecans and 10 minutes if you’re using pieces. Bring the slightly darkened and toasty-smelling pecans out of the oven and hit them with the remaining salt. Let them cool 5 minutes before you eat them. These will keep for 7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

A balanced diet….

Some days I just need french fries and red wine for dinner. And a salad to balance it out…..

Happy 2018! Here’s to getting back into the swing of things in the New Year.  XXOO – Brooke

Gratitude.

   

Earlier this week I was flipping through all the photos I’ve accumulated over this year. Many of these photos are from YOU – moments with Lightning that you wanted to share with us via email, text or through shout-outs on social media.

Your story is our story – in each photo you share, at every dinner you invite us to, in all the tastings we host. Randy and I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for including our wines in your 2017 story. 

If you tasted with us this year in Napa for the first time … if you shared our wines with your friends … if you sent us an email or photo about your #grenachelove … if you joined our wine club or purchased our wines … thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Even if we’ve never met in-person before, please know that we are so appreciative, and don’t take your interest for granted. You make our story!

We look forward to having more good times with you in 2018.  What can you expect from the Lightning crew in the new year?

—> New single-vineyard designated Grenache wines, highlighting our excellent farming partners.
—> A new tasting experience.  We are excited to be a part of the Feast it Forward concept in the Oxbow District and are happy to offer both private and more casual tastings!
—> More in-home tastings We love being on your home-turf to host tastings for our club members and like-minded friends. (Give us a shout if you ‘re interested!)

Have a delectable holiday season. You know that extra piece of fudge won’t kill you! Wear your pj’s all day and watch old holiday movies. Share some Grenache with your friends. Whatever you do, have fun – and we can’t wait to see you in the new year!

         

   With gratitude! Brooke (and Randy)

#FRIDAYIMINLOVE…with the band MIDLAND

The first thing I noticed about this band was the outfits. I am a huge fan of Fort Lonesome‘s custom stitched pieces and they did a killer job on the bespoke Western Wear the band wears on their album cover and at awards shows. Then I heard their album ‘On the Rocks‘ on a road trip and it was one hit after another. I can’t get enough of them! And obviously, I now want my own custom ‘B Lightning’ outfit.

Here’s to each of our Electric Rodeos – XXOO – Brooke

Image result for midland the band

An Autumn Feast

Most people move to red wine thoughts when the weather cools down but when I saw this recipe in Garden & Gun, I knew it was a perfect pairing with our Lightning CdP Blanc.  The lemon in the sauce just pops and pairs with the wine and the vibrant acidity in the wine balances out the creaminess of the sauce.  A fabulous Autumn pairing!

Spaghetti Squash With Kale and Pecorino Romano Cream  

Scrape seeds from a halved squash. Roast at 350°F, cut sides down on sheet pan, for 15 to 20 minutes. Rest 10 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a sauté pan over medium. Add ½ tsp. chile flakes, 4 cups chopped kale, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. butter, and ½ tsp. salt. Cook 3 to 5 minutes. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp. butter over medium-low. Add 2 tsp. each minced shallot and garlic. Sweat them for 5 minutes, then add 2 cups heavy cream. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in ½ cup grated pecorino Romano, ¼ tsp. sherry vinegar, ¼ tsp. salt, and pinch of pepper. Use fork to scrape squash to form strands. Add to pan with kale, and toss with 1 cup of sauce. Top with chopped toasted walnuts and parsley.

Bon Appétit – xxoo Brooke