Adventures in Sangria

I tested a lot of white or pink sangrias this summer. I'm sharing photos from my prettiest and unfortunately least-rewarding endeavor*... a Caliente Sangria, with jalepeno to spice things up!

*My mistake was using unripe fruit. 

Everything was sour and hard, not luscious and soft! 

Also, I just don't prefer pepper in my sangria, I guess!

As you can see, white sangria is absolutely gorgeous and showcases the fruit better than a red sangria. I honestly think they taste better and are more refreshing, too. Nothing beats a cold glass of white or pink sangria under a porch umbrella on a hot day!

I also think I've boiled down the basics to put together a GREAT white or pink sangria every time. Here's the formula... you should experiment with one!

1. One bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or Rose. My favorite is, honestly Barefoot. It's delicious. You want something that is fairly dry, and not too expensive.
2. One bottle of champagne, prosecco, or cava -- again not to expensive, but not one you think is disgusting on its own. I actually find most proseccos or cavas are better tasting. Just my experience. You need bubbles.
3. Three kinds of RIPE fruit, 1 cup each. Good ones include: peaches, nectarines, grapes, cherries, apples... think stone fruits and things you often taste hints of in wine. Strawberries and other tender fruits may work, too, but realize they're delicate and will fall apart faster. If you use underripe fruit, your sangria will hardly be flavored at all, and will be forgettable.
4. Two shots of one or two kinds of hard liquor that pairs well. For example, peach schnapps with peaches and nectarines. Pear brandy with apples and lemons. Think what flavors you would like to taste together.
5. Sweetener. If your liquor has sugar in it (like peach schnapps, or limoncello) you may not need any sweetener. If you're using tequila or brandy or something that is not pumped with sugar, you'll need to add a few tablespoons of honey or agave or dissolved sugar.
6. Extra: add an herb if you'd like! Basil, mint, thyme, etc. Get creative!

Assembly:

1. Slice fruit into bite-size chunks, and place in bottom of sangria pitcher. (Add herbs if you're using them.)
2. Pour hard alcohol and sweetener over the fruit. Stir and allow to macerate for at least an hour.
3. Add white wine or rose, but don't stir. Steep 6 hours or overnight, covered.
4. Just before serving, add bubbly.
5. Pour over glasses filled with ice.

DELISHUS!!!

A Friend's Variation on the Emerald City Salad

Here's another way to make the Emerald City Salad I posted about earlier... I just can't get enough of the kale with the lemon dressing!

Watch here!

Pinyon Pine Nut Harvest is NOW!

Dear Reno Forager,

It is Pinyon Pine Nut harvest time right now. I just went out for the first time to figure it out. Here's the pertinent info you need to collect these delectables!


1. You don't have to go far. I found a big grove on Geiger Grade. Pinyon Pines are scrubby looking pine trees with small cones, often mostly at the top. I forgot to snap a picture of the trees when we were out, but here's some, courtesy of Google Images that look most like the trees we found on Geiger Grade:

2. Equipment needed:

• Gloves (cheap, thick that you can throw away)
• Hat & sunglasses (cover as much of your hair as you can, the bill/shades can help keep stuff from falling in your eyes)
• large paper bags (disposable necessary, paper doesn't get stuck with sap as much as plastic)

3. When you get there, you'll find cones that are green and sticky, all closed. They're not ready. There's also cones that are open as pictured above, and here below in my own photos. We picked the open ones right off the tree (carefully so seeds don't all drop out). The difficulty is being able to GET the cones, since many are high up and out on spindly branches that you can't climb out on.

 The green cone is an example of one that is not ready with pine nuts. 

The others are the cones you are looking for!

4. Once you've lugged your treasure home, you'll need to deal with the sap all over you and your clothes. For your skin/hair, use oil. I rubbed all the sticky stuff off with olive oil spray and had no problems. I have read multiple different things about clothes, but can't tell you which is best from experience... but see the link for pitch removal at the end of this post.

5. Find a surface outside you can strike the pine cones against to release the seeds. They should be pretty loose already if they're open cones. You'll need those gloves for this, but pick up the seeds with bare hands so you don't get any sap on them if possible.

Here are some I cracked open. 

They're yellowish and shiny because I baked these ones.

They're whiter raw.

6. Eat 'em like sunflower seeds! (They're 'soft shell' pine nuts, so they're easily cracked with teeth, unlike many other pine nuts)

• Raw, crack the shell with your teeth (did this!)
• Soak them in salt water and then bake them at 400 in the oven for about 10 minutes, testing them and pulling them out when the milky white inside inside turns translucent. (didn't try this yet!)
• Just lay them on a cookie sheet or pan and bake them at 400 in the oven for about 10 minutes, testing them and pulling them out when the milky white inside turns translucent. (did this! DELICIOUS!)

 I baked some in this dish at 400. I think they only took 9 minutes. They went fast! I pulled one out and cracked it to see if it was ready. Did that about 3 times before I felt like they were ready. Remember, they'll keep baking after you've pulled them out if you don't cool them immediately, so go for underdone, or cool them quick!

 My husband and I made short work of the pan I baked. Mmm!

7. Storing your pine nuts right makes them last longer. Because they have moisture, they need to NOT be in an airtight container unless you put them in the freezer. Raw, they'll last in a paper bag in a cool closet for a long time. Baked, you'll have less time to consume them before the oils turn rancid. If you collect a lot, the best bet is to freeze them and thaw only what you need to use at a time.

For more info on pinyon pine nuts & harvesting them, check out these websites:

• BEST: Harvesting, Picking & Storage of Pinyon Pine Nuts
• BLM Harvesting Info & Permit Stuff (you don't need any permits for collecting less than 25 lbs)
• Removing pine pitch

Harvest is September and October, but they may be done early this year, so get out there! Collecting a bag of cones with a friend should take you less than an hour. Enjoy!

Sangrita! (What's That?)

The sangrita recipe I found, with two of our favorite 

cheap tequilas from Cazadores - their reposado and anejo.

 

We are tequila aficionados. We love tasting and sipping reposados and anejos wherever we go, and we have an ungodly collection at home that occupies multiple shelves.

Only twice before Monday had I ever had sangrita, however. It's the "palate cleanser" of tequila tastings. Apparently the recipes vary widely... I have no idea what the under-pinning theory of a sangrita is, or the non-negotiable ingredients. However, the last one I tasted was delicious and tasted almost like a pico-de-gallo salsa with strawberries, blended into a smoothie consistency. It wasn't gross. Think mango salsa... sweet, but there's onion and spice kick...

I looked it up and it is EASY. And man, does it make for a sophisticated tequila-tasting party. You gotta try it. If you have never hosted one, and don't know where to start -- grab Cazadores' reposado and anejo. They're relatively inexpensive and the best bang for your buck. Delicious.

When you're serving it, serve shots of tequila to taste, and then shots of the sangrita for sipping in between tequilas. Mmmm!

Here's the recipe I found. (assembles in about 90 seconds)

However, because I just can never leave anything alone, I modified it TWICE and made my two girlfriends and husband taste all three. The original was one gal's favorite, but the other three of us loved variation #1. Here ya go:

Variation #1.

Follow the directions for the original except:
- substitute 1 1/2 sliced/pitted peaches for the grenadine
- Puree it all in a blender to get it smooth

Variation #2.
- substitute 3 roma tomatoes for the tomato juice
- substitute 1 1/2 sliced/pitted peaches for the grenadine
- double the tobasco
- Puree it all in a blender

Interestingly, most of us loved the little peachy punch of Variation #1. The original recipe tastes a lot like a spicy bloody mary mix. You probably could use it, in fact ... just add vodka.

 Cheers!

Please tell me that you also destroy your kitchen like this with a simple 90-second recipe!

Emerald City Salad // My 2012 Version

Shortly before I got married, I had a rare afternoon free to spend with my aunt. We lived about five blocks from one another, and were both close to Greenlake, so we met up and walked the lake and then got lunch at PCC. That afternoon was a meal I will always remember because it was one of the only peaceful and lovely moments I can remember in the whirlwind of engagement. We ate the Emerald City Salad from the deli, and finished with wild blueberries and devonshire cream. The sunny day, the food, and the company were perfect. We both raved about the salad, and later after marriage, moving, etc., I recalled it and found it on the internet.

The real recipe is here.

I adapted it this summer, although I love the original recipe at least as much. I didn't have all the right ingredients, but wanted to make the salad just the same!

It's labor intensive, but because you're working with kale and chard for greens, it holds up for days in the fridge. You can eat it all week. And it's is crazy healthy and crazy delicious -- a rare combo.

It's hard to find straight wild rice and avoid mixes. If you don't want to go to the trouble of the hunt, use a wild rice mix. If you want to follow directions perfectly, last time I checked Trader Joe's has a 100% wild rice bag.

My Version

1 c. wild rice
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
salt, pepper & minced garlic to taste
2 ears raw sweet corn, slice kernals off
1/2 regular swiss chard bunch, spine removed and chopped
1/2 red swiss chard bunch, spine removed and chopped
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly & chopped
1/2 bunch italian flat-leaf parsely
1 red bell pepper, chopped
bunch of chives

Follow the same directions as PCC: make the dressing from olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper and garlic. Cook wild rice with 3 c. water, allowing it to burst open (this takes awhile, so start cooking it early). Toss all ingredients together. It's best if you can let it soak for 4-6 hours before eating it, but you can serve it immediately if you'd rather. I like it best the 2nd day.