Mexican Veggie Soup with Duck

1 Maple Leaf Farm Rotissierie Half Duck
1 Quart Water
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery, diced
1 Jalapeno, diced (with seeds or without, depending on taste)
1 Tbs. Salish Potlash Seasoning
1 tsp. Bacon Freak Bacon Hot Sauce
1/4 C. White Wine
2 C. Chicken Stock
10 Tomatillos, pureed
2 C.  Main Street Produce Canned Tomatoes
1 container Main Street Produce Frozen Butterbeans
1 container Main Street Produce Frozen Corn

In a soup pan, bring the quart of water to a boil and add the duck.  Boil for 10 minutes and turn off the heat.  Set aside.

In a different soup pan on medium heat, add the olive oil first and wait 1 minute.  Next add the onion, carrot, celery and diced jalapeno and stir a couple times.  Add the Potlash Seasoning and the Bacon Freak Hot Sauce and continue stirring until the veggies are tender (about 5 minutes).

Next add the wine and de-glaze the pan, add the chicken stock and pureed tomotillos and stir.

Next, strain the water from the pan with the duck and add the water to the soup.  Follow this with the canned tomatoes, butterbeans and corn..

Remove the meat from the duck, and chop into small pieces.  Add that to the pot.

Let simmer for about 2 hours, serve with more diced jalabenos or even a dollop of sour cream.

Wine Pairings:  There are no hard set rules on this, but here are my choices.

Hecht & Bannier Rose

Lapierre Raisins Gaulos Beaujolais
Venta Morales Tempranillo

Wrongo Dongo Monastrel.

Beer Pairings:

Victory Helios
Bell's Oberon

There's No Politics in Wine

With President Obama's remark about Trump Wines getting hype in the media, there's been a rush to judgement by newspapers, magazines and other on-line publications.  However, it seems that this has more to do with an individual's political preference, rather than the wine itself.  Just as Tom Hanks said in A League of Their Own, "There's no crying in baseball", I say "There's no politics in wine".

The polarizing effects of Obama's remark, "Has anybody bought that wine?  I want to know what it tastes like." has turned columnists into connoisseurs.  He continues, "I mean, come on.  You know that's like some $5.00 wine.  They slap a label on it.  They charge $50.00 and say it's the greatest wine ever." Well, opinions do vary. and that's exactly the point.

The fact of the matter is that there are many wines on the market that are directly owned or affiliated with famous individuals.  Francis Ford Coppola, Greg Norman and Fess Parker are a few examples.  Nancy Pelosi?  Yeah, even she owns vineyards.  

According to an article in The Washington Post, Erin Scala, sommelier and wine writer, refuses to include Trump Wines on her Wine Lists. Stating, "I work in the restaurant business in Charlottesville, Va., and though I'm a short distance from the winery and the restaurants where I work feature Virginia wines, I make a conscious decision not to carry the Trump Brand."  I wonder if there were a Cruz Cabernet or a Hillary Hilltop Reserve if they too would be excluded.

As a wine shop owner, I don't just have wines that I like on my shelves.  I make sure I cover as many categories and varieties available.  The choice then is now my customer's to make.  As I digress away from the wine world, election booths don't have just one name to choose from.  All the candidates are listed, and each person is given the opportunity to choose the person he or she likes.  That is what a Democracy is, and that is how wine should be made available to all.

I always tell my customers that there are only two answers when tasting a wine.  Those are, "I like it" or "I don't like it".  The choice is theirs based on their preference.  My job is to simply provide the choices.  One quick look at my shelves clearly exemplifies my point.

"And that's all I've got to say about that." - Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks again). " There's no politics in wine.  There's no POLITICS in wine."

Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

2 lbs. thinly slice chicken breast, marinated
1 lb. Asparagus, sliced and blanched
1 lb. Pasta, I used Penne
2 Tbs. Butter, plus 4 Tbs to finish.
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. Basil Pesto, plus two more for marinade (homemade or store bought)
2 C, Chicken Stock
1/4 C. dry white wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella, cubed


Marinade for Chicken:

2 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs. Basil Pesto
1/4 tsp. Hot Pepper Flakes.

When using chicken breasts, they tend to dry out quickly.  Combine the thinly sliced chicken and marinade, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.  Next, spread the chicken pieces out on a baking sheet, and cook in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Be sure to have gaps between the pieces.  This seals in whatever juices and flavors of the marinade and keeps the chicken moist. Set aside the chicken.

Cut the asparagus into 1-2" pieces, bring a salted pot of water to boil and add the asparagus for about 2 minutes.  Drain the asparagus, saving the water, and put the asparagus into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Set aside.

Using the liquid from the asparagus, add enough water to complete the amount suggested on the package of pasta.  Finish following the directions, drain and set aside.

In a soup pan, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Next, add the chicken stock, wine and crushed tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and add the chicken.  Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the basil pesto and asparagus.  Once that begins to boil, turn it off.  Slowly whisk in the butter in small amounts.  Continue adding and whisking until all the butter is melted.

Add the pasta to the pan and stir to combine.  Pour this into a baking dish and top with the mozzarella.  Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Then just bake it per directions above.

Serving suggestions:

Vitiano Rosso
Rapitila Nero d'Avola
Chloe Pinot Grigio
Villa Pozzi Grillo
Trifula Piemonte Rosso