As part of their community outreach program, FoodBuzz likes to periodically buy our affections (on a strictly first come/first served basis, mind you) by giving us free stuff. This time around they reached generous new heights and sent us a box ‘o wine.

Now, before you get all judgmental and high-horsey you should know that this is actually good wine and not that nasty White Zinfandel that you started your hazy, queasy, headachy, wine-drinking career with (you know who you are). Black Box Wines has simply recognized that a bottle may not actually be the best wine delivery system ever invented and that the box – and it’s nifty internal bladder/bag thingy – just might be a vast improvement. Sure, a bottle’s got panache and all that but once it’s opened you’re pretty much committed (besides, we’ve heard that White Zin is available in a bottle too)…

A careful evaluation...

According to Black Box Wines they’ve packaged the wine this way to protect it from the detrimental affects of light and air. Which, of course, implies a few things about potential drinkers of their wine – most notably that: A) the drinker is a connoisseur of sorts who savors and enjoys wine and is loathe to let it oxidize, and B) is likely to not be the sort to finish a whole bottle of wine in one sitting. This then, of course, begs this question: why does Black Box wine come in a 3 liter container?

To the less arithmetically inclined among you we should mention that 3 liters is equal to 4(!) regular bottles of wine. So, while we can appreciate that the box can deliver a more consistent product, it also delivers it in gargantuan quantities. Can it be? Quality and quantity? Bravo, Black Box…bravo!

All ranting aside, we found that this particular Sauvignon Blanc was of the sort we normally go for and we’ve really enjoyed it so far. It’s very bright and citrusy and a great compliment to rich cheeses, olives, etc. Here’s their take on it:

The Sauvignon Blanc is a fresh and zesty wine featuring aromas of herbs and tropical fruit. This wine blends crisp acidity and a rich, fruit sweetness on the palate with a clean, dry finish. This refreshing and lively wine pairs well with most foods especially white meat and seafood dishes

We sampled it for the first time with a cobbled together plate of Salami, Brie, Prosciutto, Grilled Crostini, Fresh Fruit, and some awesome new Olive called Castel Vetrano that we got from the olive bar at Roth’s (which you must go try – they have them at LifeSource Natural Foods, too). They are big, fat, & green and have a wonderful fruity/butter flavor. By far our new favorite Olives.

Dad approves of the wine

Brie, Kiwi, Prosciutto, Grilled Crostini, Salami, and Castel Vetrano Olives

A few Sundays back the weather warmed up suddenly (randomly) and Julie and Sister Amy decided that the perfect weather called for a picnic. Amy & Julie have a talent for great get-together ideas – and for cobbling together all-star menus at the last minute. This one was certainly no exception.

Amy just happened to already have a baguette and all the ingredients for an Asparagus Fritatta. Julie was the dispatched to the store for Wine, Goat Cheese and Olives.

It should be noted here that Sister Amy’s Fritatta made a shockingly good (and shockingly resilient) finger food. As it baked it formed a bit of a crust that gave it some backbone. Sliced into wedges it kept it’s structure well, didn’t fall apart all over the place, and it was really fun to eat. It was very easy to imagine a backyard full of people wandering around, chatting and sipping Champagne and nibbling on Frittata. Just an FYI for your next picnic or whatever…

The star of the menu, however, had to be the White Sangria that they just “threw together”. While at the store Julie had picked up a selection of Citrus Fruit and two gigantic bottles of an inexpensive White Wine. After experimenting a little with the ratios of fruit, ice, wine, and sugar they eventually struck gold. Their Sangria was light and refreshing with just a touch of sweetness.

All in all we wound up with a pretty sophisticated spread of appetizers and finger foods that was also pretty inexpensive (and just plain pretty). To top it all off, the White Wine Sangria was amazing and was really refreshing. We should probably give yet another shout out to Lyndie for putting the Sangria bug in our brains… Thanks Lyndie!

This is definitely going to be the summer of Sangria. They’re just too delicious, affordable, and easy to not make them all the time. Here’s what went into ours:
1 Lime, sliced
1 Blood Orange, sliced
1 large Meyers Lemon (or two small ones), sliced
2 Grapefruits, 1 sliced and 1 juiced
1 1.5 liter bottle of inexpensive White Wine (we spent about $8 a bottle for ours)
Ice Cubes
Sugar to taste

Toss all the fruit slices and juice into your most gigantic pitcher, pour in the Wine, top it up with ice, stir/mash it all together and sweeten it to taste with a little sugar.

We got a little fancier with the varieties of fruit than is really necessary. Regular old oranges and lemons would be great in this and might save you a buck or two.

It’s going to be fun to make a Red Sangria now (Lyndie’s specialty). Maybe we’ll try throwing some berries in it once their in season, who knows? We’ll be sure to post the results of any experimenting we do.

Cheers!

This may be one of the richest (and best) ways to serve Artichokes ever: steamed, cored, and stuffed with a heavenly blend of Bleu Cheese, Cream, and Thyme. Top it all with a crunchy/savory layer of Parmesan, Breadcrumbs, and even more Thyme, then roast it…whew!

Essentially it’s an Artichoke with a creamy little fondue pot inside. Diners peel the leaves off of the outside and dip them into the crunchy, gooey Bleu Cheese goodness on the inside. Read more »

As a rule, we don’t eat a lot of bread. We like sammiches an such well enough but we’ve sort of mostly just fallen out of the habit. The most glaringly obvious exception to this are these dangerously delicious little Garlic Crostini.

These are crunchy, mildly salty and garlicky perfection. They rock as an appetizer with Aioli, Hummus, or whatever and we love them in pretty much every soup we make. They also make a fun twist on croutons and go great with Caesar Salad. And, to top it all off, they’re the perfect base for Bruschetta. Read more »

We can’t really remember exactly where this recipe came from (which means we can’t remember who we stole it from) but it’s our default non-salad vegetable for the most part. We love Rosemary anyway (which is good, because if you plant one you’ll have Rosemary for the rest of your life) and Asparagus is such a great vehicle for it that we tend to eat it all the time. It’s a great side for our fancy Beef Tenderloin, it’s super with brunch, and it also makes a fun finger food. Roasting Asparagus beats the pants off of steaming it any day. It intensifies the flavors and prevents sliminess. Read more »