Wine & Veg for Spring
Brunch
Everyone has their fave brunch dishes – and ‘must-have’s’ (some will say bacon and sausages!!) but it’s Spring and we’re plant based so we suggest Sally's favourite tray-bake of Roasted cauliflower with spring greens & lemon tahini dressing.Or try the honey harissa carrots or the sage galette. If you love cheese and would like a stunning centrepiece then why not a Savoury Cheesecake?
Asparagus is super versatile for brunch - serve with chopped hard boiled or softly poached eggs. A huge platter of steamed Spring vegetables with home-made aioli, herby mayonnaise or even the lemon tahini dressing, is a lovely centre-piece and feels very righteous.
“There's a lot to celebrate in Spring”
Spring Celebration
There’s lots to celebrate in Spring, Mother’s Day (in France this is in May), Easter and seeing friends out and about after winter.
Our Savoury Cheesecake recipe would make a great starter or why not some courgette fritters served with rocket. Or serve a selection of nibbles with some fizz and then go straight to the main course.
A wonderful plant-based main course is the Pearl Barley Risotto, or a Carrot, Orange & Sage Galette (based on the Ottolenghi recipe). Both are packed with rich flavours. Or, for those who insist on fish or meat for Easter, then a whole poached salmon might be a compromise. Served warm with spring veg and baby new potatoes and a herby or garlic mayo. Or feature asparagus and mousseline sauce – again that sauce would make the galette really indulgent!
Mid Week Supper
How many times have I rummaged around my fridge on a Wednesday or Thursday wondering what I can make with some lingering vegetables and store cupboard staples? Pearl Barley Risotto with Spring Vegetables fits the bill and because the pearl barley cooks differently to rice, you can put all the liquid in at once. If you have any leftover white wine then this gets used too in the dish. Win-win! If you have mates over on Thursday evening and rustle up this risotto, then choose a fresh sauvignon-blanc based Bordeaux wine to accompany it or even a clairet if you really would like red.
'...one glass of delicious wine makes it into an occasion.
Light Lunch
There are so many plant-based dishes that make a tasty (yet healthy) light lunch. From a spring vegetable quiche to a goat’s cheese salad where the salad leaves are topped with sourdough toast adorned with goat’s cheese and grilled until melting. Drizzle the hot toasts with honey and pumpkin seeds.
Alternatively, try a Spring Thai Poke Bowl combining, spring onions, baby spinach leaves, shredded red cabbage, avocado, mango, cucumber, grated carrot and quinoa with some smoked tofu and cashew nuts and a dressing made with soy, sesame oil, lime juice, ginger and coconut sugar to taste.
Although all of these are light and super-healthy, one glass of delicious wine will make it into an occasion. Try a light Bordeaux Rosé.
Perfect Pairings
As we’re celebrating, let’s start with a sparkle. Bordeaux makes Crémant, using the same process as Champagne but with Bordeaux grape varieties. La Marquise de Chateau Sigalals Rabaud is a favourite – 100% Semillon.
How about with Asparagus? Simply steamed and served with vinaigrette, asparagus pairs brilliantly with a fresh dry white, a fresh, young Sauvignon Blanc or Sauvignon driven blend. In Bordeaux you’ll often find them sprinkled with chopped eggs, chives, capers or even goats cheese in which case reach for a barrel aged white with a little more body, perhaps Sémillon driven?
With a deliciously indulgent hollandaise or mousseline keep it festive with a sparkling wine or rosé which works really well too with a slice of smoked salmon for your omnivore guests. If you’re serving Asparagus as the accompaniment to a main dish, such as the poached salmon, try a still rosé or a more original clairet or light red served chilled.
With the orange flavoured carrot galette or the poached salmon you could serve a barrel aged white or a lighter red. Don't believe that red wine doesn't go with fish - it all depends on the sauces that are with the fish. With the salmon, Château George 7 white would fit the bill perfectly, it’s fermented and aged on the lees in Burgundy oak barrels. To push the boat out, perhaps try a dry white from Pessac Leognan, one of the oldest wine appellations of Bordeaux. A favourite is Château Olivier white, also barrel-aged, it has Semillon and a touch of Muscadelle in the Sauvignon dominated blend, making it aromatic and with enough weight even for that garlic mayonnaise.