September Pairing...Grilled Salmon

The Menu:
Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!
Being our last 'summer' pairing for the year, we thought we'd go out with a bang serving up one of our favorite summertime dishes...Grilled Salmon.
This particular recipe was a combination of two that we found. We knew we definitely wanted to grill the salmon and keep it very light and simple but then came across another recipe with Arugala sauce that we thought looked scrumptious so we did both. The salad was a very simple spinich salad with lemon juice and olive oil in which I have enjoyed for years but until now couldn't get Mom to 'bite', and guess what...She loved it!

We also had Mom's excellent Black Bean Salad that is always a hit with any meal but went exceptionally well with the salmon.

The Wine:
This one was kind of tricky for me whereas Mom nailed her favorite right off the bat. As usual, we placed our bets as we sat down to dinner. The wines we paired were...

Beringers Founders Estate Savignon Blanc 07'
Mizza Corona Pinot Gris 08'
Lindeman's Pinot Noir 09'
Yellow Tail Pinot Noir 09'
Marcus James Malbec 08
Mystery Wine...

The Result: Let the Games Begin
Mom decided to spice things up a bit by serving a 'mystery wine' which she poured into a decanter and hid the bottle before I got there. This was the one she thought would be the winner. I on the other hand thought it would be the Malbec as salmon is a pretty heavy fish and being grilled, I thought would call for a heavier wine.
After tasting all the wines I was sooo confused - none of them, including my pick really had that 'WOW' factor. The only one I could say was really good was the mystery wine, but it still wasn't "all that" for me. Mom on the other hand knew right away that her favorite was the mystery wine. She loved it from the first sip! She of course wouldn't reveal it's label until I made my final choice.
After going back and forth between wines, I had finally decided that the mystery wine would have to be it. It was definintely my favorite among the others so I had to give in.
The label....? One that I had bought in the Leeleneau Pennisula on one of our wine tasting trips. I knew I'd never drink it so after letting it sit for months in my wine rack, I gave it to Mom quite sometime ago. It's an off-dry white wine produced by Shady Lane Cellars called Scerenity, with a very strong vanilla / floral taste to it. I also now have orders to pick up another bottle on my next trip in September.
Once again, we had a great time and a great menu. Until next month...
- Cheers
Candi & Cindi

Grilled Salmon w/Arugula Sauce

The Salmon (Williams-Sonoma)

4 salmon fillets, each 5 to 7 oz.
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Grapeseed oil for brushing
4 tsp. lemon-infused olive oil (we used olive oil & lemon juice)
8 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Prepare a hot fire in the grill. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and brush with grapeseed oil. Place the fillets on the grill and cook turning once until the fish is firm to the touch (4-5 min. per side). Transfer the fillets to plates and drizzle with about 1 tsp. of the lemon oil and garnish with the basil. Serve immediately.




The Sauce (Wine, Food and Friends)

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped arugula
2/3 cup of water
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 Tbsp. capers, drained
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshley ground black pepper
1 garlic clove chopped
1 slice white bread (we used about a cup of garlic croutons)

Combine all 10 ingredients in a food processor, process until smooth. Drizzle over prepared salmon.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1/3 cup lime juice (we use fresh squeezed)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 15oz. cans black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 avacado, diced (we didn't use avacado)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper in a small covered bowl. Shake until mixed.
Combine beans, corn, avacado, pepper, tomatoes, green onions and cilantro in a large bowl. cover with dressing, mix well and serve.
Spinach Salad

Fresh baby spinach leaves
Red onion
grape tomatoes
feta cheese
olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.