In Sonoma, the unexpected arrives through the back door, front door and on the street.

Nothing about a man walking alone down a suburban main street would strike an onlooker as unusual. This man is clean-shaven, deeply tanned, dressed in a crisp linen shirt and tan trousers. Maybe he's affluent. Maybe he has an appointment. But this particular man, on this particular day, in the charming Healdsburg Square, is a little different. Look closely and notice Pierre Freund is carrying one rather large egg in his hands worth more than gold in weighty conversation.

At the odd sight, our photographer inquires, "Hello sir, and what kind of egg might that be, if you'll pardon the question?"

"It's a goose egg. Would you like it?" He extends the egg in goodwill.

"No, no! Just looking. We wonder where you are taking it?"

"Just making a delivery." He mysteriously gestures toward the back door of Dry Creek Kitchen before continuing on to his final destination.

MR. FREUND, WE FIND OUT THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF BUSINESS cards, is a distributor for Western Foie Gras. He deals with restaurants all over Sonoma County--two of whom we are here to feature.

Sonoma County, which offers a lucid connection between bounty and restaurant--is more agreeably, rather than arguably, the closest thing a chef has in America to Europe. The proximity to producers and wineries give a restaurant an unparalleled foundation to produce high-quality, seasonal menus without ever leaving the county. The county's topography is enviable; there's wonderment in those old-growth redwoods and fog-kissed valleys extending to the Pacific. And the dichotomy between coastal chaparral and sun-drenched plains is dynamic for a variety of agriculture and winemaking.

The county's regions break up like this: there's the lush Chalk Hill, Green Valley, and Dry Creek Valley with over 10,000 acres of Zinfandel, Cabernet and Merlot plantings. The fog-filled Russian River Valley is made up of 11,000 acres devoted heavily to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. And there's the Alexander Valley, 16,000 vineyard acres focused primarily on Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

The misconception--that Sonoma County is second best to Napa--does exist and is largely understood by those outside the county. But Sonoma is misunderstood, quite possibly because of logistics and land use. The county is trickier to navigate, unlike its neighbor Napa just over the Mayacamas mountain range. There, many of the high-profile wineries and restaurants are strategically positioned on or just off two direct roads--the 29 and the Silverado Trail. They provide perfect marketing vehicles, allowing quick and easy access to tasting rooms within a few family vines of each other.

Sonoma County's focus is equally distributed between small-and large world class wineries, and well-known and lesser-known artisan farms. Perhaps the latter might not readily attract a tourist clientele--but chefs are trying to change all that--offering a more conspicuous connection from farm to table--or vineyard to glass.

Yes, Sonoma is different. As witnessed by Pierre Freund's single--but special delivery.

Foie gras, at the forefront of California politics provokes strong reactions from those we talk with. Senator John Burton's "active" but "non-urgent" Bill SB1520, Chapter 13.4 calls to outlaw all foie gras in the state of California. The Senator maintains this position: "We just shouldn't be cramming a tube down a duck's throat and forcing in food to make foie gras."

The consensus from chefs is "this is crazy," "I don't know how it's come to this!" and just an overall feeling that the issue is a non-issue. The legislation that passed by a 4-3 vote in Sacramento now moves to the Senate floor. The bill may be pending, but the issue pulses locally.

After delivering the goose egg to Chef Granados, Mr. Freund stops briefly to chat with us, confirming he is "concerned" about his business and that he might "have to find something else to do if this crazy bill passes."

Not afraid to speak her mind, Chef Duskie Estes of Zazu in Santa Rosa takes on the foie gras issue, "Did you know the fire department came here and told us we should take anything flammable away from the edges of the building? That foie gras should not be on our menu!" So now we don't have it on the menu, but we verbalize it at the table. It's just gotten that bad here. They (PETA) are out to get people that serve foie gras. It's totally, totally ridiculous."

Her husband, Chef John Stewart agrees and adds, "There are a lot of animals that need defending more than a goose! But who will defend it but the high-end restaurants and foodie? And since it's literally one farm (Sonoma Foie Gras) that's involved in this and not a huge company like Cocoa-Cola, their voice goes unheard. There are a lot greater things people could be concerned about."

Like Mr. Freund, we met owners/purveyors in Sonoma County--not by appointment, but by accident. Soon we realized, perhaps these were only our accidents and that this is how business and life was conducted in Sonoma County--with a great degree of familiarity, casualness and care. After this peculiar incident on the Healdsburg Square we wondered, "Who was to show up next?" This was answered at Popina restaurant when more than one special visitor popped through the back door.

HOW NOVEL IS THE OLIVE? JUST ASK RIDGLEY EVERS.

Chef Randy Lewis introduced two of his producers, Mr. Evers and his wife Colleen McGlynn (an accomplished chef in her own right who at one time cooked at Stars in San Francisco). The couple make DaVero Olive Oil in Healdsburg, California.

We asked Mr. Evers how he got started in the business. "We had a farm for about five years. At the time, the grape market was in the tank. But in Italy, where there were grapes, there were olives! So I thought, 'maybe I could make olive oil.'"

He goes on to tell us that at one time there were somewhere around 900 varieties of olives in California, but they were, what he calls, "the wrong kind."

"The wrong kind?" We're intrigued.

"The first olives were made into sacramental oil for the Jesuits, while the rest went into making cooking oil. When California took off in the middle of the nineteenth century during the gold rush, millions of olive trees from the Mediterranean were brought to California specifically to use for eating or to make into cooking oil as butter and animal fat were what was available. But those olives weren't best for finishing or condiment oil."

We ask right on cue, "Why?"

Colleen nods while her husband explains, "The difference is the flavor."

"California had the right climate, but the wrong product and the wrong plan to make finishing oil."

Ridgley changes gears, shifting back to his story. "So I went to Italy and focused on finding a climate similar to ours (California). It turns out it was the area around Luca in Tuscany. So I started tasting oils and found one I just loved. I tracked down the farm where it was made, took cuttings from their trees, some of which were 800 years old!"

He probably has told this fortuitous tale many times, but relaying it now, Ridgley has a spark in his eyes, still excited about his past discoveries. Finally, he reveals the inevitable, but enviable close. "... And our olive trees became the first imported in the United States in the twentieth century. We took cuttings in 1988-91, put them in the ground in 1991-1992 and made our first oil in 1994. Making olive oil is so different than making wine. Once you harvest, you're done--there is no winemaking equivalent. It's all about the fruit. The olive oil won't get better with age."

FROM PERU TO PETALUMA

Tom & Heidi Kirkland were next to stop by Popina. They own and operate Oh! Tommy Boy's (an organic farm) in western Petaluma, a wedding gift to Tom's family in 1853--that has remained in the family since. Heidi renamed the farm because she found herself always saying, "Oh, Tommy!"

For the couple, in-person deliveries are a normal part of their routine--so is offering up a little history.

"The origin of the potato is Peru. But in the early 1500s and 1600s, potatoes were brought by ship to England and Ireland. The English cultivated two varieties of potatoes and the Irish, just one. Now there are 65 varieties of potatoes in the United States!"

"Wow. 65. That's an awful lot of potatoes." We were stunned.

Heidi quickly sensed she was speaking to a potato novice. She seized the opportunity to get me up to speed on my potato history in just a few short sentences, segwaying into the great potato famine and how over one and a half million people left Ireland for North America and Australia.

So how did potatoes reach Sonoma County? A little snooping in some local books filled in the open-ended questions, one of which was a name we repeatedly saw in Sonoma county--Luther Burbank. "Burbank" is on road signs, a performing arts center, and a botanical garden.

And no wonder! It was the American horticulturist, Luther Burbank (1849-1926) who developed the Russet Burbank potato. Burbank, while trying to improve the Irish potato, developed a hybrid that was more disease resistant. He introduced the Burbank potato to Ireland to combat blight disease. He sold the rights to the Burbank potato for a mere $150, which he used to travel to Santa Rosa, California. In Santa Rosa, he established a nursery, garden, greenhouse, and experimental farms that have become famous throughout the world. By the early 1900s, the Russet Burbank potato appeared throughout Idaho. One hundred years after their invention, Burbank's July Elberta peach, Santa Rosa plum, and Flaming Gold nectarine (to name only a few) are still on the market.

After skimming through Santa Rosa: a nineteenth century town, more of my questions were answered. This telling paragraph in particular, caught my eye, "Potatoes were the first cash crop in [Sonoma] county; thrust hastily into the scarcely plowed ground. Shipped downstream from Petaluma to the bay, they turned that rude hunting camp into a flourishing port and made a big town, for a short time, of Bloomfield, the potato capital of early California. The early censuses show that Sonoma County grew more potatoes than any county in the state in the 1850s."

Heidi is proud of her 23 varieties and "hopes to have all 65 one day."

"We don't irrigate our potatoes; we dry-farm. That means large disks pull up the dirt which supply the plants with enough moisture. In return we get a wonderful, rather than washed-out flavor. Each year, we harvest close to 100,000 pounds of potatoes! We'll have youth groups come down to help with the harvest. A lot of these kids are from inner-cities and this activity is completely foreign to most of them. But you can't beat going home with a bag of potatoes!"

Who uses Oh! Tommy? Oh, Thomas Keller for starters!

"Tom loves our potatoes. He uses our Princess Laratte, a French potato that has the texture of dry almond flour. He says "they are the best potatoes in the world." Another chef (at the French Laundry) says that if he doesn't have our potatoes, he can't sleep at night. And another (FL chef) says that he hides our potatoes in his car so the other cooks won't use them! So, I guess they're pretty serious over there ..."

And as for those 23 varieties, Heidi describes them as colorfully as they really are. She rattles off a list of animated names: Magic Molly, Huckleberry, Cranberry, Candy Cane, the All Blue (ranked number one by the USDA in fighting cancer.) And there's the Viking, which "looks like it's "on acid."

But, as Heidi tells me, we'll just have to see for ourselves when we visit the farm.

IT'S THE CHEESE

Picture yourself driving down a lone back road. Sun's starting to set. Follow the few crooked signs that lead to Matos Cheese Factory. Your car might get a little dusty or muddy-depending on the weather-because the road is unpaved and uneven. In Santa Rosa, this family-run operation bears the mark of its owner, Joe Matos. At Matos you'll find only one thing: St. George, a smooth, white cheddar-like cheese with Portuguese roots, specifically, from the Azores, those nine volcanic islands known for their natural and wild beauty. And Mr. Matos has retained those rural qualities of his homeland, incorporating them into his cheese and bringing elements back to his farm some 20 years ago.

Once you do find the factory, there might not appear to be anyone around-but there is if you arrive before 5pm. Just ring the buzzer (that summons freakishly loud) and Joe's wife, Mary, will most-likely give you a suspect once-over, not knowing you, but knowing you are here for one reason-to buy some cheese. It took awhile, but Mary gradually warmed up to us, even offering a sneak-peek behind the scenes where the cheese is kept.

And there they were--meticulously maintained, lined up like soldiers. Scores of St. George reaching all the way to the ceiling! Hundreds of wheels, all identical, waiting their departure, shipped somewhere foreign perhaps or just up the street to join the other cheeses at the Sebastopol Whole Foods.

Matos has come a long way from being an unknown to a viable product in the global marketplace--much like Sonoma County itself. The loud-and-clear message from chefs, purveyors and the local tourist boards is an open invitation to come to Sonoma County. Visitors to the area mean support for the local farmers and winemakers. A visit means to experience, first-hand, the connection between farm and vineyard--to table. But against this stunning and diverse landscape that is Sonoma County, one can't help feel somewhat protective of keeping this special place just a little undiscovered.

Unless, say, you stumble upon it by accident.

HE DECONSTRUCTS THEN HE RECONSTRUCTS HUH?

MATEO GRANADOS

DRY CREEK KITCHEN, HEALDSBURG

HIS ART BOOKS SIT ON A SHELF in the Dry Creek kitchen--that's right, books. There is a shelf devoted to Picasso, the Complete Work of Antoni Gaudi and, yes there is, Ferran Adria. He's been waiting patiently to show them off. He can't wait any longer.

Mateo is animated, pulling out a favorite Picasso and thumbing through it feverishly. The painting he's book-marked is vibrant; yellows and purples saturate the page.

"I see this and want to make something with saffron and purple potatoes--this painting is a playground of colors and flavors." Then he points outside. "Everything looks like this in Sonoma County. It's unreal! We live in God's country. The colors make me want to run in a field of flowers."

Mateo speaks with energy and exuberance. There is a good chance the chef might just go running in that field right now. I wouldn't put it past him: after all, he does have a PhD in physical education.

Charlie Palmer introduced us to his executive chef, Mateo, earlier that morning in the lobby of the Hotel Healdsburg. We couldn't help notice Mateo's bloodshot eyes. The chef began work at an inhuman hour having stayed until past midnight the previous evening. His sleep interrupted by a 3am call from Dry Creek, asking him to come in because the baker was a no-show. He tells us he's been working (a similar schedule) six days a week.

So it made sense why Mateo disappeared between a couple of the shots. One of the members of the waitstaff tells us he's "catching up on his sleep, taking 10-minute catnaps somewhere behind the restaurant."

Mateo confesses that most times, try as he might, he just can't sleep. He's too excited to experiment in the kitchen.

"I can't go one more hour without doing it." "It" is an English cucumber ice cream with champagne vinegar. "It just came to me and I can't get the idea out of my head. I want to try something new every single day of my life."

I find myself bumping into Mateo often. In the lobby again, he stops me. He has something on his mind. "Food is like war. Wars activate people psychologically--the way you see something might not be the way it really is. Everything is analyzed in war, intended to meet the mood of the human being. It's the same way with food." Mateo thinks it's possible to take food to a whole new level--emotionally.

We talk some more. He tells me about those first restaurant positions: at Manka's Inverness Lodge in Inverness, at Alain Rondelli and 42 Degrees in San Francisco.

He says then his hair was "this long" (he gestures to an invisible point past his shoulders). "I was a different person then. There were points when I thought, this is too tough. How can I keep working like this and maintain a high level consistently? But I pushed myself." Mateo speaks with deference of Chef Julian Serrano, then at Masa's in San Francisco. "He saw me at a point when I was ready to leave the business." But Serrano worked with Mateo and made him his executive sous chef.

"It's like building a human being from the ground-up. You know?" He makes sure I understand him. I'm thinking the reason is not so much his heavy native accent (he's from Oxkutzcab on the Yucatan Peninsula) as his analogies are challenging.

Years later, Mateo is the one in charge at Dry Creek. "Do you know how long my cooks have been cooking? Only two or three months. Julian took the best of me and completely retrained me. You have to know how to canalize energy, to point it in the right direction, especially working with fresh, young people. They want to fight like roosters. Do you know what I mean?"

Here we go again. This chef was really making me think. What I gathered Mateo meant was to fight ones own natural instincts and try something new. I tell him that I think I get his meaning--it's like working a group of muscles that have never been exercised properly before. Right? The PhD had to appreciate my physical education analogy.

And then Mateo says, "It's like putting a 10-year old in a Bordeaux barrel."

Okay, this one I didn't get.

Now he tells me about something new he wants to try out--with a kiwi. He's been thinking about it for days. Completely deconstruct the kiwi. And then reconstruct it. "I want it to be perfect."

Mateo playfully jabs me in the arm. "El perfecto es imperfecto. What is perfect is imperfect. You know?"

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

WITH SILVER BELLS AND COCKLE SHELLS ...

RANDY LEWIS

POPINA, SANTA ROSA, CA.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

RANDY LEWIS PAUSES AT THE END OF OUR INTERVIEW. THEN adds, "You know, I have the easy job, but the farmers are the ones digging in the earth giving us a great product." He's earnest about farming. Maybe it's in his genes.

It is.

"Both my mother and father are gardeners. So I grew up with incredible products. And when I was younger, I traveled a lot because my father loves to eat."

"Once we were flying somewhere, and I saw some ads in the back for the New England Culinary Institute, and I thought, 'now that looks kind of interesting.' I wrote, got a couple catalogs and dove right into it."

Since then, he's worked in various restaurants, eventually going back to New Orleans (his hometown) and opening Indigo. It was there where Kendall Jackson approached him to be the corporate chef.

"But I missed the restaurant side of things--the interaction with guests. So Jay and I opened Popina, New Years Eve 2003."

General Manager James McDevitt, and Randy's partner, contributes some satisfying stories like this one about the last minute scrambling to open the restaurant:

"The light fixtures arrived the day before the opening, and the delivery guy says, 'Hey I've got some light fixtures for you!'

"I didn't know whether to hug him or kick his ass. They should have been here weeks ago!"

"So then he says, 'Well, I called last week but your voicemail said you wouldn't be open until tomorrow so I thought I'd come by in the off-chance someone would be here.'

And I thought, "I hope the lights are brighter than he is!"

Randy chuckles at his partner's quick wit. Then he becomes earnest and relays an idea (we hope is in the making). It's something he calls, 'farm co-op,' a non-profit foundation to help Sonoma county farmers.

"Ideally, we'd have people come out to Sonoma for a week, go to farms, wineries, cooking classes and dinners. We'd take people to farms so they could appreciate where the food they're eating comes from. We're lucky in Sonoma County to have these things. But we have to sustain the farmer."

Mr. Jackson (who Randy still works for) is also passionate about farming. "He treats his grapes just like he does everything else. At the KJ wine center, there are four acres of organic gardens where we grow 175 different kinds of heirloom tomatoes and so many other products. And I'm able to bring them to--and use them here at Popina."

So, he has two jobs?

"Yeah, two jobs! But what else is there to do but eat, drink and be with people? That's what makes life exciting!"

His Kendall-Jackson experience has given him a unique way to look at pairing wine with food. Or food with wine ...

"Out here, the style is, 'Here's a bottle of wine, make something go with it. In New Orleans, it's the other way around. It's more like, 'taste my dish, and then let's go taste some wines and see what works.'"

And speaking of wine--

"When people talk about wine country, they talk about Napa, Napa, Napa. Napa is a great valley, but Sonoma has always been left out. There's diversity in our grapes, and, of course, the farmers are here. Sonoma just needs to be elevated to the same playing field. The more people we can bring in here the better. It's great to have the locals, but we need the tourism."

We wonder, can Randy possibly be working three jobs? Perhaps he has an 'in' at the Sonoma County Visitors Bureau?

"At KJ, depending on the weather, I might go a week or so without an event at the wine center. When we take product out of the refrigerator it's always still fresh and vibrant. It's in the same condition as the stuff I was getting 'fresh' in New Orleans! You know the stuff you get in middle America is about a week or two weeks old! And the product here is just-picked or just-plucked out of the earth or off the vine."

Randy, Randy, that sure seems quite the contrary.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

DUSKIE ESTES & JOHN STEWART

ZAZU, SONOMA COUNTY

"I THINK IT NEEDS SOME SALT."

"You think everything needs salt!"

This kind of conversation is the norm in this part of town. The screen door is open and the roar of a van with an obvious muffler issue races by. At the sound, Duskie Estes says, "Yeah it gets a little loud by the window sometimes. You know, once upon a time this was a biker bar."

She refers to their restaurant, ZaZu. Now a Harley zooms by, and the other half of "their," husband John Stewart adds, "Yeah, but we're not a real roadhouse and those aren't real bikers. We do get in plenty of middle-aged investment bankers who ride Harleys."

We're in the country, on the outskirts of the city of Santa Rosa, California, surrounded by more mustard grass than grapes and a road that, if you continue just 11 more miles west, hits the coast.

"Sonoma County is such an awesome place. We have an amazing connection with the winemakers. For us, there's a face on almost every bottle. People in other parts of the country just don't have that. It makes the experience whole."

And speaking of whole experiences, it's hard to refrain from asking the obvious, "What's it like to work with your spouse?"

"It's awesome," says Duskie. "There's no one I'd rather work with."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

John cuts in. "We both have different strengths. Duskie enjoys writing menus and is always excited about food and pushing things forward."

"John has our best interests at heart."

About that he says, "I like to execute things consistently and make sure the quality is as high as we'd like it to be."

"Sure, there are moments of stress. And sometimes we take things out on each other, even though it's not about each other. But there's no one I'd rather spend so much time with."

The two have been cooking together ever since they met on the line while at Etta's Seafood in Seattle.

But they traded Seattle in for Sonoma. "We left Seattle July 1, got into the restaurant August 1, and opened August 13. It was an amazing scurry! No one opens on time. But we had an event booked; the CIA was coming here for lunch, so we had to be open. We lived at Flying Goat Coffee for days. It was definitely crazy."

Duskie sums it all up, "We sold our business, had a couple babies, started a restaurant and moved to another state."

John is never without a dry anecdote, "I wouldn't advise this strategy for anyone! Any one of those things could kill the average person--so we're lucky! The people who had owned this place just walked out right in the middle of service and left everything as it was--it was like a horror movie. We cleaned for a full four or five days."

So now, here at ZaZu, the couple focuses on simple, "it is what it is" food. But as effortless as that sounds, there's a lot of thought behind it. "We like food to have a historical backing. Both of us study a lot. John went to the University of Colorado and I went to Brown. I majored in history and John majored in political science. He focuses on rustic Italian, and I focus on playful Americana incorporating existing cultures."

John describes their style as this, "We don't like fusion because we think it's confusion. I'm Irish and have no real reason to be cooking Italian food! Where I grew up in New York, either you were Italian or you were Irish. The Italian must have rubbed off on me."

Food has influenced another couple dear to Duskie and John--their two children, Brydie and Mackenzie.

"At our house we have peach, fig, apple, and pomegranate trees. Our kids will grow up understanding where things come from. Our three-year old can brunoise a piece of cheese like nobody's business. She's consistent with her cuts. She'll eat almost anything we put in front of her. Of course, this could all change and tomorrow she might not eat anything but food that's white."

Or add salt to everything, just like her Mom.

RELATED ARTICLE: WE COULDN'T MAKE IT TO ALL OF THEM, BUT WE THINK YOU SHOULD GET TO KNOW THESE SONOMA COUNTY PURVEYORS:

* DaVero Olive Oil

1195 Westside Road

Healdsburg, CA 95448

www.davero.com

415-722-4040

* Hog Island Oysters

P.O. Box 829

Marshall, CA 94940

415-663-9218

* Triple T (fresh farm eggs)

6265 Melita Road

Santa Rosa, CA 95409

* Redwood Hills Farm Goat Dairy

5480 Thomas Road

Sebastopol, CA 95472

www.redwoodhill.com

707-823-8250

* Bellwether Farms

PO Box 299

Valley Ford, CA 94972

707-763-1997

* Willie Bird Turkeys

5350 Sebastopol Road

Santa Rosa, CA 95401

707-545-2832

* Love Farms

15069 Grove Street

Healdsbug, CA 95448

707-695-1632

* Petaluma Poultry

2700 Lakeville Hwy.

Petaluma, CA 94955

www.petalumapoultry.com

707-763-1904

* CK Lamb

1110 Los Amigos Road

Healdsburg, CA 95448

707-431-8161

* Oh! Tommy Boy's Potatoes

5880 Carroll Rd.

Petaluma, CA 94952

707-876-1818

* Sonoma Foie Gras

707-938-1229

* DeVoto Gardens (Gravenstein Apples)

655 Gold Ridge Road

Sebastopol, CA 95472

707-823-6650

* Green Valley Berry Farm

9345 Ross Station Road

Sebastopol, CA 95472

707-887-7496

800-827-9590

* Hector's Honey Farm

2794 Fulton Road

Fulton, CA 95439

707-579-9416

RELATED ARTICLE: Lamb Duo with "Fondant" Potatoes (Serves 6)

MATEO GRANADOS

Syrah

Hamel

Sonoma County, CA 1997

directions

For the lamb shoulder: Mix spices and salt. Rub brandy into lamb and then coat with spiced salt. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a pot deep enough to submerge lamb, melt duck fat and add thyme, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary and lamb; bring fat to 200 degrees. Cover pot with plastic wrap and foil; braise in oven for three hours. Remove from oven and let lamb cool in duck fat. Set aside.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For the lamb jus: In a pot, heat oil. Add lamb trimmings and sear until browned. Add shallots, carrots and mushrooms; cook until caramelized. Add garlic and cook for two minutes. Add leek, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and deglaze with wine; reduce liquid by three-quarters. Add stock; simmer for two hours, skimming surface as needed. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan. Return to low beat, reducing to a sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside, keeping warm.

For the fondant potatoes: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Peel and cut potatoes into 12 1-inch thick rounds. In a pan over medium-low heat, melt duck fat (use duck fat from lamb shoulder); add potatoes and cook until golden brown on both sides. Transfer potatoes to a 2-inch deep hotel pan and set aside, keeping warm. In a pot, combine chicken stock, thyme and butter; bring to a boil and reduce to a sauce consistency. Add mustard and season with salt and white pepper o taste, stirring well. Pour sauce over potatoes and bake in oven until tender. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the herb-crusted lamb chops: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine herbs and breadcrumbs; pulse until well ground. Transfer to a bowl and mix with butter until well incorporated. On a flat surface, place herb-crust between two pieces of parchment paper and press with a rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness. Place in refrigerator to chill. Preheat salamander. Season lamb racks with salt and pepper to taste and sear in a hot pan. Transfer to oven and roast to desired doneness. Cut herb-crust into rectangles large enough to cover lamb racks; lay herb-crust over rack and place under salamander until golden brown. Let racks rest for five minutes and slice into double-thick chops. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the vegetables: In a saute pan, melt butter. Add chicken stock, whisking to incorporate. Add vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste and heat.

To serve: Arrange a bed of vegetables and place fondant potatoes on top. Place lamb shoulder and two lamb chops on vegetables and spoon lamb jus and fondant potato sauce around plate. Garnish with rosemary and a sprinkle of sea salt.

ingredients

For the lamb shoulder:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 stick cinnamon, toasted and ground
2 star anise, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon white peppercorns, toasted and ground
3 cloves, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, toasted
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup brandy
1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder, trussed with butcher's twine
Duck fat as needed
5 sprigs thyme
5 cloves garlic, peeled
Zest of 2 lemons
2 sprigs rosemary

For the lamb jus:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound lamb trimmings
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
4 button mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small leek, white part only, halved lengthwise
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig parsley
1 bay leaf
1 cup red wine
1 quart brown veal stock
Salt and pepper to taste

For the fondant potatoes:

6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
Duck fat as needed
3 cups chicken stock
3 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the herb-crusted lamb chops:

1 tablespoon stemmed and finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon stemmed and finely chopped chervil
1 tablespoon stemmed and finely chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
8 ounces butter, softened
3 racks of lamb, frenched

For the vegetables:

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1 pound sugar snap peas, snapped, strings removed and blanched
1 bunch large spinach leaves, stemmed
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Rosemary sprigs
Sea salt

RELATED ARTICLE: "Forest Harvest" Mushroom Tart with Vela Jack (Serves 6)

MATEO GRANADOS

Pinot Noir

Hanzell Vineyards

Sonoma Valley, CA 1998

directions

For the oven-dried tomatoes: Preheat oven to 150 degrees. Toss tomatoes in salt, sugar and olive oil. Place tomatoes on a parchment-lined sheet pan and top each with a sprig of thyme. Dry in oven overnight, or for several hours, until shriveled but not entirely dried out. Set aside to cool.

For the tart dough: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, add flour, butter and salt, mixing to a coarse meal. Slowly add water and mix until dough just comes together. Form into a flat disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for three hours. On a lightly-floured work surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into six 4-inch squares, brush with water and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.

For the filling: In a saute pan, melt butter and saute shallots for one minute. Add mushrooms and saute for two to three minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat salamander. Cover each tart with dried tomatoes, pressing them into dough, and top with mushrooms and a slice of cheese. Heat tarts under a salamander until cheese melts.

For the salad: In a bowl, combine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Add oil, whisking until incorporated. Toss greens and asparagus with vinaigrette.

To serve: Place tart on a plate with salad. Garnish tart with thyme and sprinkle with black pepper.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the oven-dried tomatoes:

15 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, halved and seeded
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
15 sprigs thyme, halved

For the tart dough:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 ounces butter, cubed and chilled
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons ice water
Cornmeal as needed

For the filling:

3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups chanterelle mushrooms
2 cups black trumpet mushrooms
6 slices Vela Jack cheese*
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups mixed greens
18 asparagus tips, blanched
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Thyme sprigs
Freshly ground black pepper

* A dry-aged Monterey Jack cheese from California.

RELATED ARTICLE: Crab and Lobster Salad with Ruby Gelee (Serves 6)

MATEO GRANADOS

Brut de Noir Extended Tirage

Robert Hunter

Sonoma Valley, CA 1996

directions

For the crab and lobster salad: Remove lobster and crab meats from shells. Reserve lobster bodies for ruby gelee. Cut meat into large chunks and place in a bowl. Add olive oil, chives, celery leaves and season with salt and white pepper to taste; toss to combine. Set aside in refrigerator.

For the ruby gelee: In a pot, heat olive oil. Add lobster bodies and roast until lightly browned. Add red onions, celery, carrots and garlic; cook for five minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, piquillo peppers and spices; cook for five minutes. Deglaze with verjus and reduce liquid by two-thirds. Add water, thyme and bay leaf; simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from heat; and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Refrigerate lobster stock to chill. In a bowl, combine ground chicken, egg white, tomatoes and lemon juice, whisking until combined. Add chicken mixture to lobster stock and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes until a raft forms. Strain consomme through a coffee filter-lined fine-mesh sieve. Dissolve gelatin in consomme and season with salt to taste; mix well. Pour in a dish to 1/8-inch deep. Place in refrigerator to set. Cut into 3-inch squares. Set aside, keeping cool.

For the vinaigrette: Remove zest from one Meyer lemon, finely julienne and blanch in water. Juice lemons. In a pan, add zest and half of lemon juice; simmer until reduced by half. In a separate bowl combine remaining lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Add zest and reduced lemon juice; whisk until emulsified. Add cucumber and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside.

To serve: Arrange lobster and crab in center of plate and garnish with arugula, mache and chervil. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and around plate. Top with ruby gelee and garnish with caviar.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the crab and lobster salad:

2 1 1/4-pound lobsters, cooked
2 2-pound Dungeness crabs, cooked
1/2 cup DaVero Meyer Lemon Olive Oil*
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1/4 cup roughly chopped yellow celery leaves
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the ruby gelee:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lobster bodies, roughly chopped
1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 rib celery, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small tomato, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons tomato paste
3 piquillo peppers, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon white peppercorns, toasted
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
1 cup red verjus
1 1/2 pints water
3 sprigs lemon thyme
1 bay leaf
3 ounces ground chicken
1 egg white
1/2 small tomato, finely chopped
2 drops lemon juice
6 sheets gelatin, softened
Salt to taste

For the vinaigrette:

1 1/2 Meyer lemons
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
6 tablespoons DaVero extra virgin olive oil*
1/2 small hothouse cucumber, peeled and finely diced
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Micro arugula
Mache
Chervil sprigs
California osetra**

* Available through DaVero Ingredienti at www.davero.com.

** Available through Tsar Nicoulai at www.tsarnicoulai.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Chicken with Farmer's Market Vegetable (Serves 6)

MATEO GRANODOS

Chardonnoy

Walker Station Vineyards

Russian River Valley, Sonoma Country, CA 2000

directions

For the chicken: In a large pot over medium heat, add oil. Season chickens and sear until brown on all sides, remove from pot and set aside.

For the bouillon: In the same pot used for the chickens, over medium heat, add mushrooms; saute for four minutes; remove from pot and set aside. Drain fat from pot and add chicken stock, chickens and a sachet of the thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, skimming surface as necessary. Add carrots, rutabaga, turnips, beets, potatoes, fennel and leeks; simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove chickens and vegetables and set aside. Discard sachet. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes, skimming surface frequently. Refrigerate bouillon to chill. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a bowl, combine ground chicken, egg whites, tomatoes and lemon juice, whisking until combined. Add chicken mixture to bouillon and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes until a raft forms. Strain consomme through a coffee filter-lined fine-mesh sieve. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Cut chickens into serving pieces and lay on a sheet pan with reserved vegetables; place in oven to heat. Bring bouillon to a boil and add chopped herbs.

To serve: Arrange chicken and vegetables in a shallow soup bowl and ladle broth over top. Garnish with marjoram sprigs.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the chicken:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 3-pound organic chickens
Salt and pepper to taste

For the bouillon:

12 ounces assorted wild mushrooms
1 gallon chicken stock
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, peeled
4 large carrots, turned
1 medium rutabaga, turned
12 baby turnips, trimmed and peeled
6 baby golden beets, trimmed and peeled
12 small fingerling potatoes, peeled
3 baby fennel, trimmed and halved
3 small leeks, trimmed and halved
10 ounces ground chicken
5 egg whites
1 small tomato, finely chopped
Juice of 1/4 a lemon
2 teaspoons stemmed and roughly chopped parsley
2 teaspoons stemmed and roughly chopped chervil
2 teaspoons roughly chopped chives
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Marjoram sprigs

RELATED ARTICLE: Roasted Duck and Sonoma Foie Gras (Serves 6)

MATEO GRANODOS

Pinot Noir, Coastlands Vineyard

Cobb Wines

Sonoma County, CA 2002

directions

For the bread pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine eggs and cream; whisk to combine. Add bread, caramelized onions, celery, duck confit, thyme, sage, parsley, savory, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for 20 minutes. Transfer mixture to a buttered baking dish, cover with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until firmly set. Remove from oven, remove foil and let stand for five minutes. Cut into 3-inch squares and set aside, keeping warm.

For the vegetables: In a large saute pan, heat duck fat; saute carrots, turnips and beets until lightly golden brown. Add onions and apples; saute until lightly golden brown. Add chicken stock, a tablespoon at a time, and cook until vegetables are tender. Add butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the duck and foie gras: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season duck breasts with salt and pepper to taste. In a saute pan, sear duck breasts skin side down until golden brown and fat is rendered. Add garlic and herbs to pan; place in oven and roast to desired doneness. Score foie gras and season with salt and pepper to taste. In a hot pan, sear foie gras to desired doneness. Slice each breast into five pieces.

To serve: Place bread pudding in center of plate and top with foie gras. Arrange vegetables on plate and place duck breast on top. Spoon duck jus over breast. Garnish with thyme and a sprinkle of sea salt.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the bread pudding:

4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 loaf day-old rustic bread, cubed and toasted
1 onion, peeled, sliced and caramelized
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 legs duck confit, shredded
4 sprigs thyme, stemmed
6 leaves sage, finely chopped
4 sprigs parsley, stemmed and finely chopped
2 sprigs savory, stemmed
Salt and pepper to taste

For the vegetables:

1 tablespoon duck fat
18 baby carrots, peeled, trimmed and blanched
12 baby turnips, peeled, trimmed and blanched
12 baby golden beets, peeled, trimmed and blanched
6 cipollini onions, peeled, trimmed and blanched
2 small apples, peeled, cored and cut into 6 wedges
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For the duck and foie gras:

6 duck breasts
6 cloves garlic
6 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs savory
18 ounces Sonoma foie gras, cut into 3-ounce portions*
1 cup duck jus, hot
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Thyme sprigs
Sea salt

* Available through Sonoma Foie Gras at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Wild Salmon en Papillote with Fennel Sauce (Serves 6)

MATEO GRANODOS

Pinot Gris

Chalk Hill Winery

Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, CA 2000

directions

For the vegetables: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a shallow baking dish, combine fennel, garlic, half of the thyme, half of the tarragon, peppercorns, bay leaf, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and sea salt to taste. Cover with foil and braise in oven for two hours or until fennel is very tender. Remove from oven and let cool. In a pot of cold, salted water, add fingerling potatoes; bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Drain potatoes and peel while hot using a towel and a knife to pull skin away. Add potatoes to cooling fennel mixture and coat in oil. In a saute pan, heat one tablespoon of oil from fennel mixture, add shallots and saute for one minute. Add hedgehog mushrooms and saute for one minute. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl to cool. In a pot with cold water, add bacon; bring to a boil and drain bacon. Set aside.

For the fennel sauce: In a blender, add fennel tops and ice cubes; puree until smooth. Add fish stock, blending until incorporated. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan; reduce by half. Slowly add olive oil and whisk until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the sorrel salad: In a saute pan, heat two teaspoons of the olive oil. Add shallots, lemon zest, onions, celery, bay leaf and pepper; saute until onions are translucent. Add stock and half of the lemon juice; simmer until reduced by half. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and chill in refrigerator. Add vinegar and remaining lemon juice and slowly add remaining olive oil; whisking until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, toss sorrel in vinaigrette.

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For the salmon: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut pieces of parchment paper into 12X12-inch squares. In center of each parchment, divide fennel, potatoes, carrots, broccoli shoots, remaining thyme and tarragon; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place a piece of salmon over vegetables and top with hedgehog mushrooms and bacon. Drizzle some oil from fennel over salmon and sprinkle with sea salt. Fold the parchment paper into a large envelope. Place papillotes on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

To serve: Chef Granados serves the dish tableside. The papillote is cut open and the fennel sauce is drizzled over the salmon. The dish is garnished with thyme and chervil.

ingredients

For the vegetables:

3 baby fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into sixths
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch thyme
2 sprigs tarragon, stemmed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 fresh bay leaf
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
18 fingerling potatoes
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
3 cups hedgehog mushrooms, trimmed
1 6-ounce piece applewood-smoked bacon slab, thickly julienned*
Sea salt to taste

For the fennel sauce:

Tops from 6 fennel bulbs, blanched and shocked
5 ice cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups fish stock
Salt to taste

For the sorrel salad:

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 small rib celery, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon brown chicken stock
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
6 ounces wild sorrel
Salt and pepper to taste

For the wild salmon:

6 6-ounce wild salmon fillets
18 baby carrots, peeled, trimmed and blanched
18 broccoli shoots, trimmed and blanched**
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Thyme sprigs
Chervil sprigs

* Available through Hobbs at [phone].

** Long spears that grow from the base of the broccoli plant. Available seasonally through Love Farms at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Poached Pink Lady Apple and Olive Oil Cake (Serves 6)

MATEO GRANODOS

Late Harvest Traminer

Roshambo

Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA 2001

directions

For the tuiles: In a bowl, mix sugar and egg white until combined. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Add flour and vanilla extract; whisk until smooth. Chill batter in refrigerator for at least four hours. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread batter thinly over a stencil on a Silpat-lined sheet pan. Bake until golden brown. Remove from oven and shape as desired. Set aside to cool.

For the olive oil cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with parchment and spray with oil; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk, add egg yolks and sugar, beating until pale yellow and thick. Change mixer attachment to the paddle and slowly add olive oil, mixing well. Add zests and wine and incorporate. Sift together flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt; fold into batter in three batches. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and whip to medium-stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into batter in three batches. Pour into sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Set aside to cool. Cut into six 4-inch squares and six 2-inch squares. Set aside.

For the apples: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tops and bottoms off apples. Cut two apples horizontally into 1/4-inch slices. Cut slices into rounds using a cutter, discarding skins. Peel and core remaining apples and cut into quarters. In a pot, combine sugar, water, wine, cinnamon, star anise and vanilla bean; bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Place apple rounds and quarters in a half hotel pan and pour sugar mixture over top. Cover with foil and bake until fork tender. Remove from oven and cool, uncovered. Cut quarters into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside.

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For the huckleberry sauce: In a pot, combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil, washing sides of pot down with wet pastry brush; continue cooking to a syrup consistency. Add huckleberries and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for eight minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; reserve sauce and berries separately. Let cool to room temperature and place sauce in a squeeze bottle. Set aside.

For the Crescenza cheese mousse: Whip cream and sugar to firm peaks. In a separate bowl, whisk cheese until smooth and fold in one-fourth of whipped cream until thoroughly combined. Fold in remaining whipped cream and set aside in refrigerator.

To serve: Place a 4-inch square of olive oil cake on plate and add poached apple rounds. Top with a 2-inch square of olive oil cake and small slices of apple. Place quenelles of Crescenza cheese mousse on the plate, garnishing with a tuile, burnet sprigs and sugar sticks. Drizzle olive oil, huckleberry sauce and huckleberries on plate.

ingredients

For the tuiles:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg white
1 ounce unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the olive oil cake:

6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup DaVero Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
Zest of 1/2 an orange
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup dessert wine
1 cup all-purpose flour
7/8 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the apples:

4 Pink Lady apples
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
2 cups Sauvignon Blanc
2 sticks cinnamon
4 star anise
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

For the huckleberry sauce:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup huckleberries, stemmed

For the Crescenza cheese mousse:

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 ounces Crescenza cheese, room temperature**

For the garnish:

Burnet sprigs
Caramelized sugar sticks
DaVero Extra Virgin Olive Oil*

* Available through DaVero Ingredienti at www.davero.com.

** Available through Bellwether Farms at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Meyer Lemon Meringue Tarts (Serves 6)

MATEO GRANODOS

Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc

David Coffaro

Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, CA 2001

directions

For the dough: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil six 4-inch round tart molds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, add butter and powdered sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, mixing until incorporated. Sift together flour, cornmeal and salt; add to batter in batches. Add zest and mix until incorporated and the dough forms a ball. Place on a lightly-floured work surface and roll to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into six five-inch circles and press into tart molds. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Pierce bottoms of tarts with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, rotating after 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

For the Meyer lemon curd: In a bowl, combine butter, lemon juice, egg yolks and sugar, whisking until incorporated. Cook the mixture over a double-boiler, whisking constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; cover surface of curd with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.

For the orange-thyme sauce: In a small pot over low heat, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Continue cooking to a syrup consistency. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.

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For the candied fennel: Slice fennel into 1/2-inch pieces. In a pot, combine sugar, corn syrup, lime juice and Pernod[R]; bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Add fennel and cook until translucent. Set aside to cool.

For the candied zest: In a pot, combine sugar, corn syrup and water; bring to a boil and reduce to a syrup. Stir in zest and cook for two minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Drain zest from syrup and set aside.

For the tarts: Preheat oven to 360 degrees. In a bowl, combine half the sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon and lime juices, whisking until combined. Cook the mixture over a double-boiler, whisking constantly until thick enough to coat he back of a wooden spoon. Set lemon-lime curd aside and cool to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk, add egg whites and whip until foamy. Add salt and ship to soft peaks. Slowly add remaining sugar, whipping to stiff peaks. Fold one-fourth of egg whites into lemon-lime curd until fully incorporated. Working in batches, fold in remaining egg whites. Fill tarts with chilled Meyer lemon curd and top with lemon-lime meringue. Bake until meringue is set. Set aside on a rack. (Use a torch to brown meringues more evenly, if desired.) Serve warm.

For the citrus segments. In a bowl, toss together segments, candied zest and candied fennel.

To serve: Arrange citrus salad on a plate and garnish with watercress. Place tart on plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Drizzle plate with orange-thyme cause.

ingredients

For the dough:

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 orange

For the Meyer lemon curd:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups Meyer lemon juice
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar

For the orange-thyme sauce:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 sprigs thyme

For the candied fennel:

1/2 small fennel bulb, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon Pernod[R]

For the candied zest:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
Zest of 1 lemon, julienned
Zest of 1 orange, julienned

For the tarts:

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
7 egg whites
Pinch of salt

For the citrus segments:

3 ruby red grapefruits, segmented
3 navel oranges, segmented

For the garnish:

Powdered sugar
Watercress sprigs

RELATED ARTICLE: New Orleans-Style Barbeque Bodega Bay Dungeness Crab (Serves 4)

RANDY LEWIS

Zinfandel, Great Estates

Kendall-Jackson

Mendocino County, CA 2000

directions

For the barbeque carb: In a pot, add oil and saute garlic (do not brown). Add lemons, beer, Worcestershire[R] and crab stock; bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thick. Add cream and reduce to a sauce consistency. Add rosemary; steep for two minutes and remove. Strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside to cool.

For the grits dumplings: In a pot, bring crab stock and milk to a boil. Add grits; cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and butter; mix to a cornmeal consistency. Add cooled grits, buttermilk and chives to achieve a soft tacky dough. Set aside.

To finish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss crabmeat with 1 1/2 cups of sauce and place in four small pots (or ramekins). Top crab with three dumplings and bake in oven until dumplings are light brown and cooked through.

To serve: Place crab pot on a plate and garnish with a Dungeness crab.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the barbeque crab:

1 tablespoon rice oil*
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 lemon, peeled, pith removed and quartered
12 ounces beer
3 ounces Worcestershire[R] sauce
1 pint crab stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 sprig rosemary
3 cups Dungeness crabmeat, picked

For the grits dumplings:

1 cup crab stock
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup organic white grits
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 bunch chives, finely chopped

For the garnish:

Dungeness crab

* Available through GreenLeaf at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Ice Cream with Huckleberry Rice Pudding (Serves 6)

RANDY LEWIS

Zinfandel, Mendocino Ridge, Alden Ranch

Edmeades

Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, CA 2001

directions

For the ice cream: In a pot, bring milk, vanilla bean and half of the sugar to 155 degrees. In a bowl, combine creme fraiche, yolks and remaining sugar; whisk until pale yellow and thick. Temper the yolk mixture, by adding one-third hot milk mixture while whisking constantly. Whisk tempered yolk mixture back into hot milk mixture and place over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside in an ice water bath until chilled. Slowly add olive oil, whisking until incorporated. Pour in an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Set aside in freezer.

For the rice pudding: In a pot, combine milk, cream, vanilla bean, sugar and rice; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until rice is soft, stirring occasionally. Add butter and lemon zest, whisking until incorporated. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the huckleberries: In a pot over low heat, combine huckleberries with sugar to taste. Heat until juices are released. Set aside.

To serve: Spoon rice pudding into dish, top with huckleberries and a scoop of ice cream. Garnish with basil.

ingredients

For the ice cream:

1 cup milk
1/4 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 ounces creme fraiche
3 medium egg yolks
1/4 cup DaVero Meyer Lemon Olive Oil*

For the rice pudding:

2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

For the huckleberries:

3/4 cup wild huckleberries
Granulated sugar to taste

For the garnish:

Basil leaves, chiffonade

* Available through DaVero Ingredienti at www.davero.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Cornmeal Fried Egg with Confit of Gizzards and Potato Salad (Serves 4)

RANDY LEWIS

Chardonnay, Block 66

Stonestreet

Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, CA 1998

directions

For the confit: Coat gizzards in thyme, pepper, salt and garlic; marinate in refrigerator for five hours. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse marinade off and place in a baking dish; cover with duck fat and cook in oven for 2 hours or until tender. Set aside to cool in fat.

For the fried egg: Cut four pieces of plastic wrap into 11-inch squares and brush with duck fat. Place plastic wrap pieces into four 3-ounce ramekins, fat side in, and crack an egg into each. Tie ends of plastic to create a sealed pouch. In a pot of simmering water, add egg pouches and poach for eight minutes (to keep eggs submerged, cover with a plate). Remove eggs and shock in an ice water bath. Remove plastic wrap and dredge eggs in flour; coat with egg and cornmeal. Set aside.

For the potato salad: In a bowl, combine egg yolk, vinegar and mustard; whisk until combined. Gradually add olive oils and whisk to form a thick and creamy mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add green onions, garlic, red onions, shallots and chives, stirring to combine. In a separate bowl, combine potatoes and enough mayonnaise to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the frisee: Toss frisee in vinegar and olive oil; season with salt to taste.

To finish: Preheat deep-fryer to 365 degrees. Fry eggs until light golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove gizzards from fat and slice 1/4-inch thick.

To serve: Arrange gizzards, frisee, potato salad and fried egg on plate. Spoon a small amount of duck fat over gizzards and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Garnish frisee with chives and sprinkle egg with chopped chives. Spoon parsley oil on plate.

Note: Mayonnaise recipe in potato salad makes approximately 1 1/2 cups.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the confit:

12 duck gizzards
1/4 bunch thyme, stemmed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Duck fat, melted, as needed

For the fried egg:

1 tablespoon duck fat
4 eggs
All-purpose flour as needed
Eggs, beaten, as needed
Organic white cornmeal as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

For the potato salad:

1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons DaVero Trio Sonoma Red Wine Vinegar*
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 ounces DaVero Kitchen Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
3 ounces DaVero Dry Creek Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
2 small green onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1 large Viking potato, cooked and diced**
Salt and pepper to taste

For the frisee:

1 small head frisee, white and yellow parts only
1 teaspoon DaVero Trio Sonoma Red Wine Vinegar*
2 teaspoons DaVero Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
Salt to taste

For the garnish:

Duck fat from confit
Fleur de sel
Chives, whole and finely chopped
Parsley oil

* DaVero products available through DaVero Ingredienti at www.davero.com.

** Has dark purple skin with red spots very white flesh. Available through Oh! Tommy Boy's Organic Farm at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Lamb Club Sandwich (Serves 4)

RANDY LEWIS

Merlot, Reserve Selection

Matanzas Creek Winery

Sonoma County, CA 1999

directions

For the lamb: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a pot, heat oil. Add onions, carrots and shallots; cook for two minutes. Add garlic and rosemary; cook for one minute. Deglaze with red wine and reduce by half. Add lamb stock and bring to a boil. Add lamb tongue and transfer to oven; braise for three to four hours. When tongue is tender, remove from braising liquid and cool. Cut into 1/8-inch slices, season with salt to taste and set aside.

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For the aioli: In a bowl, add egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice and garlic; whisk until thick. Gradually add oil while whisking to form a smooth and creamy aioli. Add rosemary and salt to taste. Set aside, keeping cool.

For the club sandwich: Brush each slice of bread with olive oil and rub with garlic clove. Toss mache with olive oil and season with salt to taste. Sprinkle tomato slices with salt. Spread aioli on a slice of bread, layer several pieces of tongue, two slices of cheese and another slice of bread with aioli; add lamb bacon, two tomato slices, mache and top with a slice of bread.

To serve: Skewer club sandwich with a toothpick and arrange in a basket with potato chips and mache.

ingredients

For the lamb:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 shallots, peeled and finely choppe
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary, stemmed and finely chopped
2 cups red wine
3 cups lamb stock
1 lamb tongue, blanched and peeled
Salt to taste

For the aioli:

1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, roasted and peeled
1/4 cup rice oil*
2 teaspoons stemmed and finely chopped rosemary
Salt to taste

For the club sandwich:

12 1/2-inch slices bread, toasted
DaVero extra virgin olive oil for brushing**
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 cups mache
8 slices heirloom tomato
8 slices lamb bacon
8 slices Bellwether Farms San Andreas cheese***

For the garnish:

Potato chips
Mache

* Available through GreenLeaf at [phone].

** Available through DaVero Ingredienti at www.davero.com.

*** Available through Bellwether Farms at [phone] or www.bellwethercheese.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Crispy Cold-Smoked Hog Island Oysters with Sea Urchin Roe and Caviar (Serves 10)

RANDY LEWIS

Chardonnay

La Crema

Sonoma Coast, CA 2002

directions

For the remoulade: In a pot of boiling water, cook three eggs for six minutes. Remove eggs and shock in an ice water bath until cool to the touch. Remove shells, slice in half and remove liquid yolks, reserving whites. Grate egg whites and set aside. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add liquid yolks, remaining egg, lemon juice, mustard and okra juice; blend until thick. Gradually add oil while blending to form a smooth and creamy mayonnaise. Transfer to a bowl and fold in grated egg whites, herbs and roe. Season with salt to taste and set aside, keeping cool.

For the oysters: Preheat deep-fryer to 365 degrees. Remove oysters from shells and coat with flour, eggs, milk and cornmeal. Fry oysters until crispy and light golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt to taste.

To serve: Fill sea urchin shells with remoulade and top with roe and caviar. Mix together fleur de sel, bee pollen and hibiscus petals; create piles of salt on dish. Place a fried oyster on each salt pile and garnish with a chervil sprig.

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ingredients

For the remoulade:

4 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon pickled okra juice
1 cup rice oil*
2 teaspoons stemmed and finely chopped chervil
2 teaspoons stemmed and finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives
Roe of 1 sea urchin**

For the oysters:

5 dozen Hog Island sweet water oysters, cold-smoked ***
All-purpose flour as needed
Eggs, beaten, as needed
Milk as needed
Organic white cornmeal as needed
Salt to taste

For the garnish:

Roe of 10 sea urchins**
Osetra caviar
Fleur de sel
Bee pollen
Hibiscus petals
Chervil sprigs

* Available through GreenLeaf at [phone].

** Available through Ocean Fresh at [phone].

*** Available through Hog Island Oysters at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Stuffed Duck Roulade with Fennel "Kraut" and Rye Gnocchi (Serves 6)

RANDY LEWIS

Pinot Noir, Velvet Sisters Vineyards

Hartford Court

Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, CA 2000

directions

For the fennel "kraut": In a non-reactive container, toss together all ingredients. Fill a large, resealable plastic bag with water, seal and place over fennel, completely covering fennel. Let sit at room temperature for 14 days, checking daily that water bag is covering fennel. Stir every three to four days. Fennel is ready when it tastes more sour than salty.

For the rye gnocchi: Place rye bread, uncovered, in a warm dry place to completely dry out. In a bowl, break bread into pieces and cover with milk; set aside in refrigerator for six hours. Strain bread, squeezing out excess milk, and place in a large bowl. Create a well in center and add egg. Slowly combine egg, bread and flour until a tacky dough forms (be careful not to overmix). On a floured work surface, cut dough into four parts, roll into long logs and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece along the tines of a fork to create lines along the gnocchi. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add gnocchi. Cook until gnocchi float to the top and shock in an ice water bath. Remove from water and set aside.

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For the duck roulades: Stuff duck breasts with confit; roll and tie breasts with butcher's twine to secure. Set aside in refrigerator. In a saute pan, toast spices. Grind in a spice grinder and mix with salt and sugar. Season roulades with spiced salt. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, sear duck roulades skin side down until golden brown on all sides. Discard excess fat from pan and set aside.

For the mustard sauce: In a pot, heat oil and sear duck tenders. Reduce heat, add shallots and cook until caramelized. Deglaze with red wine and reduce to almost dry. Add three cups of duck stock; reduce to almost dry. Repeat stock reduction another two times. Add remaining three cups of duck stock, stir well and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Return to low heat and reduce to a sauce consistency. Add mustard, mustard seeds and cornichons, stirring until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping warm.

To finish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place duck roulades in oven; roast to desired doneness. Set aside to rest. In a large saute pan, brown butter. Add gnocchi; saute until golden brown. Add herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut duck roulades into 1/2-inch slices.

To serve: Arrange fennel "kraut" and gnocchi on plate. Spoon brown butter over gnocchi. Arrange roulade pieces on plate and spoon mustard sauce over side. Garnish plate with fennel sprigs.

ingredients

For the fennel "kraut":

5 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly shaved
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 juniper berries
Pinch of caraway seeds
Pinch of mustard seeds
Pinch of fennel seeds
Small pinch of red pepper flakes

For the rye gnocchi:

4 ounces rye bread
1 pint milk
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons stemmed and finely chopped chervil
2 teaspoons stemmed and finely chopped thyme
2 teaspoons stemmed and finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste

For the duck roulades:

4 duck breasts, trimmed of excess fat, butterflied and tenders removed
for sauce
3 legs duck confit, shredded
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon juniper berries
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the mustard sauce:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Duck breast tenders, roughly chopped
8 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups red wine
3 quarts duck stock
2 teaspoons Creole mustard
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 cornichon, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Fennel sprigs

RELATED ARTICLE: Lamb and Pinot Noir Sausages with Arugula-Almond Pesto Tagliatelle (Serves 10)

DUSKIE ESTES & JOHN STEWART

Pinot Noir

Hartford Court

Green Valley, Sonoma County, CA 2001

directions

For the sausages: Using a meat grinder fitted with the medium die, grind pork, lamb and fat back into a large bowl. Gently incorporate remaining ingredients except casings. Transfer to a sausage stuffer fitted with the medium nozzle. Place casings over nozzle and fill with meat mixture, tying off at desired sausage size. Coil sausages and skewer to hold shape. Transfer prepared sausages to a parchment-lined sheet pan and set aside in refrigerator.

For the tagliatelle: In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until just combined. (Add water by the tablespoon if mixture is too dry.) Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes. Divide dough into four pieces and roll each piece through a pasta machine, starting on the thickest setting and finishing on the second to thinnest setting. Cut into 1/4-inch wide strips. Set aside on a lightly-floured sheet pan.

For the arugula-almond pesto: In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine all ingredients and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

To finish: Prepare a hot grill. Pierce sausages with a fork in a few places and grill to desired doneness. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add tagliatelle and simmer until cooked. Remove from heat and drain. Toss tagliatelle in pesto and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Place tagliatelle on a plate and garnish with olive oil, parmesan and almonds. Serve with sausages.

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ingredients

For the sausages:

2 pounds pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
3/4 pound fat back, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons stemmed and chopped parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons stemmed and chopped thyme
1 teaspoon toasted and coarsely ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed lavender
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 cup Hartford Court Pinot Noir
Hog or lamb casings as needed

For the tagliatelle:

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt
Water as needed

For the arugula-almond pesto:

1 bunch arugula
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

DaVero Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
Parmesan cheese, grated
Almond slices, toasted

* Available through DaVero Ingredienti at www.davero.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Foie Gras and Fennel Ravioli with Balsamic-Browned Butter (Serves 10)

DUSKIE ESTES & JOHN STEWART

Barbera

Unti Vineyards

Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, CA 2002

directions

For the pasta: In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until just combined. (Add water by the tablespoon if mixture is too dry.) Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes. Divide dough into four pieces and roll each piece through a pasta machine, starting on the thickest setting and finishing on the second to thinnest setting. Cut into 20 4-inch squares and set aside, covered, on a well-floured surface.

For the ravioli: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saute pan, add three tablespoons of the olive oil and saute fennel for about five minutes. Transfer to oven and roast for about 15 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and puree until smooth. Set aside to cool. In a saute pan over medium heat, add remaining olive oil and saute breadcrumbs until crunchy, stirring often. In a bowl, mix fennel puree and breadcrumbs; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide fennel filling between half of the pasta squares and top with a piece of foie gras. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush edges of pasta with water and top with remaining pasta squares, pressing to seal. Trim ravioli with a dough crimper. Set aside in freezer until hard.

For the balsamic-browned butter: In a saute pan, add butter and cream and cook until golden brown, stirring often. Remove from heat, add balsamic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping warm.

To finish: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli and simmer until cooked. Remove from heat and drain. Toss ravioli in balsamic-browned butter with arugula and figs.

To serve: Place ravioli in a pasta bowl and drizzle with brown butter. Garnish with arugula and figs.

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ingredients

For the pasta:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt
Water as needed

For the filling:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into wedges
3/4 cup freshly ground breadcrumbs
15 ounces Sonoma foie gras, cut into 1 1/2-ounce portions*
Salt and pepper to taste

For the balsamic-browned butter:

6 ounces unsalted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Arugula leaves
Fresh figs, halved

* Available through Sonoma Foie Gras at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Ribollita with DaVero Olio Nuovo (Serves 10)

DUSKIE ESTES & JOHN STEWART

Chianti Station

Seghesio Winery

Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, CA 2001

directions

For the ribollita: In a pot, combine beans, bay leaves, half of the garlic and half of the water; simmer until soft, about one hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving one cup of cooking liquid. Set aside. Place celery, carrots, onions, leeks and remaining garlic in a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed. In a pot, heat olive oil; add vegetable mixture and saute until slightly browned. Add beans, reserved cooking liquid, cabbage, kale and remaining water; simmer for one hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Break bread into chunks, place in each bowl and ladle soup over top; let sit until bread is soft. Garnish with olive oil, pepper and a duck egg.

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ingredients

For the ribollita:

2 cups gigante beans, soaked in water overnight
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled
6 pints water
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 leek, white part only, roughly chopped
1/4 cup DaVero Dry Creek Estate Olio Nuovo*
1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1 bunch lacinato kale, stemmed and thinly sliced**
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/2 loaf day-old rustic bread, crust removed

For the garnish:

DaVero Dry Creek Estate Olio Nuovo*
Freshly ground black pepper
10 duck eggs, poached

* Available in November through DaVero Ingredienti at www.davero.com.

** Also known as Dinosaur kale, it has thick, bumpy leaves with a dark blue-green color.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hog Island Oysters with Pomegranate Cosmopolitan Granita (Makes 12 oysters)

DUSKIE ESTES & JOHN STEWART

Blanc de Blancs

Iron Horse Vineyards

Green Valley, Sonoma County, CA 1994

directions

For the granita: Combine all ingredients in a shallow dish and freeze. Scrape surface into shavings with a fork and return to freezer.

To serve: Top each oyster with granita and garnish plate with lemon slices and rock salt.

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ingredients

For the oysters:

12 Hog Island oysters, shucked*

For the granita:

1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon pepper vodka
Pinch of kosher salt

For the garnish:

Lemon slices
Rock salt

* Available through Royal Hawaiian Seafood at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Fried Gravenstein Fritters with Goat's Milk Gelato (Makes 30 fritters)

DUSKIE ESTES & JOHN STEWART

Gewurtztraminer Late Harvest

Navarro Vineyards

Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, CA 2001

ingredients

For the gelato: Drain yogurt through cheesecloth overnight in refrigerator. In a pot, boil water and sugar until sugar is melted; cool. Mix cooled sugar syrup with yogurt. Pour in an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Set aside in freezer.

For the dough: In a bowl, combine water and yeast; let sit until foamy, about five minutes. Add flour, cornmeal, sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Knead dough until smooth, about five minutes. Cover and let rest in a warm place until double in size. Cut into four pieces, shape into balls, cover and let rise until double in size. On a lightly-floured surface, roll to 1/8-inch thick and cut into 3-inch squares. Set aside.

For the apple fritters: In a saute pan, melt butter and saute apples with sugar and cinnamon until just soft. Cool in refrigerator. Preheat deep-fryer to 350 degrees. Brush egg wash on one half of each square and divide filling between all squares. Fold dough over filling and crimp edges with a fork to seal. Deep-fry fritters until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Mix sugar and cinnamon together; gently roll fritters in mixture.

To serve: Scoop gelato into an espresso cup and serve with apple fritters.

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ingredients

For the gelato:

2 cups goat's milk yogurt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup water

For the dough:

3/4 cup water, warm
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the apple fritters:

2 tablespoons butter
2 Gravenstein apples, peeled and finely chopped*
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Egg wash as needed
Peanut oil as needed
Cinnamon and sugar as needed

* Pink Lady or Braeburn apples can be substituted.

RELATED ARTICLE: Raspberry and Pinot Noir Sorbet (Makes 9 cones)

DUSKIE ESTES & JOHN STEWART

Pinot Noir

Holdredge Wines

Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, CA 2001

directions

For the sorbet: In a pot, simmer all ingredients for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and chill over an ice water bath. Pour in an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Set aside in feezer.

For the honey cones: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, beat butter and honey until combined. Sift together flour and powdered sugar. Add to butter mixture and mix until smooth. Add egg white; beat until just combined. Spread tablespoons of batter onto Silpat in 6-inch circles and sprinkle with lavender. Bake until golden on edges, about seven minutes. Remove from oven and while still warm, shape into cones using a cone-shaped dowel. Set aside to cool.

To serve: Scoop sorbet into honey cones.

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ingredients

For the sorbet:

1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Holdredge Pinot Noir
1 cup water

For the honey cones:

2 ounces unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg white
Pinch of lavender

RELATED ARTICLE: Hazelnut-Brioche Cupcakes (Makes 12 cupcakes)

DUSKIE ESTES & JOHN STEWART

Banyuls Rimage

Clos de Paulilles

Languedoc-Rousillon, France 2001

directions

For the cupcake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, combine milk and yeast; let sit until foamy, about five minutes. Add eggs, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds; mixing until combined. Sift together flours, hazelnut flour, sugar and salt; add to egg mixture, mixing to combine. On low speed, gradually add butter and increase to medium speed, mixing for five minutes until butter is well incorporated. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until dough doubles in size. Punch down dough and divide into 2-ounce portions. Roll portions gently and place into cupcake molds. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Bake in oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

For the ganache filling: In a small saucepan, bring cream and hazelnuts to a simmer. Remove from heat and steep for at least one hour. Discard hazelnuts and bring cream to a boil. Place chocolate in a bowl and pour in hot cream, stirring until smooth and cool. Transfer ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip and pipe into bottom of brioche cupcakes. Set aside.

For the chocolate sauce: In a pot, combine water, sugar, corn syrup and butter; bring to a boil and add chocolate, stirring to incorporate. Simmer for five minutes. Stir in vanilla extract. Set aside, keeping warm.

To finish: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place cupcakes on a parchment-lined sheet pan upside down and heat until warm to the touch.

To serve: Drizzle cupcakes with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

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ingredients

For the cupcake:

1/4 cup milk, warmed to 90 degrees
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1 cup hazelnut flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
2 ounces butter, softened

For the ganache filling:

3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
6 ounces Scharffen Berger 72% chocolate, finely chopped

For the chocolate sauce:

1/4 cup water, boiling
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 ounces Scharffen Berger 72% chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the garnish:

Hazelnuts, chopped