Page 4C
EAT, DRINK & EXPLORE
East Oregonian
Saturday, August 6, 2016
An exciting wine trail in Walla Walla
By DORYS C. GROVER
For the East Oregonian
It’s no longer a secret — the
vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley
on the borders of Oregon and
Washington are producing some of
the award-winning wines and top
wine grape growing regions in the
world..
On an overcast, warm Sunday
afternoon we (Janyth Hotchkiss,
Patricia O’Day and I) visited ive
wineries where vineyards were
marching in perfect rows across
the hills of this historic region that
is famous for the Marcus Whitman
Mission, the Battle of Frenchtown,
and Old Fort Walla.
With water, the rocky soil has
proven ideal for the newest desig-
nated American Viticultural Area
(AVA). Within the Walla Walla
Valley AVA lies The Rocks District
of Milton-Freewater, Oregon, AVA,
which was approved in early 2015.
The distinguishing feature of The
Rocks District is its soil, which
consists primarily of dark-colored
basalt cobblestones. Syrah and
Cabemet Sauvignon account for
almost half of the planted vineyards
here.
The district takes its name from
the Walla Walla River, where
smoothed cobblestones are scat-
tered across some 2,800 hundred
acres of planted vineyards. The
rocky soil adds to drainage so
that the vines root deeper, which
provides advantage to the plants.
The sun-baked rocks give warmth
to the soil and aids to growth so that
the grapes ripen during the early
autumn months. The secret to a
great glass of wine rests with roots
in its vineyards.
We picked up a free visitor’s
Photo contributed by Dorys Grover
Janyth Hotchkiss and Patricia O’Day sample wine at Basel Cellars
in Walla Walla on July 10, 2016.
guide and found that there are
currently some 84 vineyards in the
valley. Many have attractive tasting
rooms where gold and silver medals
and blue, yellow and white ribbons
grace bottles of their products. The
irst winery we visited was College
Cellars. Students from viticulture
classes of the Institute of
Enology and Viticulture at
Walla Walla Community College
study for careers to become wine
tasters or vineyard owners. They
have a hands-on experience in wine
making, viticulture practices, and
wine marketing and sales.
“The student winemakers in
2014 produced the hottest vintage
in eastern Washington,” according
to Eli Magun, wine hospitality
manager at College Cellars tasting
room. The Collegiate viticulture
wines featured dozens of grape
varieties, contributing to the subtle
complexity of student winemaking
award winning wines.
Magun poured a sparkling 100
percent Riesling (September 2014
harvest) from the vineyards of Les
Collines, Cockbum Ranch, and
Leonette Loess. The wine won
two silver medals: Seattle and San
Francisco Chronicle wine competi-
tions. A wine we particularly liked
was a 2013 Scholarship Red that
won six medals, including a gold
from Texas Monthly.
We met Woody (Joshua Wood),
hospitality manager at Basel
Cellars, which was featuring
seven wines, a 2015 “2901” white
blend; 2014 Estate Semillon; 2011
Claret; 2011 Merlot; 2011 Malbec;
2006 Syrah, and a 2011 Cabemet
Sauvignon. The Merlot had a
lingering juicy lavor and the dark
Malbec had smooth, full-bodied
lavor of berries (blackberries and
black cherries). Either would be a
ine dinner wine. The Cabemet was
lusty, with oak-fruit lingering on the
palate. This wine would age well.
Photo contributed by Dorys Grover
Basel Cellars is one of more than 100 wineries in Walla Walla.
Basel Cellars has a beautiful
lodge for overnight guests and a
ine restaurant. On the grounds
is a swimming pool. Hiking, bird
watching, and horseback riding
are available.
Bryant Williams, the tasting
room associate at Amavi Cellars,
gave us good advice about several
wines. Patricia purchased a 2014
Ceres, which is a 100 percent
Tempranillo varietal. Amavi is
well-known for their Syrah, which
had a rich color and tasted of
various fruits with low tannins.
Their Semillon had a fresh, fruity
taste.
With darkness approaching,
we pulled into The Flying Trout
winery and had a brief tasting.
A 2013 Deep River Red was
quite nice with a lingering spicy
taste. They featured their famous
Malbec and Malbec blends, which
Janyth particularly likes.
Our last stop was Balboa
winery, which was closed. In
the past we have purchased their
Syrah and Malbec and they have
some very ine red varietal blends,
not to mention their excellent
Cabemet Sauvignon, and Gren-
ache-based blends.
Most of the wineries have
special membership rates and will
ship their products.
The city of Walla Walla is
charming, with a mix of old and
new, and an emphasis on new
technology. Transportation to
Walla Walla may be by air. RV
parks, wine tours, and car rentals
are available. The historic Marcus
Whitman Hotel and many national
motels provide guests for housing,
and the city has many ine
restaurants. The Washington wine
country ranges from Yakima west
to eastern Washington.
———
Dr. Dorys Grover is a member
of the International Wine and
Food Society, Northeast Texas
Chapter
A crispy variation
on the Caprese salad
By ELIZABETH KARMEL
Associated Press
The Caprese salad of fresh
mozzarella, basil and tomatoes is
universally loved.
I personally make it all
summer long and although I mix
up the tomatoes based on what I
can buy at the farmers’ market, it
is virtually the same every time.
Since it is tomato season and
we waited a long time for this
moment, I looked for a new take
on a summer favorite — and
found it in “Cravings,” model
Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook that
she co-wrote with Gourmet
magazine
alumna
Adeena
Sussman.
Teigen adds a few new
elements: She uses burrata —
fresh mozzarella with a creamy
center — and cuts the tomatoes in
different shapes and sizes, some
slices, some wedges. She omits
the traditional basil and adds
arugula and delicious, crunchy
prosciutto chips, which take this
Caprese from ordinary good to
extraordinary great.
The prosciutto chips (she calls
them crisps) are easy to prepare
and make such a difference
that I can’t believe that I never
thought of baking thin slices of
prosciutto into “chips.” You can
substitute them in almost any
recipe that calls for bacon. Once
the prosciutto bakes and cools, it
is crispy and crunchy, salty and
addictive.
You’ll ind this a welcome
addition to an already popular
summer recipe.
———
Elizabeth Karmel is a barbecue
and Southern foods expert. She is
the chef and pit master at online
retailer CarolinaCueToGo.com
and the author of three books,
including “Taming the Flame.”
Sara Moulton via AP
Stuffed eggs with tuna, topped with dill, and guacamole, topped with tomatoes.
Revitalize stuffed eggs with
tuna, salmon or guacamole
By SARA MOULTON
Associated Press
AP Photo/Richard Drew
Caprese salad with crispy prosciutto.
CAPRESE SALAD WITH
CRISPY PROSCIUTTO
Adapted from “Cravings:
Recipes for All the Food You
Want to Eat,” by Chrissy
Teigen
Start to inish: 20 minutes
Serves 6
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1 (8-ounce) ball burrata or
fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2 pounds assorted ripe
tomatoes cut in a variety of
shapes (wedges, slices, chunks,
etc.)
• 3 tablespoons best-quality
olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic
vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
• 6-12 prosciutto crisps
(recipe follows)
Scatter the arugula on a
serving platter and place the
cheese in the center. Arrange
the tomatoes around the cheese.
Cut a small opening in the
burrata/mozzarella ball so you
can see the center, and then
drizzle olive oil all around the
platter.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar
on the tomatoes and arugula.
Season the entire salad with the
salt and pepper and top with
the prosciutto crisps.
PROSCIUTTO CRISPS
Preheat the oven to 400
F. Line a baking sheet with
parchment paper.
Arrange the prosciutto in
a single layer on the baking
sheet. Bake until wrinkled
and slightly shrunken, 11 to
13 minutes. (It will crisp as
it cools.) Cool, eat whole as
a snack, or crumble and use
as a garnish for salads, eggs,
or anything that could use
crispness and ham. (For me,
that’s everything.)
Nutrition information per
serving: 245 calories; 158
calories from fat; 18 g fat (7
g saturated; 0 g trans fats);
42 mg cholesterol; 862 mg
sodium; 8 g carbohydrate; 2 g
iber; 5 g sugar; 14 g protein.
If it’s already time to start
gearing up for school — and
if you’re open to rethinking
the typical lunch box fare,
consider losing the sandwich and
embracing the stuffed egg.
There’s
nothing
more
elemental and satisfying than
good bread, but the standard loaf
is loaded with empty calories.
Eggs, by contrast, are low-carb,
high-protein and gluten-free. And
just about anything you can slide
between two slices of bread can
also be stuffed into a hard-cooked
egg.
Still, I’m not talking about the
typical version, loaded with mayo
and a sprinkling of paprika. I
mean eggs illed with any number
of more substantial, and tastier,
ingredients — from tuna or
avocado to chicken or roast beef.
First, how to boil an egg. As
a student of Julia Child, I spent
decades “boiling” eggs the way
she taught us, which was, in fact,
not to boil them. She started by
putting the eggs in a pot of cold
water, then brought the water
up to a boil. Next she turned off
the heat, covered the pan and
let the eggs sit until they were
hard-cooked. Finally, to stop them
from cooking, she pulled the eggs
out of the pot and chilled them
briely in a bowl of ice water. This
method results in egg whites that
are more tender than if they had
been conventionally boiled.
Then a few years ago, I heard
from a couple from Chicago who
suggested steaming the eggs. This
method turns out to be easier to
time than the no-boil method
because you don’t have to wait
for the water to heat up. But much
more important is the end result:
the whites are ridiculously tender.
HARD-BOILED EGGS
Start to inish: 40 minutes (5
minutes active)
Servings: Makes 6 hard-boiled
eggs
• 6 large eggs
Fit a collapsible steamer inside
a medium saucepan and ill the
saucepan with about 1 inch of
water or to just below the level
of the steamer basket. No water
should be touching the eggs. Put
the lid on top of the pan and bring
the water to a medium-high boil
over medium-high heat.
Using a large, long-handled,
slotted spoon, place the eggs in a
single layer in the steamer, being
careful not to burn your hand with
the steam. Steam the eggs for 12
minutes. Transfer the eggs to a
bowl of ice and water and let them
cool completely. This will take 20
to 30 minutes.
When they are cool, crack
them all over and peel under cold
running water, starting at the wide
end of the egg and making sure to
get under the membrane (which
makes it easier to peel the egg).
TUNA OR SALMON
STUFFED EGGS
Servings: 12 stuffed egg halves
• One 3.5 ounce can tuna
or regular salmon, or smoked
salmon, drained
• 6 large hard-boiled eggs
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon
juice
• 2 tablespoons minced celery,
plus celery leaves for garnish
In a medium bowl mash the
tuna with a fork until it is in small
lakes. Cut the eggs in half and
remove the yolks. Add the yolks
to the tuna and mash the mixture
well. Stir in the mayonnaise,
lemon juice and celery; salt and
pepper to taste. Mound a heaping
spoonful of the yolk mixture
into the cavity of the whites and
garnish with the celery leaves.
GUACAMOLE EGGS
Servings: 12 stuffed egg halves
• 1 medium ripe Hass avocado
(about ¾ cup)
• 6 large hard-boiled eggs
• 3 tablespoons minced
scallions
• 2 to 3 teaspoons minced
serrano chile (with the seeds and
ribs) or to taste
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lime
juice, or to taste
• Coarsely chopped cherry
tomatoes, sprinkled with kosher
salt for garnish
In a medium bowl mash the
avocado with a fork until it is
mostly smooth with a few lumps.
Cut the eggs in half and remove
the yolks. Add the yolks to the
avocado and mash the mixture
until it is smooth. Stir in the
scallions, chile, mayonnaise, lime
juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Mound a heaping spoonful of the
yolk mixture into the cavity of
the whites and garnish with the
chopped tomatoes.
TUNA OR SALMON
STUFFED EGGS
Nutrition information per
serving: 86 calories; 56 calories
from fat; 6 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g
trans fats); 99 mg cholesterol; 68
mg sodium; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g
iber; 0 g sugar; 7 g protein.
GUACAMOLE EGGS
Nutrition information per
serving: 62 calories; 43 calories
from fat; 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g
trans fats); 94 mg cholesterol; 64
mg sodium; 1 g carbohydrate; 1 g
iber; 0 g sugar; 3 g protein.