Category: Food

Cool rosés for hot days

Think pink to pair with summer meals

It’s summer and it’s hot! Summer arrived on June 21, and except for just a couple of days when we experienced some relief, it’s been hot. Summer is the season when we move outdoors. We mow the lawn, clean out the planting beds, fire up the barbecue and spend as much time as we can outdoors.

We are blessed to be in New England where we can enjoy the change of seasons. Fall brings along its cooler temperatures, where cabernets are brought to the table to pair with steaks or pasta. Winter has us playing in the snow or on the ice, to be followed by robust food paired to deep, heavy reds. Summer is the time to enjoy the abundance of the ocean with fish, seafood and farm-fresh vegetables paired to white wines — or, better, rosés!

For this column I decided to try rosés sourced from three different locations: Italy, France, and two from California. The differences were amazing.

Our first, a 2020 Pasqua Y By 11 Minutes Rosé,available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $34.99, reduced to $16.99, heralds from Verona, Italy, the land of Romeo and Juliet. Starting in 1925 as négociants, or traders of wines, the Pasqua brothers shortly became vineyard owners. Three generations later the company has entered the international market, selling wines in 50 countries. A blend of corvina, which offers hints of cherry and herbs, trebbiano, which brings elegance and a long finish, syrah, which brings intense fruit and spice, and carmenere, which brings the wine structure and stability, this is a wine with an intense and complex bouquet. The name 11 Minutes refers to the duration of the skin contact with the juice, then pressed softly prior to fermentation. The Pasqua family believes this is the optimal length of time to extract the best qualities of the grapes and obtain the slightly rosy shade of this wine. The must is then cooled and transferred to a steel tank, where it remains for 11 hours for the solids to settle out, then is inoculated with yeast for fermentation to begin. After 3 to 4 months on lees, the wine is filtered, bottled and ready at the first of the year.

Our second wine, a 2020 Thierry Delauney Le Manoir Rosé, alsoavailable at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $39.99, reduced to $10.99, comes from the Loire River Valley. The wineries are located on hilltops, high above the north bank of the river. Composed of 70 percent gamay and 30 percent pineau d’Aunis, also known as chenin noir, this is a wine that is delicate, creamy, with notes of red currant and raspberry. The Thierry Delaunay vineyards have been cultivated for five generations of the same family, but only since the 1970s has the family also bottled the wine extracted from these vineyards, which has become highly rated.

We don’t often think of it, but California produces some pretty good rosés. Our 2019 La Crema Monterey County Pinot Noir Rosé, originally priced at $24.99, reduced to $11.99, and our 2020 Longford Estate Pinot Noir Rosé, originally priced at $12.00, reduced to $6.99, both from the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, are outstanding examples of light, bright rosés at exceptional values. The La Crema rosé has aromas of mandarin oranges that carry through to the tongue. The Longford rosé has notes of watermelon and strawberries and is pretty good slightly, but not overly chilled. Perfect for the patio table.

These are all light, dry wines that pair well with soft cheeses and seafood, or can just be enjoyed with a summer green salad. Give them a try and compare the different blends by their color, their aromas, and the subtleties in taste, because as we have noted in the past, the grapes and the places of their origin contribute to a wealth of nuances. Not all rosés are created equal. And that’s great news!

Featured photo. Courtesy photo.

Chilled blueberry lemon soup

When blueberry season arrives, so does the heat of summer. While freshly picked blueberries may make one think about baking, it also makes me think about cold dishes. This simple soup recipe is a way to make those blueberries shine in a refreshingly delicious way.

Paired with a sandwich or just a crusty loaf of bread, this soup will be a wonderful dinner at the end of a hot summer day. However, if you are planning on making this for dinner, you need to start your preparations earlier in the day. Although the active cooking time requires only 15 or so minutes, the soup needs at least two hours of cooling time. All of this advance planning is worth it!

Now, let’s talk about ingredients. As someone who grew up in a small town filled with farm stands, I am inclined to want freshly picked blueberries in this recipe. However, you can use whatever you find in the produce department of the grocery store or even frozen berries. For the wine, you can use any dry white wine that you enjoy — chardonnay, pinot grigio, etc. Just keep in mind that you want a simple white so that it doesn’t add too many other flavors. Finally, the amount of yogurt is a suggestion. If you like your soup to be thinner, start with 1 cup. If you prefer a thicker soup, you can add 2 cups.
Here’s to a cooling dinner at the end of a hot summer day!

Chilled blueberry lemon soup
Serves 4

1 lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt

Slice lemon into 8 thin rounds. (You may have extra lemon; save for a different use.)
Combine blueberries, lemon, water, wine and sugar in a medium-sized pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil; stir to make sure that sugar dissolves.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
Remove from heat, uncover, and allow soup to cool for an hour.
Remove and discard lemon slices; transfer soup to a blender.
Purée until smooth.
Transfer to a serving bowl and cover.
Store in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
When you are ready to serve, add yogurt, whisking to combine.

Featured Photo: Chilled Blueberry Lemon Soup. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Erica Ceravolo

Erica Ceravolo of Wilton is the kitchen manager and chef of Riley’s Place (29 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 325-2177, rileysplacellc.com), a comfort food restaurant and music hall that opened in the tavern space adjoining Milford’s historic Colonel Shepard House in April. A native of New Jersey, Ceravolo grew up working in her grandmother’s bakery in Bloomfield, just outside of Newark. She was recruited by Riley’s Place owner Kimberley King to design and oversee a menu of home-cooked comfort foods with Southern nods, all to complement the music hall’s weekly schedule of live blues, rock and country acts. You’ll find everything here from scratch-cooked jambalaya and macaroni and cheese to pulled pork grilled cheese sandwiches, shrimp po’ boys, ribs, Cajun rice and beans, ice cream and more. Prior to joining the staff of Riley’s Place, Ceravolo worked in the kitchen and oversaw cooking programs at the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley for several years.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Always in my hand or always by my side is a sharp knife, which for me is multi-purpose.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would be my grandmother’s chicken and dumplings. That was my comfort food growing up, that’s what she made when I was sick, and what she made on my birthday every year. … It just reminds me of home.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I work a lot, so obviously I don’t get out much, but my go-to is Riverhouse Cafe in Milford, right on the Oval. I love that place, so if I had the choice right now to go anywhere, I’d go there. … [I get] either a burger or some kind of breakfast food. They have this thing called the Bird’s Nest that I crave sometimes. It’s got all the breakfast foods in it but it looks like a little bird’s nest.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Riley’s Place?

It would be a toss-up between Stanley Tucci, whose show about Italy I’m obsessed with, and Guy Fieri.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

My personal favorite thing on the menu right now would probably be the pulled pork nachos. I’m a huge nachos fan. … I really wanted to create nachos that were very layered, so that with every bite you’re getting pulled pork, salsa and cheese. It’s simple but it’s so flavorful.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I think it’s two things — one is either gluten-free or non-meat options. Then, I think the other thing is that, especially during Covid, it’s really all about sticking with [buying] local and not always going to the big guys to get stuff from.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I actually talked to my kids about this one, because a lot of my cooking is based on what they ask for. … One of our favorite things to cook is grilled cheese, and we like to experiment, so we’ll try different breads, different cheeses … [and] we’ll put different meats on it, different spices and sauces and things to dip it in. We’re always elevating our grilled cheeses. … I like a good mild cheddar, like the Hoffman cheddar. That’s probably my go-to for grilled cheese, because it’s not bland but it doesn’t overpower anything else I put in it either, so you can taste all those flavors.

Homemade barbecue sauce
From the kitchen of Erica Ceravolo of Riley’s Place in Milford

1½ cups ketchup
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons mustard

Whisk together all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the sauce simmers, feel free to add a few tablespoons of water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. Sauce may be served immediately but if you have some extra time, cover and chill for at least one hour for the best flavor.

Featured photo: Erica Ceravolo. Courtesy photo.

Plant-based perfection

Gourmet vegan cafe opens in Manchester

In late 2020, Manchester couple Madeline Rossi and Olivia Lenox launched New Roots Meals, a plant-based meal prep company and delivery service offering rotating items out of a scratch kitchen. Their success eventually led them to introduce a mobile food trailer last year, from which they expanded into serving coffees, teas and locally sourced vegan pastries.

Now, Rossi and Lenox have an all new business venture, The Green Beautiful, which held its grand opening June 25 on the corner of Wilson and Silver streets in the Queen City’s Somerville neighborhood. Described by the pair as a “gourmet vegan cafe,” the spot further expands their scratch-cooked plant-based offerings while also serving as a community space for events.

The new eatery’s name is a nod to the 1996 French film La Belle Verte — which translates to “The Green Beautiful” in English — about a utopian society on a fictional green planet.

Prior to opening their first brick-and-mortar, Rossi and Lenox would prepare everything on Sundays at Jerome’s Deli in Manchester, which they rented as a commissary space.

“We were only able to do a couple of food options at the truck … and now we’re able to do the entire menu,” Rossi said. “Pretty much every way we could expand, we are able to in this kitchen. … It was also really important when we got this space that we could have a spot where someone could come in, grab a coffee and a breakfast sandwich and get out in five minutes. Or, they could come in, hang out and stay here for however long they wanted.”

The 2,250-square-foot space most recently housed Gyro King, but it has been home to several other businesses over the years, most notably Pigeon’s Market. In fact, it remains easily identifiable thanks to the vintage “Pigeon’s Market” sign that is still up — while Rossi and Lenox will have their own sign directing diners to their space, as with previous iterations of the storefront, the Pigeon’s Market sign, they said, will remain as an unofficial landmark of sorts.

The Green Beautiful’s regular food menu is divided into four sections: bagels, hashes, bowls and sandwiches. Bagels come from Bagel Alley in Nashua, with a variety of homemade cream cheese spreads — or “schmears” — and some other add-ons, like tomatoes and seasonal greens.

The truffle hash, among their top sellers, features tempeh “bacon” from BOStempeh of Somersworth, along with russets, black beans, red onions, chives and a cilantro-garlic aioli. Many of The Green Beautiful’s bowls and sandwiches, Rossi said, are also completely new for the space. The Void, for instance, is a fried seitan (pronounced “SAY-tan”) “chicken” patty on a house-made chia bun, topped with sweet pickles, diced sweet onions, seasonal greens and a garlic aioli. You can also get a “cheesesteak” sandwich with shaved seitan, cashew cheddar, caramelized onions and roasted red peppers. That’s served on a hoagie roll.

“We’re calling it ‘wheat meat,’ because it’s made of vital wheat gluten, which is a protein,” Lenox said. “When you mix it with water, it’s almost like a giant wad of gum. That’s where we infuse all the flavor, so then for the ‘chicken,’ we form them into patties and bake them.”

Breakfast sandwiches, meanwhile, use homemade “egg” patties, made out of tofu and chickpea flour. Rossi recently made her own vegan version of a bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle.

The couple’s coffee menu has also expanded in a big way, for the first time including a full line of espresso drinks from A&E Coffee & Tea with oat, soy and coconut milks and house-made syrups. They also continue to partner with Nommunism, a Seacoast-based vegan pastry company, to offer grab-and-go items like scones, muffins, cookies, Rice Krispie treats and more.

Going forward, Lenox said The Green Beautiful will co-exist as a sister company of New Roots, the latter of which the couple hopes to eventually expand into wholesale plant-based meals. A stage has also been built near the front of the cafe where the Pigeon’s Market’s cash register once stood — there, music and poetry open mic nights are held on Wednesdays, and plans are in the works to soon begin holding other events like drag brunches, documentary screenings and more.

The trailer, meanwhile, also continues to operate for events only. Rossi and Lenox will next appear at the Currier Museum of Art’s Summer Block Party, where they’ll serve vegan paninis.

The Green Beautifull
Where: 168 Wilson St., Manchester
Hours: Wednesday through Monday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (kitchen closes at 3 p.m. each day); music and poetry open mic nights are held on Wednesdays, 5 to 9 p.m., when coffees, teas, pastries and grab-and-go items are also available. The cafe is closed on Tuesdays.
More info: Visit greenbeautifulcafe.com, email [email protected] or find them on Instagram @greenbeautifulmht

Featured photo: Carrot lox bagel. Photo courtesy of The Green Beautiful in Manchester.

Barbecue and beyond

Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival returns

After the Rock’n Ribfest ended its 16-year run offering ribs, other barbecue favorites, craft beer and live music, new organizers continued the tradition in 2019 under a new name. Pandemic woes then shelved the event for two consecutive years, but the Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival — now a fundraiser for the Merrimack Rotary Club — is back.

The event is scheduled for Friday, July 15, through Sunday, July 17, at Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, featuring a diverse mix of longtime “ribbers” and new food and beverage vendors.

It was traditionally held over Father’s Day weekend; a collective decision among Ribfest vendors and organizers was made to push this year’s event back a few weeks to the middle of July.

people standing lines in front of food booths at food truck festival.
Scenes from the 2019 Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival. Photos by Gary Reynolds.

“When we had to take two years off due to Covid, we did lots and lots of introspection on what worked and what didn’t work … because we had plenty of time to figure those things out,” organizer Jeremy Garrett of the event management company J2L Events said. “The top suggestion was to move the date, and hopefully get out of the wetter spring weather. … Being the same weekend as [Laconia] Bike Week was also thought to impact attendance negatively.”

As in previous years, attendees can expect to find barbecue options from local and nationally renowned eateries. Some of this year’s participating vendors — like Armadillo’s BBQ and Austin’s Texas Lightning BBQ — are coming from as far away as Illinois and Texas, respectively. They’ll be offering half and whole racks of ribs, in addition to pulled pork sandwiches, burgers and an array of house-made sauces and rubs. A few local barbecue favorites — like Up In Your Grill, a food trailer based in Merrimack — also join in on the fun.

But there’s also lots more to discover at Ribfest beyond just barbecue — in fact, Garrett said that was a chief focus for organizers when the event changed hands three years ago.

“We’ve got some of the carnival-type foods, the french fries and the fried doughs … and we’ve also got a whole diverse selection of food trucks that are coming in,” he said. “All in all, it’s around 25 food and dessert vendors … so hopefully everyone can find something that they like.”

Donali Food Truck, for instance, is a newcomer to Ribfest. The Nashua-based food truck features lobster rolls and Italian sausage subs as its cornerstone offerings, cooked with fresh ingredients alongside additional menu items like barbecue chicken sandwiches and smash burgers.

This is also the debut event for Carla’s Coffee, which is in the process of rebranding from Jayrard’s Java Cafe. New owner Carla Reardon recently purchased the trailer from founder Jared Turgeon. Carla’s Coffee will be offering a variety of coffees and espresso-based drinks at Ribfest using Cafe Britt coffee from Costa Rica, in addition to some smoothies and lemonades.

Other trucks will include Friends 4 OBA, brought to you by the owners of OBA Noodle Bar in downtown Exeter — they’re known for their authentic Asian fusion street food options. The Seacoast Pretzel Co. truck will also be there with its fresh Bavarian-style soft pretzels, while Cheese Louise, based in Conway, will offer creative takes on gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

A full schedule of live music is planned throughout all three days, with a total of 11 acts each performing roughly 90-minute sets. Garrett said music styles will run the gamut from hard rock and blues to indie, pop, country and reggae, and nearly all are songs original to the artist.

Attendees are welcome to bring folding lawn or camp chairs and blankets to the festival to enjoy the music. While there isn’t a children’s area in the traditional sense as in previous Ribfest events, a few participating local organizations are providing family-friendly activities of their own. The Daniel Webster BSA Council’s Mobile Base Camp, for instance, will feature an inflatable archery range, Spikeball, soccer darts and a backyard bass fishing activity. The Rugged Axe, a Manchester-based ax throwing venue, is also expected to bring its mobile trailer.

The 5-mile race that was normally held on Sunday during Ribfest weekend is also returning, and there will be face painting courtesy of Trading Faces and free demonstrations from Bedford Martial Arts Academy. A limited number of VIP tickets, sold on all three event days, grant attendees access inside Anheuser-Busch’s Biergarten with a greater variety of beverage options.

Participating food and beverage vendors
• Armadillo’s BBQ (Illinois, find them on Facebook)
• Austin’s Texas Lightning BBQ (Texas, austintexaslightning.com)
• Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ (New Jersey, smackyourlipsbbq.com)
• Canterbury Kettle Corn (Connecticut, find them on Facebook)
• Carla’s Coffee (Nashua, carlascoffeenh.com)
• Cheese Louise (Conway, eatcheeselouise.com)
• Dandido Sauce (Manchester, dandidosauce.com)
• Donali Food Truck (Nashua, donalifoodtruck.com)
• Friends 4 OBA (Exeter, friends4oba.com)
• Holly’s Kona Ice (Pelham, hollyskonaice.com)
• Jeannette’s Concessions (Hudson, find them on Facebook)
• Phily’s Good Eats (Candia, find them on Facebook)
• Saucehound BBQ (Watertown, Mass., saucehoundbbq.com)
• Seacoast Pretzel Co. (Rollinsford, seacoastpretzelcompany.com)
• Sillie Puffs (Manchester, silliepuffs.com)
• Simply Cannoli (Douglas, Mass., simplycannoli.com)
• Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream (Nashua, find them on Facebook)
• Thee Taco Dude (Sterling, Mass., theetacodude.com)
• The Travelling Foodie (Nashua, jrmcateringllc.com)
• Trolley Dogs (Framingham, Mass., find them on Facebook)
• Up In Your Grill (Merrimack, upinyourgrill.com)
• Wild Bill’s Soda (Waterford, N.Y., drinkwildbills.com)

Live music schedule
Friday, July 15
• James McCarthy: 4:30 to 6 p.m.
• Chris Fits Band and Ken Clark: 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, July 16
• Gadabout: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Best Not Broken: noon to 1:30 p.m.
• Ben Cote Band: 2 to 3:30 p.m.
• Nick Drouin: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
• The Gravel Project: 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 17
• Supernothing: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Lexi James: 1 to 2:30 p.m.
• Feverslip: 3 to 4:30 p.m.
• Southern Yankee: 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival
When: Friday, July 15, 4:30 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 17, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack
Cost: Online tickets purchased in advance are $12 for adults, $10 for veterans and seniors over 60, and $5 for kids ages 6 to 12. At the gate, tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for veterans and seniors over 60, and $6 for kids ages 6 to 12. Kids ages 5 and under are free. VIP tickets are also available this year, for $27.50 in advance and $35 at the gate (if available) — that grants you access to the air-conditioned Biergarten lounge with an increased beverage variety.
Visit: greatamericanribfest.com
Event is rain or shine. No pets, weapons or outside food or beverages are allowed, except for one sealed bottle of water. Premier parking is available onsite at $20 per day. Parking is also available across the street at Elbit Systems (220 Daniel Webster Hwy.) for $10 per day. There will be no shuttle services this year.

Featured photo: Scenes from the 2019 Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival. Photos by Gary Reynolds.

The Weekly Dish 22/07/14

News from the local food scene

• World of wines: Five New Hampshire eateries were named among the more than 3,000 establishments worldwide in Wine Spectator’s annual Restaurant Awards, which honor the world’s best restaurants for wine, according to a press release. A total of 3,169 dining destinations from all 50 U.S. states and more than 70 countries internationally were selected for this year’s list — in New Hampshire, Hanover Street Chophouse in Manchester, Copper Door Restaurant in Bedford, CR’s The Restaurant in Hampton, The Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness, and Granita Enoteca in Keene were all among the honorees. “These awards not only guide our readers to dining establishments with impressive wine lists and outstanding service, but also serve to honor restaurants for their achievements and commitment to maintaining pristine cellars,” Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator, said in a statement. The publication’s Restaurants Awards issue became available to readers on July 12, the release said.

• Cured cravings: Local chef Keith Sarasin of The Farmers Dinner as well as a new Indian-themed pop-up dinner series called Aatma is about to release his fourth cookbook since 2018. Jerky: The Essential Cookbook is due out July 26, according to Amazon — the book features more than 70 recipes and easy-to-follow instructions for making all kinds of flavors of jerky from various types of animal protein. Sarasin also covers jerky’s origins and history as well as its place in the modern artisanal food movement. The new cookbook comes just over a year after Sarasin’s previous release, Meat: The Ultimate Cookbook, in May 2021 — that book is a whopping 800 pages filled with recipes using all kinds of meats, from beef, pork and poultry to lamb, goat and several species of wild game. Pre-order a copy now at keithsarasin.com.

• Whiskey business: The New Hampshire Liquor Commission will award a prize package of some of the world’s most hard-to-find whiskeys in a raffle to raise money for Best Buddies NH. According to a press release, a total of 2,500 tickets are being sold in the “Buddy Up!” raffle, which is running now through Sept. 15. Tickets are $100 each — the package includes more than $40,000 worth of rare spirits, including a collection of Pappy Van Winkle and E.H. Taylor bourbons, as well as the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. According to the release, the winner will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to experience New Hampshire Distiller’s Week, including two tickets to a Buffalo Trace tasting dinner at the Crown Tavern in Manchester on Nov. 1, and two VIP tickets to the Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits on Nov. 3. Visit liquorandwineoutlets.com.

• Nashua company gets national certification: Nashua artisan food company Mola Foods recently received certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, according to a press release. “I am so excited to now be able to access a vast network of support with new growth opportunities and increased visibility in corporate and government supply chains, education and development programs,” LaFortune Jeannette Djabea, who founded Mola Foods in 2016, said in a statement. According to the release, the WBENC standard of certification is a meticulous process that includes an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. A native of Cameroon, Djabea expanded her brand of globally inspired spice blends and chili relishes in the form of a retail store front, tasting room and commercial kitchen, which opened in Nashua in February 2021. Visit molafoods.com.

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