I apologize that this post was originally written on an iPhone making spell check/rereading/ and correcting my mistakes a tough one but here it is fixed...and stay tuned for another fabulous post later on today.
Yesterday, after a fun filled beginning of this kickoff summer holiday weekend in Manhattan, I left town to head out to East Hampton with a good friend. Plans of relaxing in the sun, long runs, drinking rose wine, reading, cooking, and of course plenty of chatting were on the agenda...and what a perfect agenda at that!
In the late afternoon, we took a drive into Sag Harbor to visit Cavaniola's Gourmet -- a grouping of three small wooden buildings -- one boasting to be a cheese shop; one with gourmet prepared foods; and one a wine cellar. We wandered into the cheese shop which was stocked with imported crackers, pastas, and the such in the front area and a back cheese, meat and antipasti counter with two refrigerated cases. After a bit of a wait, we inquired about having a taste of their Gorgonzola cremificado, a delish creamy, spicy and punchy blue cheese. Looking around at the back refrigerator case, I was disappointed that not a single cheese had a label or any sort of indication about pricing structure or it's origins of production. For those of us who know a lot about cheese that is significantly less of a concern than the cheese amateur. This setup forces the consumer to engage in an extended conversation with the people behind the counter if they are unsure what to purchase. It also necessitates a significant amount of knowledge on the part of the cheese shop employees. Don't get me wrong the cheeses on offer were fabulous but it made the entire process of purchasing more complicated.
After our visit to Cavaniola's, we went to Channing Daughters for a tasting of their rose wines and a few of their whites as well. Channing Daughters winery is known for their extensive experimenation into the world of winemaking, they are the only producer to craft Tocai Friulano, Blaufrankisch, and many other wines on Long Island. Needless to say one of the reasons I am such a big fan is because of the four outstanding rose wines they make -- one with Cabernet Franc grapes, one with Merlot grapes, one with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and one with Refresco grapes.
Returning back to the house from our explorations, we started cooking dinner--
A tasting of three cheeses- Equinox from Consider Bardwell, the Gorgonzola Cremificado discussed earlier and Saint Maure de la Tourraine (a soft decadent aged goat's milk cheese from the Loire Valley.) We paired the cheeses with Eli's health grain loaf, dried apricots and some green grapes. Apart from the cheese we had some chopped up fresh cucumbers, peppers and carrots. Then we grilled some fresh asparagus procured earlier in the day at a local farm stand and portobello mushrooms caps with diced sundried tomatoes, herbs, and Parmesan. Overall a fresh, market driven delish dinner for an evening spent on the patio by the pool. A great way to spend a Sunday night!
No comments:
Post a Comment