Hi Everyone:
We hope you are are well and looking forward to celebrating something this week, Easter, Passover, Rain...
Since we are not able to have our usual big old family get together- feast, we decided to scale it back a bit this year and focus on some small bites that we could make without involving a large grocery list. Of course, we will be having some Lester Family Cellars wine with our celebration.
We thought we'd share our menu with you, in case you want to take it easy this weekend and still have a bit of a celebration.
We did get a ham at the store, it just seemed like the right thing to do. We decided, though, instead of making all the heavy sides that usually go with it, we would turn it into Ham Salad and have it on some store bought puffs- sandwich style.
To go with it, we made some yummy "Sprigs in a Blanket"- so fun, some Tarragon Chicken Salad and, to start things off, we made some roasted onion dip (because we had a ton of onions without skins (left over from naturally dying eggs last weekend).
So, here are the recipes and some wine suggestions to go along with them.
What ever you end up doing, we hope you are happy and safe. Know that we miss you all and can' wait to see you again. Send us pic's of your weekend celebration- text Holly at 562-714-9465.
Remember, as always, From Our Hearst to Your Glass.
Matt, Elissa, Mike and Holly Lester
HAM SALAD - great with Lester Family Cellars 2018 Chardonnay
STIR TOGETHER:
4 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature), 2 scallions (finely chopped), 2 TBSP. parsley (optional), 1 TBSP. stone mustard, salt and pepper.
FOLD IN:
8 oz. cooked ham (finely chopped)
makes 2 cups.
SPRIGS IN A BLANKET- perfect with Lester Family Cellars new Sangiovese release
on a lightly floured surface roll out 1 sheet frozen puff pastry or on roll Crescent Rolls. The goal is to make a 10-12 inch square.
Brush the sheet with 3 TBSP. Dijon mustard.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup grated cheese (what ever kind you want) on top.
Add thinly sliced ham - optional
With a sharp knife, cut the sheet in half and then cut 15 skinny strips out of each half.
Wrap each strip around a trimmed stalk of asparagus.
Place the asparagus wraps on a cookie sheet (I like to use parchment paper for easy clean up).
Spray the wraps with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 424 degrees for 20 minutes.
TARRAGON CHICKEN SALAD with GRAPES and PECANS- a perfect pairing with Lester Family Cellars 2018 Viognier.
In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 TBSP lemon juice, 1 TBSP Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk together.
In a separate bowl, toss together 3 cups finely chopped chicken ( or store bought canned chicken), 2 stalks celery (diced), 1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts (chopped), 1 cup red grapes (quartered) and 1/4 cup tarragon- chopped. If you are using dried tarragon spice, decrease to 1/8 cup.
Add mayonnaise mixture. Stir to blend.
ROASTED ONION DIP- pairs nicely with Lester Family Cellars NV Primitivo
Toss 1-2 roughly chopped onions with 2 TBSP. olive oil on a lined baking sheet.
Season with salt and pepper.
Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes- stirring occasionally.
Set aside to cool.
Beat 8 ounces cream cheese until creamy.
Add 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce, 2 TBSP mayonnaise and sliced chives (optional).
Add roasted onions. Mix until combined.
This tastes best if it sits in the fridge for a couple of hours so the flavors have time to come out.
We served ours with roasted veggies but you can use it to dip anything you like!
