Gardens of Provence Wine-pairing Dinner
With beautiful watercolors, exquisite wine and well-chosen dishes, the Sept. 30 Gardens of Provence Wine-pairing Dinner & Art Show at Ingredients Café was a success. Local artist, Pat Choffrut, had many of her paintings on display and the guests were able to browse in between courses. As the title of the evening revealed, many of her paintings were inspired by her time in France. And, chefs Ben and Tony contributed to the feel by creating a menu that played up the flavors from Provence – highlighting the salty foods favored by this region by the sea.
The dinner began with a pickled melon gazpacho. It was both sweet and savory, with bits of crispy cured ham and a garnish of goat cheese saboyan. The course was paired with a non-fortified Osborne Fino Sherry, from Spain. It was an interesting tipple because it tasted more like a wine than I expected, but still had the underlying dryness that makes a sherry a sherry. The fat planks of fried anchovies were my favorite component of the second course – a stacked salad consisting of heirloom tomato slices, fried eggplant and basil leaves in a vinaigrette. The flavors all melded together in the best way. This hearty dish was paired with a Wolfgang Concerto Grüner Veltliner, from Austria. It had just a hint of sweet that really brought out the hidden sweetness of the anchovy.	"Sea Side Lunch" by Pat Choffrut
My dinner companion and I were surprised to have a red wine poured for the third course – olive oil poached halibut with a fried zucchini cake and olive vinaigrette – but it totally worked. The Chapoutier Gigondas from the southern Rhone region of France, was fruity, but the halibut was so rich, the two met in the middle of the flavor road. Another wonderful melding of flavors occurred in the next course, too. The seared lamb loin was paired with hearty braised artichoke and a garlic and cauliflower confit. The wine, a Vina Mayor Reserve from Ribera del Duero, Spain, was a well balanced red that warmed up invitingly the more we sipped our glasses.	"Tomatoes and Parsley" by Pat Choffrut
The dessert was another exquisite pairing of salty and sweet, with a cheese and apricot French toast plate and 2 Hands Brilliant Disguise Moscato from Australia. Sweet, tangy, delicious. To learn more about Pat Choffrut’s artwork, visit www.mnartists.org/pat_choffrut.	"Olive Oil Bottles" by Pat Choffrut