Meat free and loving it at last wine-pairing dinner

The tomato is my favorite vegetable. And, fruit, for that matter. Through sampling different heirloom varieties available through Farmers Markets, I can appreciate their wide range of flavors. A tomato isn’t just a tomato anymore. Ingredients Cafe showed off the tomato to its best advantage at the August 29 Vegetarian Wine-pairing Dinner. Chefs Ben and Tony matched it up with some of its favorite companions: goat cheese, peppers and potatoes.
The recent sunny weather meant the tomatoes – provided by the Kost Family Farm – were in their prime. With little done to the orbs other than cut them in quarters, the opening course of Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart with Baby Greens and Soba Dressing, allowed the diners to admire the heft of the tomato wedges, standing upright on the silky cheese. The various tomatoes imparted a sweetness that countered the inherent tang of the cheese and the salad dressing. Tonya Dunn from Griggs, Cooper & Company Distribution, chose a dry St. M Riesling from Germany to pair with the tart. She noted that not all Rieslings are sweet, therefore beginning a meal with this particular wine was not out of the ordinary. It worked well with the tomatoes because the Riesling still had some sweetness to it.	Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart with Baby Greens and Soba Dressing
Next, we traveled south of the border and dined on a Queso Fresco-stuffed Poblano Pepper, Dirty Rice and Deconstructed Salsa. The pepper was lightly fried and deceptively spicy due to the innocent looking seeds left in the base of the vegetable. The mahogany-hued rice, however, cooled the tongue. The salsa was a tasty lesson in building blocks. The intact cherry tomatoes and paper thin slices of onion were laid on top of a lime and red wine reduction. The salsa, then, only revealed itself on the tongue. The wine chosen to accompany this dish was a Don Olegario Albarino from Spain. A dry white with none of the telltale notes that make a Chardonnay a Chardonnay or a Chablis a Chablis. The wine expanded our perception of what a white should taste like. Flinty and dry with only a hint of fruit, it echoed the sandy, granite enriched soils that grew it. The taste cooled the heat of the poblano peppers, making it a welcome selection.
Most people would think of sweet peas as a springtime delicacy, but as the filling for ravioli, the long summer heat made their flavor more rich. This third course, of Sweet Pea Ravioli with Mint Sweet Corn Emulsion and Parmigiano Reggiano was a study in sweet and salt. The mint was just a hint of flavor on the tongue, but it had the right contrast to the pea, as well as to the thick shavings of Parmigiano. At the last minute, Tonya and Chef Ben decided to switch the wines served with the third and fourth courses. It was the right decision. The St. Francis Merlot, out of California, was robust and dark. It toyed with the peas, making their greenness seem more vivid.	Sweet Pea Ravioli with Mint Sweet Corn Emulsion and Parmigiano Reggiano
The exact opposite pairing happened in the fourth course – a hearty plate with a lighter glass. The Black Bean and Quinoa “meatloaf” with Potato and Goat Cheese Lasagne and Raw Tomato Ketchup really stuck to our ribs. The meatloaf arrived on our plates in small domes of salt and earthy grain flavors. Next to it, the potatoes reveled in the melted goat cheese blanket while warming the chopped tomatoes at its side. The Joseph Phelps Pastiche Red from California is a mix of many different grapes, therefore, the taste can vary. This vintage was fruity – almost like cherries – which cut the rich flavors of the food. As usual, Chefs Ben and Tony served a dessert that had us scraping the plate clean. The Orange Mousse and Almond Cannelloni with Strawberries and Crème Anglaise was a lovely ending to the day. The orange-laced mousse was so fluffy alongside the tuille cookie cannelloni.	Black Bean and Quinoa "meatloaf" with Potato and Goat Cheese Lasagne and Raw Tomato Ketchup
The light and musky Michele Chiarlo Bivole Moscato d’Asti from Italy was a clean way to close the meal. If I wasn’t the one driving, I would have asked for more. Our next wine dinner will celebrate the contributions to the culinary world made by the French at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 26. We hope to see you there.