Fun Foods At Falcon Nest Winery
22 03 2008Looking for something special to try? Falcon Nest Winery in east Paso Robles hosts a themed dinner party every month–March was an Italian Dinner dance, and April will be a Turkish theme. The April event will be complete with a professional belly dancer! This is particularly exciting to me, as one of my books (Every Child is a Genius) was translated into several languages and sold worldwide, with the most popular translation being… you guessed it… Turkish! So I started playing around with Falcon Nest’s 2003 Syrah. The recipe below is for Curried California Fruit Mince, which is very easy to prepare; the amount of curry spice can be increased or decreased to suit your taste.
1 pound diced, dried California fruits* juice of 2 fresh lemons juice of 2 fresh oranges 1/2 cup Falcon Nest 2003 Syrah 2 cups water*Note: I like Avila & Sons Farms Fruit Medley, which is available at our local Farmer’s Market or by contacting them at 13391 Fargo Avenue, Hanford, California, 93230. You can also call them at (559) 584-7156 or use the link.
Soak the diced, dried fruits for several hours or overnight in the juice, wine and water. I like to use a large, clean jar with a lid or a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap. Once the fruits have hydrated in the liquid, transfer the entire mixture to a large, nonstick pot, and begin heating to a low boil over medium low heat.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, blend the following:
1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon powdered curry spice blend 1/8 teaspoon (or a pinch) of ground cinnamonPour the blended sugar and spices over the heated fruit, stir, and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. The fruit should become thick as it gently boils.
Meanwhile, prepare clean jars as described in my first blog. Spoon the fruit into clean, sterile jars, sealing tightly. Place well-sealed jars into a bath of boiling water for a few minutes (using tongs), place on clean towels or a cooling rack on the counter and allow to reach room temperature. This makes about six cups of mince, which will keep unopened in the pantry for several months.
It’s excellent spooned into store bought, bite sized pastry cups as a sweet & spicy party nibble, or served on the side with roasted lamb, chicken or pork.
As for belly dancing? I’m brushing up my skills with an instructional DVD, but I’ll leave it up to you if you want to give that a try. Hey, it’s great exercise and a fun way for me to work off some of my belly… not that I’m admitting to having one, of course.
[...] in less than three minutes. You’ll need a blender. 1/4 cup Curried California Fruit Mince (recipe in earlier blog) 3 tablespoons light olive oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar pinch of extra powdered [...]