Mendo County gold

REPRESENTING UKIAH NATURAL FOODS CO-OP as the Beer and Wine Buyer definitely has its perks, and one I really enjoy is being invited to events that I would not have had the opportunity to be a part of otherwise. I recently had the pleasure of being a judge at the 42nd Mendocino Wine County Fair Competition. Being part of a distinguished panel of some of the greats in the industry, who have many years experience in wine judging and the wine community, was a highlight. Everyone involved could not have been more gracious, intelligent, and extremely down to earth.

Many of the wines we judged are carried here at the Co-op: Husch, Barra, Brutocao, Boonville Road, McNab, Graziano Family of Wines, Bock Wine and Spirits, McFadden, Father’s and Daughters, Frey, Rural Wine Company, Roederer, Scharffenberger, Bergin-Sipila Vineyards, and Meyer Family Cellars. My job at the Co-op is to promote local Mendocino Wines and present them to you, our customers. I want to bring in as many local wine producers as I can and promote the amazing and innovative artists we have in this supportive, sweet community. I also want people to know how much labor and love goes into each bottle of wine, from the early stages of the grape growing, to picking grapes in the cold Autumn mornings, the bottling process, and then packing the bottles in boxes to get to you, the consumer. While I was tasting all these phenomenal wines, I could definitely taste the different complexities, depths, and layers in each wine. It really was an honor to be considered for this role and it is one that I will take with me wherever I go. A huge shout out to Bernadette Byrne, Executive Director for Mendocino Winegrowers Inc., for putting this event together, and to my fellow judges Dan Berger, Jim Gordon, Laura Ness, Chris Sawyer, Greg Richtarek, Ziggy Eschliman, Marsella Charron, and Wilfred Wong with whom I had the honor of sharing this amazing and humbling experience. Thank you to all the winemakers and wineries who produce such a special niche of wines in this community. We appreciate you, we see you, and we value your hard work. Congratulations to all of the participants, and to all the winners.

42nd Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition

By Amanda Slade

UKIAH NATURAL FOODS CO-OP WINE BUYER

"I WANT TO PROMOTE THE AMAZING AND INNOVATIVE ARTISTS WE HAVE..."

GOLD

Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 HUSCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON

$22.99

DOUBLE GOLD

Category: Blush and Rosé

Bock Wine And Spirits, 2020 CHANCE CREEK ROSATO DI SANGIOVESE

$14.39

DOUBLE GOLD

Category: Pinot Noir

2019 RURAL WINE COMPANY PINOT NOIR

$22.99

Andre Fransen, Kitchen Lead Martha Vargas, Café Clerk

GATHER

We're looking forward to sharing some celebratory meals with friends and family, and who better to ask for recipe recommendations than our Co-op Café staff? From savory to sweet, these favorite family recipes have you covered.

Tamales de Piña (Pineapple Tamales)

Ingredients:

30 sweet corn husks 2 pounds of fresh corn masa dough ½ tsp baking soda 2 Tbsp warm water, as needed 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup vegetable shortening or lard (for extra flavor), at room temperature. 1 cup white sugar 2 ½ cups of pineapple, cut into chunks

Preparation:

1. Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 6o mins. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel. 2. While corn husks are soaking, combine masa dough, baking soda, and water in a bowl. Knead until dough has a smooth and even consistency, adding more water, 1 tsp at a time, as needed. Don’t add too much water, to have a nice consistency. 3. Beat butter, vegetable shortening or lard, and sugar together in a second bowl with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Slowly add masa and knead until mixture has a uniform consistency. Mix in chopped pineapple. 4. Spread about 1 tablespoon masa mixture onto a corn husk. Fold the bottom of the husk over the filling, then fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Finally fold the top of the husk into the tamale, making a little package. Repeat with remaining husks. 5. Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Add tamales with the open side up and cook covered until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour.

Brown Sugar Bourbon Glazed Ham

Ingredients:

8-10 pound smoked ham 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup bourbon 2 Tbsp whole grain mustard 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground allspice ½ tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lay the ham on it, flat side down. 2. Score the ham with cuts one inch and ¼ inch deep. Do this in two directions creating a grid pattern over the entire surface of the ham. 3. In a medium bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients for the glaze. Rub half the glaze over the surface of the ham and bake for 45 mins. 4. Pull the ham out of the oven, rub the rest of the glaze over the ham, and place it back in the over for 45-75 mins, or until dark and crispy.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. of green beans trimmed, and in a large pan of boiling water cook until bright green and about 6 mins. 2 cups cream 2 cans of condensed cream soup 2 cups shredded cheese 2 cups French fried onions ¼ cup diced onions 1 cup sliced mushrooms

Preparation:

1. Mix green beans, diced onions, 1 ½ cup of French onions, 1 ½ cups of cheese and mushrooms together in a separate bowl. 2. In another bowl, combine soup mix and cream until smooth. 3. Mix both mixes together until all the green beans are fully covered.

Then add the mixture into a 13x9” casserole dish and put in the oven for 30 to 35 mins at 350 degrees. 4. For the last 10 mins, sprinkle ½ of French-fried onions and ½ cup of cheese on top.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients: Crust:

your favorite pie crust dough

Filling:

6-7 large apples, cored, peeled, thinly sliced (Granny smith, Pink lady, Honey crisp) ½ cup sugar 2 Tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ tsp cloves ¼ tsp nutmeg 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

½ cup old fashioned oats ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ cup flour ¼ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Filling: Place apple slices in a large bowl. Add lemon, sugar, flour, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. 3. Streusel Topping: Whisk oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside. 4. Roll out chilled pie dough on floured surface until 12” in diameter. Place in a deep pie pan. Trim any overhang, and crimp edges. Fill with apples. Top with streusel. Cover loosely with foil.

Set pan on baking sheet and bake for 30 mins. Remove foil and continue to bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 4 hours, then drizzle with salted caramel.