Try this Turkey Lasagna with our Northern Harrier Red

Winter is the time for comfort food and a hearty lasagna really hits the spot. This recipe for Turkey Lasagna is perfect paired with our 2011 Northern Harrier Red, and feel free to pour yourself an extra glass. This dish is not only delicious, but with all that spinach and lean turkey meat, its actually kind of healthy, too!

Turkey Lasagna

original recipe found here

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fresh ground turkey
1 (28 oz) can plum tomatoes, crushed
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 (9-oz) package no-boil lasagna noodles
15 ounces low-fat ricotta or low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
2 pounds fresh spinach, washed, but not dried
1 pound shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add ground turkey and cook for about 10 minutes. Add plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper; let simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in basil and parsley; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and egg; season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place damp spinach in a large skillet over medium heat; cook until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Ladle 1/4 of the turkey mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; spread to cover. Add a pasta sheet, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the spinach mixture, and another 1/4 of the turkey mixture. Repeat process two more times; top with remaining sheet of pasta. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over top. Line a piece of aluminum foil with parchment paper; spray parchment with nonstick cooking spray. Cover lasagna with prepared aluminum foil, parchment-side down, and transfer to oven. Bake until bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting; serve.

If you make this tasty recipe, share your pictures and wine pairings with us! Post to our facebook or email us at info@Hawkhavenvineyard.com.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

You know autumn is here when you visit the grocery store or farmer’s  market and everywhere you look are different varieties of squash. Acorn squash, spaghetti squash, even pumpkins, and of course my personal favorite: butternut squash. Even the name sounds delicious, and it is so easy to incorporate in all your fall recipes.

Butternut squash is a pale orange veggie with a long pear shape and a sweet, nutty flavor. The easiest way to cook it is to cut it in half long ways, scoop out the seeds, coat the inside with a bit of olive oil, then roast it coated-side down in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until tender. You can jazz it up with a little cinnamon and brown sugar, chipotle powder, or even just salt and pepper. Once its cooked, you peel away the skin and it’s ready for any number of tasty dishes.

Recently a friend shared a very delicious butternut squash recipe with me and I couldn’t wait to try it. Even better, one of our wines here at Hawk Haven has reached its peak in flavors and aromas and turned out to be a perfect complement to this dish: the 2012 Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc.

Due to limited production, the Signature Series Collection wines are not typically included in our normal wine tasting. The oak-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, however, has evolved so much since we bottled it back in April, and the once subtle essence of kiwi and melon have unfolded into bolder, more rich flavors of caramel and green apple. This wine is really in its prime!

So stop by Hawk Haven (we’re open every day 12-5pm), grab a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and try it with this recipe tonight for dinner!

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
1 medium sized butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 package fisarmoniche pasta (or your favorite variety)
3/4 cup ricotta
2 tbsp ponzu sauce

Instructions
Set oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half length-wise and scoop out seeds. Brush inside of each half with olive oil, then place face down on a baking sheet. Roast in oven for 30 minutes or until tender, then remove from oven and peel off skin. Roughly chop the squash into small pieces.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain off water and return pasta to pot. Stir in squash, ricotta, and ponzu sauce.

At this point you may be tempted to grab a fork and eat right out of the pot, but let’s be civilized, you’re drinking a Signature Series wine after all! Scoop some out onto a plate, pour yourself a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and go sit at the table. Try not to inhale it, remember to chew, and most of all, enjoy!

 

Got any favorite butternut squash recipes? What are your favorite foods to pair with Sauvignon Blanc? Tell us in the comments below!

Wine Tips: Five Tips for Pairing Wine with Food

Believe it or not, a lot of people feel a great deal of anxiety over this one little choice: selecting a wine to go with a meal. This is especially true when they are choosing for a group. How do I know which wine to pick? How can I pick a wine that everyone will like? How do I know if it will pair well with the food? Relax! The choice is easier than you might think, and these five tips will help you along the way.

Tip One: Drink what you like! As we have said before, the most important thing is to pick a wine you enjoy. Ignore all the other factors for a minute, such as red or white, sweet or dry, expensive or inexpensive, chicken or steak. Forget it! What wine do you like? If you’re having guests, what do they usually drink? If you don’t know what your guests like, don’t worry about it, just focus on what you know. It is fun to experiment with different combinations, and over time you will find pairings that you love.

Tip Two: White & Light. Lighter foods like chicken and fish tend to taste better with similarly lighter wines which, generally speaking, are white varietals. Try barrel-fermented Chardonnay with a creamy chicken dish, or a Pinot Grigio for a light, flaky fish.

Tip Three: Heavy & Red. This tip goes along the same line as the second tip. Full-bodied reds will stand up better to heavier foods. Have Merlot with your red sauce pastas or Cabernet Sauvignon with a nice, juicy steak. The idea is to match the robustness of the food.

Tip Four: Opposites Attract. Sometimes it pays to choose a wine that is on the opposite end of the sweet/dry scale. Sweet wines can be great with spicy foods as they cut through some of the heat and refresh your palate for the next tasty bite. A lot of wine connoisseurs would frown at the idea of chocolate and red wine, but I personally think they are meant to be together. Dark chocolate and a dry red wine with plenty of smooth, berry flavors… pour me a glass!

Tip Five: Similar Tastes. This might contradict Tip Four, but matching tastes and aromas can also produce some lovely  flavor combinations. Let’s say you cooked seared scallops for dinner and you’ve drizzled them with fresh lemon juice. You already know that white wine would be a good choice, but let’s narrow it down a bit. Look for something with citrusy notes, such as Sauvignon Blanc, to match the lemon from the scallops.

I can’t end this article without adding a sixth bonus tip:  Google It! The internet is loaded with information and advice when it comes to wine, and you’re sure to find plenty of wine suggestions with a quick search for whatever you’re serving. Also, the tasting room staff here at Hawk Haven are more than happy to help you come up with something delicious. A lot of us love to cook, and we all love to eat and drink wine (who doesn’t?), so if you’re looking for a good pairing, all you have to do is ask! Don’t forget to share your favorite pairings with us!

Wine Tasting Tip: Clear Your Palate

“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, ‘The Physiology of Taste’ (1825)

As wonderful as wine can be with food, did you know that during a wine tasting it is actually best not to have anything to eat? The reason for this is because ideally you need to have all your senses free of any influence besides the wine. Even the meal you had several hours before your wine tasting can potentially affect your experience.

Of course, this isn’t surgery and we’re not going to ask you to stop eating 24 hours before you visit a winery. Your sense of taste is not going to change so drastically just because you had that onion bagel for breakfast. But here are a few pointers to consider for your next wine tasting.

Many wineries offer some type of food at their tasting room. Some offer crackers to absorb any lingering flavors, but you want to stick to something bland so as not to distract from the wine.

Some, like Hawk Haven, offer cheese plates. We love a good cheese plate with a glass of wine. Generally speaking, wine and cheese are a wonderful combination; however, cheese during a wine tasting can clog your taste buds and suppress the flavors in the wine. Also, not all wines will pair well with all cheeses. Some cheese can make even the best wines taste terrible. A better choice would be to go through the wine tasting and afterwards have a glass of your favorite paired with a cheese plate.

And have you ever had a drink of something right after brushing your teeth, especially fruit juice? Tasted horrible, right? Its best to avoid chewing gum and mints before a wine tasting.

But the wine tasting experience involves much more than just your sense of taste. Your sense of smell is very connected to your sense of taste, and there are many aromas in wine. This is another reason why food can be distracting during a wine tasting. You might also want to go light on the perfume/cologne or any other strong aromas.

These are just suggestions, so please feel free to enjoy your wine tasting however you like, with or without food. The point is to have fun, get a taste of what we’re offering, and hopefully find something you like. Cheers!

Friday Night Supper Club

Join us on Friday nights for a family-style dinner at the vineyard! 

Every Friday Night
June 29th – Sept 7th

 

Live Music 6 to 9pm
Dinner Served at 7pm
Reservations Required
(609) 846-7347

Dinner $32
Wine Flight (optional) $16

Tasting Room open 11am to 7pm

 

Menus

Friday, July 13th
Appetizer: Seafood Bruchetta served over grilled panini
Salad: Carribbean Salad- A spring mix salad with strawberries,
craisins, and candied walnuts,
with honey poppy seed dressing
Entree: Two jumbo lump crab cakes topped with a
roasted red pepper puree
Cucumber salad
Homemade stewed tomatoes
Twice baked potatoes
Dessert: Key lime pie

Friday, July 20th
TBA

Friday, July 27th
Fried Ravioli
Hawaiian Meatballs
Crab Balls
Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Sliders
Pulled Pork Sliders with Asian Slaw
Fresh Fruit Salad
Pasta Salad
Bread Pudding

Menus for August – Sept 7th TBA

Entertainment:

June 29th – Andrew Reeves

July 6th – John Nesbitt
July 13th – Jon Thompson
July 20th – Andrew Reeves
July 27th – Kate Delaney-Chew

August 3rd – Jon Thompson
August 10th – John Nesbitt
August 17th – Jon Thompson
August 24th – Andrew Reeves
August 31st – TBA

Sept 7th – Jon Thompson

Don’t Miss the Wine Pairing Dinner With Chef Barry Sexton

Photo Courtesy of OpinionatedPalate.com

Don’t miss your chance to snag one of the few remaining seats for this weekend’s fabulous wine pairing dinners hosted here at Hawk Haven!

This Saturday, July 24^th, Hawk Haven has the pleasure to host celebrity chef Barry Sexton!  Chef Sexton was classically trained for more than a decade under the tutelage of Master Chef Jean Pierre Tardy, who was the Executive Chef of Le Bec Fin, in Philadelphia, for seven years. Chef Barry worked closely with Jean Pierre, keeping the creative process alive by combining his imagination with the best and freshest ingredients.  He even created several signature dishes at Jean Pierre’s Restaurant in Newtown, Pennsylvania, known locally for its French cuisine.

In 2004, Chef Barry Sexton launched his own culinary project, Opinionated Palate Catering, as a way to share his love of food and entertaining. With over 30 years of experience in the culinary arts, Barry brings an undying passion for creating beautiful, flavorful food to his catering venture. Barry enjoys scouring the markets for new and unusual foods, and combining them with his signature creativity and flair for his customers and their guests. He is grateful for the confidence of customers who trust Opinionated Palate Catering to make their event not only a success, but the best day of their life.

Chef Sexton will prepare a four-course dinner in the vineyard on Saturday, July 24^th. Each course will be expertly paired with a Hawk Haven Wine. Seating is limited, and those remaining spots are going fast! For more information call Hawk Haven at (609) 846-7347, or visit http://hawkhavenvineyard.com/events.aspx to order your tickets online, and take a sneak peek at the evening’s menu!

The Five S’s

If you attended the wine pairing dinner on June 19^th then you got an education from Dr. Gary Pavlis about how to properly taste your favorite wines.  If you did miss out on the dinner, don’t worry, we’ve got all the information you need right here.

Dr. Gary Pavlis, Rutgers Cooprative Extension

To properly taste a wine you just need to follow The Five S’s

SIGHT: Go ahead and take a good look at the wine you’re drinking.  Look at the color, from the deep red of a cabernet to the buttery yellow of a chardonnay.  Notice the clarity of the wine, and look for any sediment that might be swirling around in your glass.  It’s also worth checking out your wine’s legs.  That’s the trails that the wine leaves down the side of the glass after you swirl it around.  Speaking of swirling…

SWIRL: Giving your wine a nice whirl does a lot to enhance the taste.  Agitating your wine releases the esters, ethers, and aldehydes that combine with oxygen to yield the bouquet. In other words, swirling aerates the wine and gives you a better smell.  The bouquet is an important part of the taste, so if you wine hasn’t had enough of a swirl it won’t taste as good as it could!  That brings us to…

SMELL: Many people say that this is the most important part of wine tasting. We can only perceive four different tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salt. That may not seem like a lot, but the average person can smell over 2,000 different scents, and wine has over 200 of its own. What does the wine smell like? Often you can describe the smell of the wine by comparing it to other scents.  Look for red fruit scents, like raspberry and blackberry, in red wines and pear and pineapple scents in white wines.  Doesn’t talking about all these delicious things make you thirsty?  Well then…

SIP: The people who don’t say that smell is the most important part of wine tasting are probably a little more concerned with this part. But don’t rush into it!  Take only a small mouthful of wine, and make sure to move it around your whole mouth.  If you don’t bring the wine into contact with your taste buds, how are you going to actually taste it?  Don’t just gulp it down, even if it is that good!  After you’ve gotten all the flavor out of your first sample sip it’s time to…

SAVOR: Now that you’ve swallowed the wine, take a moment to evaluate your experience.  Think about the lingering taste and texture of the wine.  This is called the finish, and it can be just as rewarding as going back in for another sip.  See how long the wine’s taste lasts in your mouth, and try to determine the different tastes.

After you’ve gone through the Five S’s once, simply repeat until your glass is empty.  We recommend lots of practice!

If you want to make sure you don’t miss out on the next great Hawk Haven event, just check out the Events section of HawkHavenVineyard.com!  This weekend, the 17th and 18th, is our “Walk In The Vineyard” event. Click here for more information.