Don’t W(h)ine – here are the recipes…

‘Wine Walk’ was the theme of 3rd Friday LOCAL LIFE in Downtown Overland Park in August. We had fun thinking through what to make for this one!

Here are some recipes that we enjoyed.
Try them out at home and ENJOY!

Watermelon Mint Wine Cocktail

• 1 cup watermelon, diced, chilled
• Ice cubes, as needed
• 1 cup pink Moscato wine, chilled
• 1 lime, sliced in half
• Handful of fresh mint, coarsely chopped

In a blender, add the watermelon and puree.

Fill two stemless wine or cocktail glasses with ice. Pour half of the watermelon puree and wine into each glass, distributing evenly. Squeeze the juice from a lime half into each glass.  Add some mint and stir with a spoon. Serve immediately.  Makes 2 servings.

Lavosh Crackers

• 1-1/2 cups bread flour, unbleached, plus extra for kneading
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 to ½ cup water, room temperature
• Spray oil, for bowl and countertop
• Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds or kosher salt to taste, for topping

1. In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, yeast, honey, and oil.  In small increments, add water and mix with hands until mixture forms a ball.   (You may not need the full ½ cup water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.)
2. Sprinkle flour on a clean countertop and place dough on top.  Knead dough for about 10 minutes or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. (The dough should pass the windowpane test and instant-read thermometer should read 77 to 81 degrees. It should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough.  It should also be satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled.)
3. In a mixing bowl that has been lightly sprayed with oil add dough ball and roll it around bowl to coat with oil.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to ferment for 90 minutes or until dough doubles in size.  (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator in covered bowl immediately after kneading.)
4. Transfer dough to a clean countertop that has been lightly sprayed with oil.  Using your hand, lightly press the dough into a square and dust top with small amount of flour.  Using a rolling pin that has been lightly dusted with flour,  roll dough into a paper-thin sheet that is about 15 to 20 inches in diameter. (You may need to stop from time to time to allow the gluten in dough to relax.  At these times, lift dough from counter slightly and wave it a little;  then lay back down, making sure to cover it while it is relaxing.)  Once dough has been rolled out to desired thinness, cover and allow it to relax for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Carefully lift the sheet of dough and transfer to baking sheet. (If it overlaps the edge of pan, snip off excess with scissors.)  Preheat over to 350 degrees with rack on the middle shelf.  Mist the top of dough with a small amount of water.  Lightly sprinkle your choice of toppings on dough, keeping in mind that a little bit of spices goes a long way. (You may use one spice to cover entire piece of dough or alternate spices in rows for variety.)   Transfer to oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the dough begins to brown evenly across the top.  (Check for doneness often as the time it bakes will depend on how thinly or evenly you rolled the dough.)  When crackers reach desired doneness, remove from oven and set aside to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
6. To serve, snap dough apart into shards and place on serving platter or in a basket.  Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container.    Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers.

COOKS NOTE: If you would like to serve pre-cut crackers, use a pizza cutter/rolling blade and score diamonds or rectangles in the dough before baking. (Do not cut dough all the way through as they will snap after baking.)

Homemade Pimento Dip

• 12 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon vegetable salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, (preferably Frank’s)
• 1 jar minced pimentos, drained well
• 4 flatbread, cut into triangles and toasted in oven

Place the cheese in a bowl of a small mixer. Using a paddle attachment, start to mix the cheese. Add the mayonnaise, and spices. Mix well. Just before finishing add the pimentos and blend in slowly. Pimentos should be visible and not over mix.  Keep the cheese spread cold until needed. Should be soft enough to spread.

COOKS NOTE: We served the pimento dip with the lavosh crackers (recipe above). You might want to try those in place of the flatbread.

Marinara Sauce

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• pinch of hot pepper flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, pureéd
• 1/2  cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 cup of fruit forward red wine (like a California table red or a Zinfandel)
• handful of fresh basil, chopped
• handful of fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

In a large Dutch oven heat the EVOO and sauté garlic with hot pepper flakes for 20 seconds on medium heat… DO NOT burn! If you do, you have to start all over again. Beforehand, blend can of tomatoes and purée until smooth. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with 1/2 cup of water. Turn up the heat a bit and wait for the sauce to come to a boil then turn down heat to let sauce simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste (I’d start with 1/2 tsp of salt and ½ tsp of pepper and go from there… Keep tasting and adding). Add cheese, wine, and fresh herbs. Stir and let simmer until liquid is reduced and sauce is thick, this takes about 20 minutes. Add to your favorite pasta.