A Wine Country cookbook that celebrates sustainable, garden-to-table dining

Some of the tastiest California cooking today comes from wineries with edible gardens, and now you can take a visual tour of these magical culinary green spaces, peek inside the winery kitchens that reap the harvest, and bring sun-ripened flavors into your own home kitchen. Casual Cooking from Wine Country Gardens showcases some of California’s most ambitious wineries’ culinary gardens and the fresh, wine-friendly dishes they inspire, all vividly captured by three-time James Beard Award–winner Janet Fletcher. Bring the garden to the plate California-style with Heirloom Tomato and Peach Salad with Burrata or Golden Beet Gazpacho. Enjoy a glass of Sauvignon Blanc alongside Crostini with Garden Carrots, Goat Cheese, and Dukkah; or savor a platter of crisp spring vegetables with Caramelized Spring Onion Dip. To show off a fine California red wine, try Spring Lamb Chops Scottadito with Charred Tomato and Black Olive Tapenade or Slow-Roasted Beef Short Ribs with Broccoli di Cicco and Farro. The book’s garden-inspired desserts include luscious finales such as Blood Orange Crème Brûlée, Cheesecake with Blueberry Gelée, and Lemon Verbena Apricots with Olive Oil–Sea Salt Ice Cream. In more than 60 delicious recipes, Gather delivers the finest of California’s wine country to your door, demonstrating the creative ways that wineries use their garden bounty to please their guests and complement their wines.

Review

This is a beautiful book, one that will delight the senses.

This book combines recipes, wines, and complete menus to create an atmosphere for your family or dinner guests. I enjoyed reading about the different wineries, drooled over the menus, and started planning my weekly dinners around several of these dishes.

I love that there are menus that incorporate fresh ingredients and wines to pair with the meals. It makes your next party planning a bit easier.

I wasn’t sure what I would make for dinner one night. I had chicken, but that was as far as my imagination went. Would I do my same ol’ same ol’, or go with something new? I picked up this cookbook and discovered the recipe for Maggie’s Ranch Chicken. Granted, I was using a different cut of chicken and less, but it was easy to cut down the recipe and adjust the cooking time. This was delicious! I can see making this again in the future.

I also saw a recipe for an Avocado Salsa Verde that looks delicious. I will have to try that one for our next taco night.

There are a variety of recipes that will delight even the pickiest eater. So check it out when looking for something a little different.

Recipe

Maggie’s Ranch Chicken

One Whole fresh chicken, 4-4 1/2 lbs, backbone removed, quartered
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c honey
4T salted butter
1T Dijon mustard
4 six-inch sprigs fresh tarragon

Preheat an over to 350 degrees. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.

In a small saucepan, combine the honey, butter, and mustard and stir over low heat until the butter melts.

Put the chicken quarters in a 9×13 baking dish and pour the honey mixture over them. Place a tarragon sprig on each quarter. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven, spoon the juices over the chicken, and return to the oven for 30 minutes more. The chicken will be fully cooked, with beautifully browned skin. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the juices to settle.