the first big week! coming up! - the Groton Long Point Yacht Club!

Katys Kitchenwith Katy ReedGRAPE NOTESby John LombardoGLP NEWS Page 4Strawberries are not just fordessert any more. The firstgarden strawberry was grownin France in the late 18th century.In 2011, 1,312,960 tons ofstrawberries were grown in theUnited States. Originally theywere used in pies, jams, tartsand fruit drinks and were evenconsidered to have medicinalbenefits. But as culinary pairingshave changed, strawberrieshave moved away frombeing just a dessert fruit. Thefollowing recipe is easy to makeahead, just toss at serving time.Have friends to lunch, bring thisto a potluck or enjoy on hotsummer evening.Spinach Salad with Chicken,Strawberries and BlueCheese- Serves 42 Tbs. plus 1/3 cup extra-virginolive oil4 boneless, skinless chickenbreast halves (about 1-3/4lb.), tenders removedKosher salt and freshlyground black pepper1/2 cup sliced almonds1/4 cup red wine vinegar2 tsp. honey1 medium shallot, minced6 oz. loosely packed babyspinach leaves (about 6cups)8 oz. strawberries, stemmedand quartered (about 1-1/2cups)3 oz. crumbled blue cheese(about 3/4 cup)Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heatuntil shimmering hot. Pat thechicken dry and season with 2tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper.Cook, turning once, until justcooked through, about 10 minutestotal. Transfer the chickento a cutting board and let rest,loosely covered with foil, for 5minutes. If you do not want touse the stove, place chickenbreast in microwavable dishand microwave for approximately4 minutes or until chickenis longer pink when sliced.While the chicken cooks, toastthe almonds in a dry 10-inchskillet over medium heat, stirringoccasionally, until evenlybrowned, 3 to 5 minutes.Transfer to a plate to cool.In a small bowl, whisk theremaining 1/3 cup olive oil withthe vinegar, honey, shallot, 1/2tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Ina large bowl, combine thespinach, strawberries, bluecheese, and almonds and tosswith enough of the dressing tocoat. Arrange the salad on aplatter or plates. Slice thechicken and arrange on thesalad. Drizzle with some of theremaining vinaigrette, if desired,and serve.Take a look at Katy Reedʼsrecipe in this issue. It is a winepairing nightmare: it has someweight from the chicken, somesweetness from the honey andstrawberries, and some saltinessand earthiness from theblue cheese. Lots of complicatedand contrasting flavorsmake for a difficult pairing.With that being said, letʼslook to Italy for a solution,specifically the Valpolicella viticulturalregion in the provinceof Verona in northern Italy.Valpolicella ranks just afterChianti in Italian wine production.The red wines from thisregion are made from threegrape varietals: CorvinaVeronese, Rondinella, andMolinara. A variety of styles ofwine are made here, but we aregoing to focus on two: Amaroneand Ripasso.Grapes destined to be madeinto Amarone are the last to beharvested in Valpolicella sothey are very ripe. The grapesare then placed in drying roomswhere as much as 40% of thewater content evaporates. Theresulting grapes are extremelyconcentrated. The wine is agedfor several years beforerelease. Amarones are richand full-bodied with aromasthat are reminiscent of Portwines. Youʼll find notes of darkchocolate, raisins, figs andearth. These huge wines aretypically paired with hearty, richdishes such as roasted meat.Which may lead you to wonderwhy we would pair this withKatyʼs recipe. The answer is:we wonʼt.But I needed to tell the storyof Amarone in order to makesense of Ripasso. Ripassomeans “repassed” in Italian.The Ripasso style of wine startswith the same three grape varietalsas Amarone. The grapesare not dried, but simplypressed and then added to acask with the leftover skinsfrom the Amarone fermentation.Passing the lighter Valpolicellawine over the remains of theAmarone adds flavor, color, andsubstance.Ripassos (sometimes called“baby Amarones”)are moreapproachable and less expensivethan their Amaronecousins. They have the substanceto match with the chickenin Katyʼs recipe and the portlikeflavors will complement theblue cheese and pick up thesweetness of the honey andstrawberries.Ripassos retail for around $20and are worth the search if youwould like to try something newwith Katyʼs complex and flavorfulchicken dish.935 North Main Street Ext., Wallingford, CT 06492203 265 - 1206 GLP 203 623 - 4994Peter Joyce ctpowerandsport.comSUZUKI - YAMAHA - JOHN DEERE - HONDA - SEADOOMotorcycles ATVʼs Snowmobiles Power Equipment Jet Boats PWCʼsLANDSCAPES, LAWN CARE & TREE CARE860.235.0752WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NETAN ALL ORGANIC COMPANYStewards Of The EnvironmentCT HIC #0577341CT Arborist Lic. #S-5902