Valentines at the Shetler's

These people crack me up! The dinner was thrown together because they were short on time... Check out this menu! It would take me months to come up with food like this (3 to be exact) and it wouldn't taste as good :)

Let's start by saying the wine competition was white wine. White wine? Mark said the food was too light to pair with red, so white it was.

APPETIZERS

Salmon Dip on Hearts of Celery,
Cheddar Pennies,
Shrimp Cakes (I'm allergic to shellfish) with Red Pepper Spread,

SALAD

I don't know what it's called, but it was yummy

MAIN COURSE

Corn Crab Chowder (and Shrimp Chowder for me) with Avocado Chunks and Cilantro Puree, 
Sourdough Garlic Bread,

DESSERT

Lemon Mousse with Raspberries










WINES

1st Wades with Tamber Bay, Chardonnay, 2014

2nd Shetlers with Lambert Bridge, Viognier, 2014

3rd Gilberts with Rombauer, Chardonnay, 2015

Taste of Germany at the Shetler's

The Shetlers decided to produce a German feast and requested Zinfandel for the competing wine.
It was cool how they made a menu with German on one side and English on the other. I ate as little as possible that day because I knew I was in for a gastronomical event. I wanted to be prepared!

I started by combining the bratwurst with the German mushroom brie. I’m a mustard lover so I indulged in the homemade pretzels with several mustards to choose from.

The decanted wine was brought in at the same time as the fresh green pea soup with a little mound of crunchy bacon on top. I made my wine decision immediately.

Then came the beef pot roast and cheese spatzel with green beans. I changed my wine decision.

Dinner was followed by a four layer Black Forest cake. My wine decision wavered like a child who wants three toys at once.

The Shetlers had a 2012 Brandlin Zin, the Wades had a 2012 Rombauer Zin, and we ironically had the 2011 Fiddletown Rombauer Zin (mainly because we’d already brought the regular Rombauer Zin in the past and won). So true to history the Napa Rombauer won!