Benmarl Winery. America's Oldest Vineyard

Benmarl Winery. America's Oldest Vineyard. 

With a claim like that, I had to check it out. Ok, so actually my friends invited me to go, but

that's not nearly as dramatic sounding. The Benmarl winery is a short trip from the CIA, and is definitely worth the trip. They have a

beautiful property, and they grow many different types of grape varietals that are iconic for the Hudson Valley. I didn't love all their wines,

but a few worth noting are their Cab. Sauvignon and their Founders Reserve ( a blend that is very good).

Visit their website: http://www.benmarl.com/

Sunday Meals Part 3

One of the best meals we have prepared, full of local seasonal ingredients.

Lemon Basil, an amazing herb

Local heirloom tomatoes

Amuse of Creamy Polenta with braised shallots

My homemade lemon basil vodka martini....it tastes very similar to lemon cello

Recipe:

1 large handful of lemon basil, chiffonade

1 350l bottle of Svedka Vodka (any decent vodka can be used)

Wash and chiffonade the lemon basil, add to the vodka (remove approx 1/2 oz from the bottle first) and store upside down overnight. Strain and then re bottle.

The Lemon Basil Martini:

2 oz lemon basil infused vodka

1 splash dry vermouth

1/2 oz Kina Lillet White

Combine all of the above over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Enjoy with the following dish!

Trio of heirloom tomatoes: Heirloom tomato salad with fleur de sel, red wine vinaigrette, Roma tomato "Timbale BLT", with lemon basil mayo, and homemade tomato chutney and pepper crackers

From the top down (the best way to look of course) Toasted Rye Bread, lemon basil mayo, crumbled bacon, romaine lettuce, red Roma Tomato, lemon basil mayo, more bread, more mayo, more bacon, yellow Roma Tomato, mayo, bread.

Duck Confit with fresh and dried cherries, Cherry Kijafa Sauce

2005 Barbaresco, really really good

Jeong Woo plating the duck entree

Sauteed Duck Breast, Duck Leg Confit, over Fregola sauteed in duck fat, greens, cherry Kijafa Sauce, and micro greens.

An emergency dessert preparation, after a creme caramel disaster. Sliced peach with a Japanese sweet rice cake?, chocolate sauce, lavender, and strawberries. My System-D at its best.

And our dessert wine to pair with the peach rice cake thing....Florus tastes like fresh peaches, sweet like a Sauternes.

A palate cleanser between entree and dessert. A watermelon and chocolate mint popsicle. A new take on a sorbet course.

Sunday Meal Part 2

Eager to use the best of our local garden on the CIA campus, Jeong and I decided to see what we could "pull up" to use for our usual sunday meal. Featured in the photo below are a few of the best produce products available to the campus, such as: French Lavender, Fresh Celery, Lemon Basil, Green Peppers, Squash Blossoms, Cucumbers, Roses, and hot peppers.

To a group of cooks, it was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up.

Local as local can get, produce from the CIA campus

Just the extra herbs from the harvest

Tempura fried squash blossoms

A very crisp and delicious Sauvignon Blanc

Hot, sweet & sour Korean style soup

Lemon basil sauteed chicken with baby potatoes and a fried squash blossom

Assembly of dessert, take 1

Piping out the lavender chocolate ganache

My custom dessert pairing, a chocolate milano martini

Lavender Chocolate Mille Feuille with raspberry coulis

Sunday Meals Part 1

Another Sunday, another gourmet meal for my friends and I.

The centerpiece is a chive blossom.

Some baked phyllo dough for our dessert

Heirloom tomato and strawberry salad with homemade mozzarella and balsamic dressing

Ossobucco with sauteed spinach and creamy polenta

Baked phyllo stuffed with strawberries and yellow raspberries