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Recipe Archive

Mini Pumpkins Stuffed With Sausage & Sage
 Private Reserve Merlot
"I saw this in last Sunday's Food & Wine section in the SF Chronicle. A yummy festive pairing with the Merlot!"  - Wine Collector Manager Melinda Klescewski.

Serves 6

 As they bake, the savory stuffing permeates the flesh of the pumpkins, giving an additional flavor. Serve these as either a first course or a main course, depending upon the rest of your menu.

6 mini pumpkins, about 3 inches in diameter, preferably with stems intact

12 ounces bulk pork sausage

1 egg

1 cup coarse bread crumbs

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

-- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions: With a sharp knife, cut off the upper fourth of each pumpkin. Reserve each top. Scoop out the seeds, and if necessary, enough flesh to leave a shell about 1/2-inch thick. Salt and pepper the inside of each cavity.

 Preheat an oven to 350°. In a bowl, combine the sausage, egg, bread crumbs, sage and parsley. To taste for seasonings, fry about a teaspoon of the mixture, then taste. Add salt and pepper if needed.

 Fill each pumpkin with some of the stuffing, mounding it 1/2 inch above the rim. Place the pumpkins on a baking sheet with their tops alongside, stem up. Bake until the filling has firmed and begun to pull away slightly from the sides and the pumpkin shells are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 40 to 45 minutes.

 Replace the tops and serve hot.

 Noodle Salad with Ginger Dressing
Private Reserve "Sur Lie" Chardonnay

7 ounces dried udon noodles or fettuccine (fettuccine broken in half)

12 ounces shredded coleslaw mix

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 cup cilantro leaves

3/4 pound cooked medium shrimp, halved lengthwise

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon Chinese chile-garlic sauce

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt

Lime wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add the coleslaw mix, scallions, cilantro and shrimp.

In a blender, combine the teriyaki sauce with the ginger and chile-garlic sauce and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly add the vegetable oil in a thin stream and puree until the dressing is emulsified. Season lightly with salt. Add the dressing to the bowl with the udon noodles and toss well. Serve the noodle salad with lime wedges on the side.

MAKE AHEAD

The dressed salad can be refrigerated overnight. Add the shrimp just before serving.

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