Heart of the Mountain Menu

Sometimes, you just want to go all out and push your own limits. Take inspiration from where you can and proceed full throttle is my motto. After spending a lovely afternoon at the Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival I came home with two bottles of the 2007 Heart of the Mountain Pinot Noir. I was particularly impressed by the intensity of fruit and interpretation of the vintner's craft.  The Santa Cruz Mountains are continuing to gain notoriety with the quality vineyards and wineries. What a delight to live in such a beautiful and fruitful appellation. I have been searching for a Pinot Noir that was not generic, bland and run of the mill. So many I have tasted lately have been sub-par. This certainly fit the bill! 

This estate vintage is produced on what was the old Alfred Hitchcock estate in Scotts Valley, CA. For those of us, "of a certain age" the Hitchcock name is legend and his films and TV show were mainstay thrillers well beyond the normal sensibilities of the 1960's and 1970's.  What is your favorite Hitchcock film? Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Birds? I am partial to Rear Window myself. My Dad, a glazing contractor often visited the estate, doing work for the Hitchcock family. Nonplussed with celebrity, he would just talk about the installation, problems solved or creative solution deployed.

Inspired by the Pinot on hand, and promise of the Hitchcock legend,  I concocted the following menu designed for a summer's eve dinner al fresco. Summer heat dictates finger food and lovely salads... and ice cream.  The duck confit was something new for me and I wanted to bring out the special "a la orange" one normally associates with duck, but still have the traditional fall off the bone deliciousness and flavor. This was a "no occasion" meal, just cooking to stretch my wings. My husband kept looking at me wondering... when is the other shoe going to fall? What is going on? He was expecting that some big announcement was in the ofting. The big surprise was there is no surprise.

Have you ever gone all out, the dinner scape, the menu, the wine.. just so you could? And why not!

Appetizers

• Organic heirloom tomatoes Caprese
• Artichoke and Green Olive Crostini
• Smoked Oysters and Water Crackers
• Gloria Ferrer Winery Carneros Cuvée

Main Course 

• "What the Duck?! Salad

This salad is topped with duck leg confit with hints of garlic, orange, lemon thyme on top of a bed of spring greens, grilled peaches and yellow wax beans, Orange Mustard Vinaigrette. Paired with Heart of the Mountain 2007 Pinot Noir

Dessert

• Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream

Links
Heart of the Mountain Winery
Gloria Ferrer Winery
Santa Cruz Mountain Wine Growers Association

 A simple bouquet of summer flowers, family and good food. What a perfect evening