Holiday Side Dishes & Today's Wine Picks

Share some  wonderful meals  with family and friends. Included today courtesy of Fiore , are two side dish recipes  you may like to use for the holidays.      Taste Tip:  Sightly sweet Garlic your thing?  Mix in Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar your Fiore Garlic olive oil and wow — the Pom BV adds a bit of sweetness without being overpowering… and the Garlic mellows out just a bit…I love it!    Featured White Wine of the Day:   Mt Beautiful Cheviot Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2009 - Though dry, this Sauvignon Blanc has a nice  fruity characteristic. The nose presents tropical fruit notes. These aromas are backed up on the palate with  flavors of pineapple and greenish  mango, finishing with a  flash of crisp lime.     Featured Red Wine of the Day: Keyways Winery 2009 Traditions. This is a smooth, fruity Merlot with about 2% residual sugar.  Expect rich flavors of plum, cherry and mocha. I had this wine last night at a media event …it is yummy!  I can really see this as the perfect holiday dinner wine.  It won’t be “too much” for your lightweight wine drinkers, but it will intrigue the heck out of your wine afficiando friends. The label reflects the name and is a perfect holdiay or special celebration hostess gift.     WALNUT & GREEN ONION RICE 6 cups water 2 cups uncooked wild rice (12 oz) ½ cup dried currants 2 tbls plus 1-1/2 tsp Fiore Roasted Walnut Oil, divided 1 cup chopped green onions, divided 1 tsp grated lemon rind, divided Bring water to boil in large pot, add wild rice and cover, reduce heat and simmer 50 minutes.  Stir in currants, cover and cook an additional 18 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.  Drain, spoon rice mixture into large bowl. Heat 2 tbls oil in nonstick pan over medium-low heat.  Add ¾ cup green onions and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft.  Add 1-1/2 tsp oil, onion mixture and ½ tsp lemon rind to rice mixture.  Sprinkle with ¼ cup onions and ½ tsp rind.  Yield:  8 servings of ¾ cup each SHERRY-GLAZED PEARL ONIONS 8 cups water 2 pounds pearl onions, peeled Cooking spray ¾ cup Fiore Sherry Vinegar (or Fiore Red Wine Vinegar) ¼ cup honey ¼ tsp each salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bring water to boil in large pot, add onions.  Cook 3 minutes or until tender, drain.  Place onions in 13X9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Combine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  Pour vinegar mixture over onions.  Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Yield:  8 servings of ¼ cup each. Delicious!

FIORE Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars  _____________ 503 Main Street Rockland, ME 04841 207.596.0276 207.809.9710 cell info@fioreoliveoils.com www.fioreoliveoils.com     Sip, Shop & Swirl ~ The Wine Chixs Linda Kissam