Time to Apply the DEET and Drink Liberally - It's Summer in VT!

OMG! It's summertime ya'll and despite my frailty in too much sun and humidity, I'm jazzed! I really don't even mind the thick weather that's been hanging over us the last week! And really, anyone who's complaining needs to zip it because we get precious little time to wear flip flops and tank tops and sun dresses and we've just begun! It hasn't been perfect. I got rained out at the beach, the mosquitos are threatening to carry off our dog and make her queen, but still, it's Vermont, we know how it goes! If you want perfect weather move to Hawaii and be done with it. Aloha!

I'm mostly excited because of the eating and drinking associated with summer! Cook outs, picnics, outdoor restaurant seating! I will slather on the DEET and be just fine! (If only mosquitos were adverse to large doses of chilled white and rosé wine in the blood stream!)

Here are some summertime recipes and wine pairings for the steamy month of July that lies ahead!

Cous Cous with Garbanzo Beans and Almonds
Serves: 6

1/4-cup olive oil
4 cups chopped onions
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2-teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups cous cous (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until very tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and stir 1 minute. Add broth and cinnamon and bring to boil. Mix in couscous. Cover pot; remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes.
2. Using fork, fluff couscous. Mix in mint, oregano and half of almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Mound couscous in bowl. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Pair this with the Nals Margreid Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige. It is a complex yet refreshing wine. It has a beautiful nose of honey, orange segments, fresh fennel and buttered artichoke hearts. It gives you a mouth full of juicy orange with some tart apple acidity that is persistent but not piercing. Flavors keep appearing as you sip, almonds, lemon, and melon. It has wonderful purity and harmony. It makes a nice pairing with foods that match its medium weight; pork loin, grilled shrimp, chicken, even tofu, they are perfect atop the Cous Cous, which can easily be topped with whatever protein you prefer! It also makes a great dish to bring to a BBQ as it’s good, hot, cold or at room temp!

Grilled Seafood with Spicy Tarragon Butter
Serves: 6-8

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons hot sauce
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 dozen medium to large oysters
2 dozen cherrystone or littleneck clams
1 1/2 pounds cleaned squid, tentacles separated from the bodies, rinsed and patted dry
1/4-cup extra-virgin olive oil


1. In a pan over medium-low heat melt butter. Add tarragon, hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Reserve on low heat until ready to serve.
2. Light a grill to high heat.
3. Cut the squid bodies along the sides to open flat. With a thin sharp knife, lightly score the insides, being careful not to cut through all the way. Toss bodies and tentacles with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Place the oysters and clams on the hot grill, flat side up. Cover the grill and cook until the shellfish open, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a platter, trying to keep the liquor inside. Quickly remove the top shells and loosen the oysters and clams from the bottom shells. Meanwhile grill the squid, turning until opaque, slightly golden, and just cooked through, only about 2 to 3 minutes. When cooked add to the platter with the oysters and clams and serve immediately with the melted butter on the side.

The San Felo Toscana Bianco is made from 100% Vermentino. It has a delicate nose of ripe green pear sprinkled with sea salt. Medium-weight in the mouth, it delivers flavors of saline, orange, and lemon peel. It’s mouthwatering with a clean finish.
If ever there was a wine that begged to be paired with seafood, it’s Vermentino. The sea salty characteristics highlight fish and shellfish beautifully. Pair it with the above recipe for a simple “mixed grill” of oysters, clams and calamari with easy spicy tarragon butter. Simplicity is central to the Tuscan cuisine.

Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Serves: 6

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 (2 1/2-pound) chickens, quartered


1. Mix all ingredients, except chicken in a large bowl.
2. Place chicken in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place chicken, skin side down, on grill. Cover and grill until chicken is cooked through, turning every 5 minutes, about 30 minutes total.


Clos Ste Magdeleine Cassis Rosé is my favorite rosé. Why? Everyone always wants to know why. Because it's perfect. It's balanced and it tastes good. I mean I love all rosés but the Cassis is just as smooth as a George Clooney pick up line. A blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault and 15% Mourvedre all grown in what might be the world's most stunning vineyard. Maybe it's the salinity framing the beautiful streak of acid and citrus or the light, fresh fruit that dances around a substantial undercurrent of minerality. Either way, it's my true love and I can drink it solo in all it's glory or pair it with the above chicken dish. (My favorite marinade for chicken, I use it all summer long!)