Copious Culinary Carnival—Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving feast + 2006 Davis Family Vineyards Pinot Noir: 4/5

My friend Lisa’s roommates Therese and Agnus are known for there Thanksgiving spread, cooking a turkey, ham and rolls. Each guest attending is asked to bring an appetizer or a side dish to accompany the meal, and this year, as Michael and I were invited, we were were given the task of green bean casserole.

Now I had never made green bean casserole before, but I knew the basic recipe—green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and french fried onion strings. Jumping online, I found some recipes that were simply those ingredients, but that wasn’t anything special. Then, like a stick of butter on a piece of bread, I found it.

Paula Deen’s Green Bean Casserole. With five stars and over 200 reviews, I knew it was going to be a hit. I scrolled down, only to see the first ingredient, butter. Even though the butter was only used to cook the onions in, which isn’t all that bad, it wouldn’t be a Paula Deen recipe without some butter.

What I liked about this recipe, as in some others, is Paula called for fresh green beans, sliced by hand. Although it took a while to slice all of those green beans, the added freshness trumped recipes that use frozen, ten fold.

Since the oven was most likely going to be in use at Lisa’s house, I ingeniously modified the recipe so it would be transportable and stay warm. When it came time to mix the beans with the mushrooms, onion, and cream of mushroom soup, I just popped it in my crock pot’s removable porcelain basin, and put that in the oven, instead of a casserole dish. After the 20 minutes in the oven at 350, I just put the basin in the heating element and topped it with cheese. When we got to Lisa’s all I had to do was put the casserole on warm, and it would be ready whenever dinner was.

The spread at Lisa’s was breathtaking. For appetizers, a cheese and bacon ball, flat bread onion pizza, bacon covered water chestnuts, stuffed mini sweet peppers, fried rice balls, stuffed mushrooms, and artichoke dip, lined the wooden buffet flanking the beautiful white linen covered table, set for 20. Through the living room, adjacent to the dining area, a wooden bar held over 20 bottles of just red wine, while a basket on the floor filled with ice held 10 more white. And let me just tell you, when Michael and I were leaving, the collection had been reduced to a number that could be counted on both hands.

When dinner was getting ready to be served I perused the bottles to see what varietals were in the collection. For white there was a bottle of Proscecco and Sauvignon Blanc already open, and I thought both would have accompanied the appetizers better than the main feast. For reds, there was a bottle of Zinfandel and two bottles of Pinot Noir.

Now for poultry, I would usually think white, but with a meal like Thanksgiving, there are obviously going to be some heavier flavors—stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, gravy. All of which call for something with a bit more body than your usual chardonnay. But for reds, you have to be careful as well, a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot might over power the delicate flavors of the turkey, leaving you only tasting wine. But a Pinot Noir, usually with a younger fruitier flavor, would be an excellent pair.

Or so I thought.

One of the two Pinot Noirs available was a 2006 Davis Family Vineyards Pinot Noir, which upon researching, I found was a $40 bottle of wine. I would never buy a $40 bottle of wine to pair with Thanksgiving. For me, a $40 bottle of wine should be drank with a meal made specifically for the wine, but that is just me. Anyways, recently on www.winesoaked.com, Sara Kay tasted a range of Malbecs from $8-$24 and explained the differences between the price points. She pointed out that a $24 dollar red might be older, aged in actual oak barrels instead of with oak chips, might contain sediment, and would have stronger flavors.

Bringing the Davis Family Pinot to my nose I was over taken with the strong smell of dill. I’m talking, might as well have plucked a fresh sprig and ground it between my fingers in front of my nose, scent of dill. Never have I smelled such a strong, distinct, flavor from a wine. While most Pinot Noirs have an alcohol content of 13%-13.5%, this was very full bodied at 14.1% alcohol per volume. Tasting, there was a strong earthiness, but a clean finish. I was surprised that the tannins weren’t over powering, and the body, while feeling heavier on the palate than other Pinots I have tried, was still lighter than most merlots or cabernets. At the end of my first glass there were remnants of oak barrel, just as Sara had described.

The main spread, followed by 3 different types of pies, included peas, Puerto Rican rice, rolls, a tofurkey, brussels sprouts, ham, corn bread pudding, candied yams, stuffing, my green bean casserole, and of course and entire 20 pound turkey. While the wine was a bit too upfront to pair with the turkey, the earthy flavors were so interesting I didn’t really mind.

Michael’s favorite dish of the evening was the Puerto Rican rice, with bits of olive and mushroom, in a spicy tomato sauce, flavorful enough to stand up to the Pinot. My favorite had to have been the corn bread pudding. With a consistency of super moist corn bread with whole kernels of corn baked in, the flavor was rich and buttery. After a mouth full of the pudding a good swing of wine would cut through the butter left on my palate, leaving me ready for more.

As 9:00 rolled around, Michael and I decided to head out, leaving a warm fire place crackling behind us and laughter rolling up the stairs. I can honestly say I have never tried so many Thanksgiving dishes at one time. With good friends, family, and great food, I am thankful for another perfect pair. Happy Thanksgiving.