Poached pears with ginger and port

Poached pears with ginger and port on Flickr by beFOODled.

Squeaky and Calimochi brought an Epicurious recipe, poached pears with ginger and port, to our pairing night. It was a harmonious ending to an unplanned fruity evening of appley appetizers and pear-perfect desserts. The booze they used was Harvey's Orange Apertif from the makers of Harvey's Bristol Cream.

Apple soup

Apple soup on Flickr by beFOODled.

Peanut Butter grew up on this soup. His mom used to make it all the time. He loved it, but his Dad hated it. It's the kind of recipe that you love or you don't. It tastes like applesauce, but the lemon gives it a tangy zing. This soup would be great during the apple season or any time of the year as a nice, light first course before anything hearty or heavy.

PB and J paired it with Oyster Bay's chardonnay. This is a full-bodied white wine and I thought it contrasted well with the refreshing nature of the soup.

By the way, that's Mochi passing by in the background.

Apple soup
Makes six servings, about 380 calories each.

6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
4 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup granulated sugar grated
rind of 1 lemon or orange
1 1/2 to 2 cups light cream
1/4 cup Calvados (this is an apple brandy, but Peanut Butter and Jelly substituted cider)
salt to taste
ground cinnamon to garnish

In a saucepan, simmer apples in water, wine, sugar and rind until soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Blend the apples and liquid to a puree in a blender or food processor or use a course sieve. Return to heat and add cream, Calvados and salt. Serve in heated bowls with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

This soup may also be served at room temperature.

Venison and apple chutney croûtes with Czech beer

Venison and apple chutney croûtes with Czech beer on Flickr by beFOODled.

Here's a recipe for venison and apple chutney croûtes, one of the appetizers Peanut Butter and Jelly served at the Gastronati's food and drink pairing night. At first, they considered topping it with a sauce, but then Jelly decided on a chutney instead. It was my favourite taste of the evening, all dressed up with a peppery arugula leaf on top and served with a Czech beer.

Venison with Apple Chutney
Serves six

Peanut Butter and Jelly bought the venison at Sasloves, a specialty butcher shop in Ottawa.

Apple Chutney

2-3 tart apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/8 yellow onion, quartered
1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled
2 Tbsp and 1.25 tsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp and 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 Tbsp and 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

In a saucepan, mix the apples, onion, ginger, vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender. Mix in some water if necessary to keep the ingredients moist. Remove the onion and ginger and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Season the venison with salt and pepper and sear the sides in a frying pan. Remove from the pan, set aside and let the meat rest. Cut the venison into medallions after five to 10 minutes. Serve with the chutney and a piece of arugula on a slice of toasted French baguette.