Edamame Goat Cheese Ravioli, Rosemary Bread, and Boekenoogen Chardonnay

Recipe: Edamame and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Shitake Butter Sauce
Recipe: Rosemary Bread
Wine: 2007 Boekenoogen Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands


Once upon a Saturday, my husband and I stumbled into the unpretentious tasting room at Boekenoogen (BOO-KA-NOO-GEN). After the tasting, we stuck around for a bottle of 2008 Chardonnay and took a Pinot Noir and a Syrah home. Obviously, we enjoyed the wine. However, Mike was a bit disappointed they weren’t sampling their 2007 Chardonnay which not only sounded delicious, but scored 96 points in Wine Enthusiast Magazine. A few weeks later, a friend and I stopped by Boekenoogen (by the way, I just love to say Boekenoogen). Unfortunately, Mike was in class and missed the opportunity to try the French Oaked Chardonnay. Although I am not normally a fan of 100% Oaked Chardonnay, this was an exception. The oak gave it a wonderful creaminess yet it maintained wonderful tropical fruit flavors. However, the best part was the finish reminiscent of crème brulee. Being the nice wife that I am, I brought a bottle home for Mike and told him I would cook him something special to go with it. The bottle was temporarily forgotten until Mike’s birthday when he began to contemplate what he wanted me to make him for dinner. He finally settled on Edamame and Goat Cheese Ravioli, and I knew it was the perfect time to break out the Boekenoogen.

Edamame and Goat Cheese Ravioli may sound like a strange combination. Trust me, pour some shitake mushrooms cooked in butter and garlic over the ravioli and it is absolutely delicious. This recipe is time-consuming, but not difficult. The ravioli can also be made ahead and freezes well. I adapted this recipe from one shared with me by my mother-in-law. She also bought me a ravioli/dumpling maker. It is a simple hand-held gadget that helps seal each ravioli. You can also seal each ravioli by pressing it closed with a fork. You can serve this as an appetizer or a vegetarian meal. We usually do it as a meal swerved with rosemary bread to soak up the extra yummy sauce. Any buttery and/or creamy Chardonnay will work perfectly.
http://www.boekenoogenwines.com/boekenoogen_wines.html

RECIPE: EDAMAME AND GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI
Serves 4-5 (as a meal, makes about fifty ravioli)

Ingredients:
1 pound shelled edamame
8 oz. goat cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
½ tsp salt
50 potsticker wrappers
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup salted butter, or more if you like (you can also supplement some butter with olive oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz. fresh shitake mushrooms
Grated parmesan cheese, to taste (optional)


1. Boil edamame until tender, about five minutes. Drain.
2. In food processor, combine edamame, salt, goat cheese and cream cheese until smooth.
3. Cover and chill for at least three hours or overnight. I often make the filling the night before.
4. Once filling has chilled, beat one egg.
5. Take a single potsticker wrapper and place 1 tsp. of filling in the middle.

6. Brush edges with beaten egg. Fold over the wrapper and seal with dumpling maker or fork. Transfer to a parchment line baking sheet.

7. REPEAT until out of wrappers and/or filling. Chill for at least two hours or overnight. I would freeze if going to spend more than a day in refrigerator.
8. Boil a LARGE pot with water. As this often takes a while, I do not start cooking the sauce until pot has or is about to boil.
9. Stem shitake mushrooms and thinly slice.
10. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
11. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
12. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes
13. When you add the mushrooms to the butter, gently place ravioli in boiling water (do not thaw if previously frozen). Cook 3-4 minutes until ravioli float to top.
14. If you have a slotted spoon, use this to drain and remove ravioli. A colander works, but often some of the ravioli will open.
15. Pour butter mushroom sauce over ravioli. Top with parmesan if desired. Serve.


RECIPE: ROSEMARY BREAD
2 Loaves. This is my absolute favorite bread recipe. After trying, my seven year old nephew excitedly exclaimed after trying, “those green things are bursting with flavor.”

1 tbsp. yeast ( a standard packet is ¾ tbsp. yeast)
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup warm water
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. salt.
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. rosemary
Additional olive oil to coat
Sea Salt, to taste (optional)

1. Grease a large bowl with butter or oil.


Bubbly yeast

2. Pour one cup of warm water into a clean bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water. Allow to sit about 10 minutes until bubbly.
3. Mix in 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and rosemary. If using dried rosemary, allow to sit for a few minutes to re-hydrate.
4. Mix in two cups of flour.
5. Sprinkle flour over cutting board and transfer dough. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth, elastic and not sticky. You will likely need to add flour as kneading.
6. Put dough in greased bowl and cover with a towel. Rise for about one hour or until doubled in size.
7. Punch down dough and let it rest for five minutes.
8. Divide dough in half. Shape into two rounded loaves. Rub olive oil over dough. Place on greased or oiled baking sheet. You can also sprinkle with sea salt.
9. Let rise again until doubled, 45 minutes - 1 hour.
10. Preheat oven to 375°F.
11. Gently slide loaves into oven (be careful not to disturb dough). Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
12. Serve anytime with anything!

I have successfully frozen second loaf. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes.