Sous Chef Sean Geske, right, and part-time cook Leland Garner, left.
On May 23, Simi Winery celebrated its 140th anniversary with a wonderful fete. Among the dishes offered by executive chef Kolin Vazzoler and his team was a mesmerizing risotto, served in a round of Parmigiano-Reggiano and fabulous with the winery’s newly-released pinot noir. Morel season in Northern California is winding down and it can be hard to find ramps, a wild onion found on the East Coast and distributed locally primarily to the restaurant industry. You can make an excellent risotto with whatever wild or specialty mushrooms you have and you can, of course, use scallions instead of ramps; it won’t be identical but it will be delicious.
The celebration also featured fresh-from-the-wood-oven pizzas, juicy meatballs in tomato sauce, and delicious vegetable antipasti, including roasted sweet peppers and grilled eggplant, and fresh strawberries with chocolate, Marcona almonds and more. Libations Unlimited served coffee drinks.
Delicious Simi wines flowed generously, of course.