In San Francisco, our late Summer weather has finally given way to crisp mornings and cozy evenings with the smell of burning fire places in the air. These three recipes are a twist on the classic Fall flavors, using seasonal ingredients to make warming, sumptuous Autumnal dinners all pairing perfectly with Jeremy Nickel Cellars delicious wines.
I’ve decided to partner with Jeremy Nickels Cellars on this post due to the balance of sophistication and approachability of their wines. They’ve just launched their Fall Flavors campaign and so I couldn’t think of better wines to pair with these warming dishes. The Fall Flavors bundle includes one of each of the wines I mention in this post: the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2024 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2020 Blanc de Blancs.
So if you’d like the perfect pairings with these delicious recipes head to any of the links below to order. They also have a special offer at the moment: the discounted price of $200 for the Fall Flavors bundle when you become a member.
Jeremy Nickel Cellars Membership Link!
Massaged Kale Salad with Shaved Apple, Roasted Fennel, Goats Cheese and Toasty Pecans:
To pair with the Jeremy Nickel Cellars Sauvignon Blanc
This bright, clear, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc pairs beautifully with the Massaged Kale Salad. The zing of goats cheese and the pop of fruit from the apple and pomegranate seeds makes for a fresh, crisp pairing with this bold fall salad.
Ingredients:
Dino Kale x 200g, destalked
Apples x 2, mandolined
Toasted pecans x ½ cup, rough chop
Goats Cheese x 1 small log (113g roughly, I love the Laura Chenel Orange Blossom Honey Goats cheese)
Fennel x 1 bulb, cut into 10 even pieces
Pomegranate seeds x 1/2 cup, to garnish
Olive oil x 1/4 cup
White wine vinegar x 1/4 cup
Honey x 1 Tbsp
Dijon mustard x 1 Tbsp
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400F/200C roast or convection roast.
Wash and remove the stalks from the kale and chop into small pieces before placing into a large mixing bowl.
Season the kale with a pinch of salt and a light drizzle of olive oil before massaging the kale with your hands for 2 minutes until it dark green in color and begins to feel softer. Then place the kale in the fridge while you complete the rest of the salad prep.
Clean and cut up the fennel bulb into 10 even pieces before placing onto a lined baking sheet and drizzling with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Roast the fennel for 20 minutes before removing from the oven and leaving to cool for 15 minutes.
While the kale cools, whip together the viniagrette by whisking together the mustard, honey, vinegar and olive oil.
Remove the kale from the fridge and dress to your liking with the honey Dijon viniagrette and toss until completely coated.
Mandolin or thinly slice the two apples before tossing them with the dressed kale.
Pile your dressed kale and apples onto a serving platter or salad bowl of your choice before topping with the roasted fennel, crumbled goats cheese, roasted pecans and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds.
Enjoy with a crisp glass of the Jeremy Nickel Cellars Sauvignon Blanc for a fresh, fall dinner!
Miso Delicata Squash Bucatini:
To pair with Jeremy Nickel Cellars Blanc de Blancs
The effervescence and brightness of the Blanc de Blancs cuts through the deep umami, butteriness of the Delicata Bucatini, balancing each other perfectly!
Ingredients:
600g Delicata Squash (or butternut), peeled and deseeded
Yellow onion x ½ onion
Garlic cloves x 4, crushed
Butter x 4 Tbsp
Light miso x 4 Tbsp
Chicken stock x 1 cup
Bucatini x 1 pack
Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
Peel and deseed the delicata squash and place on a lined baking sheet along with the half yellow onion cut into 4 pieces and the crushed garlic cloves.
Drizzle the squash, garlic and onion with olive oil before seasoning with a sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked black pepper before placing into the oven to roast.
Roast for 30 minutes until the squash is fully cooked through and soft and the garlic and onions are caramelised and brown.
Remove the roasting tray from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before placing the squash, onion and garlic into a blender along with the butter, miso and 1 cup of chicken stock. Blend until fully smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil before cooking the bucatini until 2 minutes from being al dente (roughly 7 minutes) .
Drain the cooked pasta, keeping 1 cup of pasta water aside, then place the drained pasta back into the pot along with 3 cups of the blended sauce and 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Toss the pasta together with tongs on low heat until it has formed a creamy, glossy sauce. Remove from the heat and top generously with freshly shaved parmesan before one final toss.
Serve immediately and top each bowl with more freshly shaved Parmesan, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. And enjoy with a glass or two of the Jeremy Nickel Cellars Blanc de Blancs.
Slow Braised Cider Pork Shoulder:
To pair with the Jeremy Nickel Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
This Cabernet Sauvignon, with its dark fruit and warm spices beautifully complements the warming fall flavors of the cider braised pork shoulder.
Ingredients:
3lbs pork shoulder
Garlic cloves x 4, crushed
Yellow onion x ½, rough chop
Kosher salt x 1 tsp
Ground black pepper x 1 tsp
Cider of choice x 20oz/600ml
Chicken stock x 3 cups
Thyme sprigs x 3
Bay leaves x 2
Wholegrain mustard x 2 Tbsp
White wine vinegar x 4 Tbsp
Maple Syrup or Honey x ¼ cup
Method:
Place the pork into a large Dutch oven style pot and brown on medium high heat.
When the meat is fully brown add in the onion, garlic, salt and black pepper and saute for a further 5 minutes until the onions are and garlic have softened.
Then pour in the apple cider, chicken stock, thyme, bay leaves, wholegrain mustard, vinegar and maple syrup into the pot and turn down the heat to a simmer.
Braise for 3 hours on low with the lid on the Dutch oven.
After 3 hours the pork should be fall apart tender, at this point remove the lid and place into the oven at 405F/200C for 20 minutes (Be sure to preheat the oven beforehand).
The pork should be brown, golden and caramelised when it is removed from the oven. Then remove the bay leaves, whole thyme sprigs and any large pieces of fat.
Then pull the pork, but be careful not to pull the pork too finely, keeping it rather chunky. Serve over buttery mashed potatoes and with a glass of delicious Jeremy Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon.