Tastemakers: Greenleaf Farms Holiday Cranberry Roast -E. Guigal 2003

GREEN LEAF FARMS HOLIDAY CRANBERRY ROAST
Dana & Kathleen Dvoracek are fourth generation Charlevoix farmers. Their Green Leaf Farms specializes in “free-range, grass-fed beef” (they also have chickens, turkeys and organic produce). The health benefits of consuming “free-range” animals have been well documented, but another advantage is taste. Free-range cattle are more flavorful than grain-fed because the cattle acquire diverse flavors through a varied diet.
So for this Christmas or Hanukkah order your favorite cut of beef from Green Leaf Farms for a healthy, flavorful and elegant meal for under $25 (that includes all the fixings and dessert, though a good bottle of wine will bring up the cost).
My appreciation of great food came during the holiday seasons of my youth as I watched my grandmothers prepare gourmet dinners with relative ease. It was with great amazement that they were able to participate in the cocktail conversation hour and then a buzzer would go off in the kitchen and minutes later a remarkable dinner was served. Their secret was “simple,” literally to keep it “simple.”
A delicious and simple meal for Christmas Eve is the New England Pot Roast. There are literally thousands of recipes that require little preparation time and result in a great traditional holiday meal. One variation is the Holiday Cranberry Roast. Over high heat quickly sear the roast (this is important to seal in flavors). Mix together (to your taste) fresh minced garlic, chopped cranberries, crushed peppercorns, a little lemon zest, some horseradish and parsley. Rub the mixture all over a 3 lb Green Leaf Farms Sirloin Tip Roast. Free-range beef has little fat so the rulel of thumb is that it requires 30% less cooking time and a lower roasting heat than corn-fed beef. Set your oven at 50 degrees less than recipe calls for and have a good meat thermometer.
Now the federal government says the internal temperature should reach 145 degrees, but the general rule of thumb from most chefs is 125 degrees for medium rare if you want the flavors in tact and the beef to be tender. Place roast on top of chopped garlic and onions in a Dutch oven add a cup of red wine and place in a preheated 275-degree oven. Add carrots and peeled potatoes the last hour of roasting. A final tip: let the beef sit on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving so all the juices are absorbed.
Pair with your favorite bottle of red wine and a nice spinach (also available from Green Leaf) cranberry salad. Top roast with a cranberry chutney, raise your wine glasses and have a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah or both. To obtain top quality cuts of beef from Green Leaf Farms visit their website at www.greenleaffarms.net or give them a call at (231) 547-4122.


E. GUIGAL 2003 ~ CôTES DU RHôNe
Côtes du Rhône wines make the perfect pairing with just about any holiday meal. Priced in the $7 to $14 range they are also easy on the pocket book that has been emptied by the many purchases of the season. If you are serving roast, lamb or duck with your holiday meal then a Cotes du Rhone is for you.
Located along the Rhone River in southeastern France, Côtes du Rhône is one of the most diverse wine regions in the self-proclaimed world capital of wine. In the northern part of the region look for hearty Syrahs and in the south look for medium-bodied fruity wines.
For this Christmas/Hanukkah season seek out the 2003 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône. Guigal has become one of the premier Rhone houses, as it owns several prime parcels in the famed Côte-Rôtie region (considered to be the premier Rhine vineyard region). This 2003 is very balanced and while still young this deep ruby red wine is already showing it self to mature beyond its years. This well-balanced red has an extended warm and opaque finish and with its spicy raspberry black pepper nose a perfect match for a pot roast.
Priced in the $10 range this wine will impress friends and family and will continue to evolve in the bottle for enjoyment over the next 5 years. Look for 2003 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône at your favorite wine shop, if they don’t carry it, no worries just ask them for suitable substitute. There are no shortages of great wines from the Côtes du Rhône region. Most wine shops have young vintages reasonably priced 7 to 9 bucks a bottle, so consider buying a case or two for cellaring and gift giving. -- Rick Coates
View On Our Website