Upcoming Events in June

It's going to be a busy month!

Wine, Waves, and Beyond ~ Friday, June 4th
Come join us from 5-8 p.m. at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach and enjoy wine, beer and food tasting with an ocean view! Local artists will have their work on display, and live music will be played out on the restaurant patio. Tickets are $30 pre-sale, or $35 at the door. All proceeds benefit the Association of Amputee Surfers. 

www.winewavesandbeyond.com

Pinot and Paella ~ Sunday, June 6th
Join Midnight Cellars and the Pinot Noir producers of Paso Robles for an afternoon in celebration of this distinct varietal! Several chefs from Central Coast restaurants will be cooking up delicious paellas to pair with all that wine! It takes place on Sunday, June 6th from 2-5 p.m. at the Templeton Community Park.
For more information call 805-239-2565 or visit www.pinotandpaella.com

10th St. Basque Cafe Pouring ~ Thursday, June 24th
You won't want to miss this fun tapas and wine extravaganza! Midnight Cellars will be the featured winery for the Thursday night "Winemaker Pouring" at the 10th St. Basque Cafe in San Miguel (just 5 mins north of Paso). This is one of the most unique restaurants on the Central Coast...please join us! 6-8 p.m.
www.tenthstreetbasquecafe.com

Atascadero Wine Festival ~ Saturday, June 26th
Sip wine from 80 SLO County wineries, pair local food with local wine, and enjoy juried artwork and live music! It all takes place at the Atascadero Lake Park from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, June 26th. Tickets are only $40. Free shuttle from the Sunken Gardens in downtown Atascadero. Proceeds benefit local charities and the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.atascaderowinefestival.com

Never Cook Bacon Naked

Good advice from Chef Dallas of the 10th Street Basque Cafe in San Miguel!

I sat down and browsed through Never Cook Bacon Naked during my lunch break today. Verdict: This is the best cookbook I have come across in a long time! It begins with several pages of tips, hints, and tricks for working in the kitchen...including a section of definitions for terms such as "emulsify", "chiffonade", and "clarified butter". The recipe list includes tapas-style dishes, salads, sauces, breads, apps, entrees, and desserts. These are easy to prepare and approachable recipes. Definitely not intimidating! It got me excited about planning dinner for tonight.

If you have never been to the 10th Street Basque Cafe, GO! It will be the perfect end to a day of wine tasting in Paso Robles. Visit their website at http://www.tenthstreetbasquecafe.com/ . Also, you can purchase the cookbook in our tasting room, or on the website.

Here is one of my favorite recipes from the Tapas Section:
Basque Potatoes (Pair with Midnight Cellars 2008 Estate Chardonnay or 2006 Pinot Noir)
4 medium unpeeled Russet potatoes
1 large peeled yam
1 1/2 Tbs paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
2 Tbs cooking oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup mayonaise
4 tsp chopped garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash Russet potatoes and cut into bite sized pieces. Peel and cut yam into bite sized pieces. Place yams and potatoes into baking dish and add the oil.
Mix together the paprika, onion and garlic powder, coarse ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt into spice mixture. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the yams and potatoes, and then fold everything together making sure all the potatoes and yams are well coated. Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 3/4 hours.
After you remove potatoes and yams from the oven, add mayonaise and chopped garlic and fold everything together well. Transfer potatoes to serving platter and serve as a Tapas. Serve hot!