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Sip our New Sparkler with Artichoke-Blue Cheese Bisque

Buckhorn Inn is proud to add Marques de Caceres Cava to our wine list! Cava, which means
“cellar” in Catalan, is the descriptor of sparkling wines made in one of eight wine regions of
Spain. Cava is crafted using the traditional methods of Champagne. But because the
Mediterranean region is warmer and sunnier, Cavas generally are less acidic than Champagne.
Cava is dry with a round finish that balances brightness with supple fruit and a creaminess. The
Marques features green apple, pear, and citrus aromas with flavors of lemon, white peach and
almond.

Cava is very food friendly, and pairs as well with rich, buttery dishes as with spicy
ones. Traditional pairings include aged cheeses, seafood risotto, caramelized onions, and
asparagus in puff pastry.

Artichokes are notoriously difficult to pair with wine, but they are a great match with Cava.
With that in mind, I am sharing a home-version of Chef Frank’s recipe for Artichoke-Blue
Cheese Bisque. This recipe makes six servings. Warm bread, a bowl of soup, and a glass of cava
could be a wonderful surprise for your Valentine!

Artichoke-Blue Cheese Bisque
1 T butter
1 onion, chopped
1/3 c dry vermouth
16 oz frozen artichoke hearts
3 c chicken stock
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 c heavy cream
1//4 c blue cheese, crumbled
Fresh chives, chopped
Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add
vermouth and simmer until all liquid evaporates, about four minutes. Add artichokes, broth,
and thyme. Simmer until the artichokes begin to fall apart, about 10 minutes. Remove from
heat and cool slightly. Working in batches, purèe soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to
saucepan. Stir in cream and blue cheese. Simmer until cheese melts and soup is smooth.
Season to taste with slate and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chives.

Bounty of Vegetables Soup

Chef Frank recently used a farmer’s market of fresh produce to concoct an amazing vegetable
soup. It was so delicious that we received many requests for the recipe from the evening’s
diners. Of course the soup was one of his “of-the-moment” inspirations…not from a written
recipe! While I can’t share with you exactly what he did that night, the recipe below is easy,
fresh, and takes advantage of late summer vegetables. I encourage you to be like Frank, and add
in whatever looks fabulous from your garden or market!

I would serve this with some crusty
bread. A bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc would pair nicely with this soup.

4 ears of corn
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
1 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
8 ounces green beans, snapped into thirds
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup orzo

Method: With a sharp knife, cut kernels from cobs. Over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and
season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and
herbs and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add broth and one cup of water. Bring to a boil and
add paste, zucchini, green beans, corn kernels, tomatoes and their juice, and orzo. Cook,
uncovered about

Tasting A Bit of History—Chocolate Chip Blondies

By Sharon Mellor

Buckhorn Inn afternoon treats are very popular with guests—none more so than our blondies.
The blondie is an American creation. The first recipe for the dense, butterscotch-flavored bar
was published in 1896 by Fannie Farmer. These delicious bar cookies were called “brownies”
after the elfin characters created by Palmer Cox. Chocolate brownies did not become popular
until a decade later when the rapid expansion of chocolate manufacturing made the product
easier for Americans to purchase. And once chocolate brownies became the norm, the cookies
without chocolate became known as blonde brownies, or blondies.

Blondies were created before brownies, but named after them. Confused yet? At any rate, blondies are delicious! This recipe,
which yields 12 bars, adds chocolate and walnuts to the rich batter. If you like, coconut also makes a delicious addition.

I made these for our recent Wines and Spines gathering, so rest assured these are book club endorsed!

Chocolate Chip Blondies
1/2 lb unsalted butter at room temperature
1 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 t vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t kosher salt
1 1/2 c chopped walnuts
1 1/4 lb semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease and flour an 8 x 12 x 2” baking pan.
Cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs
one at a time. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the butter
mixture on low speed. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.  Toothpick will not come out clean.  Cool in pan before cutting into bars.