Yucky wine...

I'm not a wine snob.  We sample and drink a fair amount of wine through The Market and they are usually really decent wines.  I also like to buy wines I'm not familiar with, for their labels and bottle colors/shapes and or unusual varieties.  It's a way to get out of my comfort zone with wine drinking.

Occasionally we come wines that are nasty.  If I don't want to drink them, I don't want to cook with them either.  I dumped them down the drain for the longest time until I decided to make wine jelly after tasting some lovely Italian wine jelly made from Lambrusco wine.

The first couple batches I made from really lovely wines and they turned out fantastic.  Then I made a batch of wine jelly with a hideous Rose from Spain...and it was delicious!!! Since then, I have strictly used wines I don't care to drink and time after time the jelly turns out great!  Red, White or Rose, it doesn't make a difference and I have been known to throw in whatever wine is hanging around, regardless of color.

I usually buy some fun stemless wineglasses to fill for gift giving with a hunk of cheese, but any glass jar will work if you don't want a truly preserved jelly (no sealing of jars) and recipients should store refrigerated.  The jelly is an incredible accompaniment to salty, soft cheeses but also works great in thumbprint cookies and on toast/bagels/quick breads for a lovely brunch item.      

WINE JELLY

2 cups Wine (any will do!)
3 ¼ cups sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin

Bring wine and sugar to a boil.  Add the pouch of liquid pectin and boil for exactly 1 minute!  Pour into clean, hot jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.  (You can find directions on water bath processing in the pectin instructions.)

I think you'll love this recipe!  Let me know how your icky wines turn into beautiful jellies!

Kumquats

Every January/February I cannot resist purchasing tiny orange kumquats.  Tiny, shiny and citrus-y, they just jump into my basket!  I am always intrigued by their sweet/sourness.  I make the same recipe with them every year.  Kinda silly, I know, but it's so good!  A little "chutney for cheese" is the recipe and it's so easy! 

KUMQUAT CHUTNEY
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 lb. kumquats (1/2 pint containers are perfect) sliced 1/4 inch, seeds removed
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns (the mix of green, red, black and white look pretty)
1 star anise (whole pod)

In a saucepan over medium high heat, bring sugar and water to a boil and reduce by about half.  Turn heat to low and add remaining ingredients.  Cook, stirring occasionally about 6-8 minutes until kumquat rinds are soft.  Remove star anise and let cool.  Store in a small jar or crock in refrigerator.

My FAVORITE cheese to eat Kumquat Chutney with is Delice de Bourgogne.  Delice is a triple creme cows milk cheese from France.  It looks similar to brie, yet it's softer, richer and taller.  You want to purchase a piece that is not still chalky in the middle.  Soft cheese stop aging once they are cut, so taste before purchasing to assure you get the appropriate age.

I remove the rind on Delice as it is a really pungent and in my opinion, unappetizing flavor.  However, it is edible, like most brie/camembert rinds and strictly a matter or individual tastes.  You can also purchase Delice in a small round inside a wooden box, in that case, I merely scrape off the top rind and use a knife to scoop out the cheese.

Allowing your cheese to come to room temperature is vital!  It always tastes so much better, the texture improves and doesn't harm the cheese in the least!  Delice should last in your fridge for about 3 weeks if you're purchasing from a reputable "cheesemonger" and it's a wedge.  The small rounds with the rind intact will last a bit longer and continue to age.  Served with a sparkling wine like Prosecco, Cava or Champagne will give you the most immense pleasure to be had while eating cheese!  It's worth the splurge!  

 The kumquat chutney keeps quite well in the fridge and could be used along side chicken, other poultry or pork if you desire.  I think duck would be super with it!