I'm Seasonally Confused

I have had so many great recipes to share lately that I never got around to sharing my adventures with persimmons. Well, it is now March, the time of asparagus, citrus, and green beans. The brief life of persimmons has long been over. These persimmon recipes are a nostalgic look back at the past winter and fall.

I had a bag of Fuyu persimmons, which you can read about here. My first adventure with persimmons was a crisp. I followed Dinners and Dreams Persimmon and Crisp recipe, only omitting the dried cranberries (not because I didn't think it would be delicious, just didn't have any). This was a simple, homey desert that allowed the exotic (to me) fruit shine.

Here are the ingredients for the fruit portion of the crisp. I love honey!

Ingredients for the crisp topping.

This just makes me smile. It's a sunset in a pan.

Yum! Simple, homey, and let's the fruit shine.

My Persimmon and Parsnip Stir-Fry is one of the best meals I have made this winter/fall, alongside my Peanut and Yam Curry and Pappa al Pomodoro. This stir-fry had two keys to its success: multiple textures and the balance of flavors. I use a variety of textures like soft persimmon, crispy parsnip, crunchy broccoli and included more toothsome chicken. The balance and layers of flavors was created by using spicy, citrusy red chile pepper, sharp ginger, earthy parsnip, and sweet persimmon. Onion and garlic round out all my stir-fries. The element that ties everything together is the miso.

My first time cooking with chicken at home in years. I was home alone and feeling sorry for myself so I splurged. This one chicken breast became 2 meals and would have become a third. Look for my Kitchen Misadventures to find out what happened to the third portion.

 There was a time when I was afraid of miso. It's alive, after all. Before experimenting with miso at home, my one experience with miso was a bowl of miso broth at a sushi restaurant. I thought it was...interesting. I kept coming across recipes that use miso and finally decided to give the stuff a try. My first miso adventure was with chickpea miso. The co-op in Corvallis has a huge variety of misos in bulk, including chickpea miso, which is great if you just want to commit to a little bit. No more chickpea miso for me. Eating my chickpea miso broth was like slurping bean cooking liquid with some extra earthiness.

I tried again with some Westbrae Organic Mellow Red Miso. I have fallen in love and going we are still going strong, three tubs later. If you are unfamiliar with miso, the only adjectives I have are earthy and funky.

 

This was one good looking meal.

Turns out, that earthy funk goes great with persimmons. To create the rest of the sauce, I just used my standard stir-fry trifecta: soy sauce, rice vinegar, and Sriracha sauce. Enjoy!

P.S. I can't wait to try Dinners and Dreams version of cobbler with quinoa topping.

**As you can see in the photo, some of my persimmons still had a green tinge and most were very firm. I stored my persimmons in a paper bag until they were softer.

Persimmon and Parsnip Stir-Fry

by Ace Nation

Keywords: stir-fry chicken miso

6044523

Ingredients (serves 2 hungry adults)

For the Sauce

• 2 teaspoons miso
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• Sriracha, to taste

For the Stir-Fry

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/3 pound chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2-3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 fresh red chile, such as Fresno or red jalapeno, seeds removed, and minced finely
• 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced into half-moons
• 1 cup broccoli, including the stem, cut into small pieces
• 3 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut into similar-sized pieces as the rest of the vegetables

Instructions

For the Sauce

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl or cup until combined. Set aside.

For the Stir-Fry

Heat oil in a wok or high-sided skillet over medium heat.

Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onions to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, adding garlic after about 5 minutes. Cook until onion is translucent and beginning to brown.

Add chile pepper and parsnip to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.

Add ginger and broccoli to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is just beginning to become tender, about 4 minutes.

Return chicken to the pan and add persimmons. Very gently stirring, cook until chicken and persimmon is just heated through.

Add enough stir-fry sauce to coat all ingredients. Serve immediately over rice.

Enjoy!

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Surprises at the Farmer's Market and Other New Ingredients

I went to the Corvallis Farmer's Market Saturday on the hunt for winter squash and a pumpkin donut from Gathering Together Farm. I was at the market so early last weekend that the pastries weren't set out yet. What a travesty!

When you purchase a potato donut, whoever is selling them usually hands them to you on a napkin because most of us devour them immediately. I have to ask for my donut in a bag because lately, I have been taking my donuts home and enjoying them with a cup of coffee on the couch. They never believe that the donut makes it home! Here is proof:

I bought a bag 3 pound bag of organic persimmons for $3. Sometimes you can find much better deals at the farmer's market. I just saw persimmons in the super market for conventional persimmons at $1.99/pound. I have no clue what to do with a persimmon as I've never actually eaten a persimmon. I have a friend who loves persimmons so I thought I would give them a try.

Left: buttercup squash Right: baby bear pumpkin

There were pumpkins left! I used all of my pumpkin and was sorely disappointed when I went to the super market the day after Halloween to find absolutely no pumpkins. I found these two little gals at the market on Saturday. The buttercup squash is a really pretty pastel gray-blue and weighs about 3.5-4 pounds. The pumpkin is an adorable little 1-1.5 pounder.

I love root vegetables this time of year and can occasionally find them on sale for a great price. This week the Market of Choice has yams or sweet potatoes 3 pounds for a $1. That whole plate only cost $1.03. You'll be seeing plenty of yam recipes in the near future!

Farmer's Market Improvisation

Just take a look at the beautiful produce I bought from the Corvallis Farmer's Market! I am one lucky lady: I went twice this week, Wednesday and Saturday.

Green onions and gold roma tomaotes (which are AMAZING!)

Bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, eggplant, and patty pan squash (great raw!)

$5 for 2 pound of organic chile peppers from Spring Hill Farm! If I had paid for these peppers individually, I would have paid at least $15.

Starting from the top: Poblano, chimayo (?), jalapeno, serrano, cherry bomb, anaheim

There is a little bit of everything at the market this time of year: berries sit next to baskets of peaches while the glowing red of cherry peppers catch my eye. Winter squash is even starting to make an appearance! Take a look at the photo, it is delicious.

I will take credit for the moment of improvisatory brilliance but will momentarily explain how I didn't actually cook the meal. Grilled veggies sounded really nice and Z., the grill-master of our home has been bugging me about finding something he could grill. I had been indulging in American Dream bacon pizza for the last two day among other delightful treats so this veggie dinner was a needed change.

This is another meal that will inspire countless variations because it would be great with whatever veggies are on hand. I used delicata squash, which is considered a winter squash but is already coming into season at one of the farmer's market vendors I check out every week. I love grilled onions so that was a no-brainer.

I also love dark greens and after being missing for a month or so, beets are all over the market. The lady behind me in line asked me what I was planning on doing with the greens because she hates them. These greens are so tender and mild that I told her I was just going to saute the greens with olive oil and garlic. Once I got home I wished I had shared this tip with her: I generally don't eat cooked greens on their own; I prefer to mix my cooked green with other vegetables. I like the different textures and mix of flavors.

Since Z. was grilling, he thought to reduce the balsamic in a small pan on the grill outside. This is one of the best ideas ever! I love how reducing the vinegar creates a glaze and brings out the sweetness in the vinegar but cooking vinegar can really stink up a place even with windows open and fans blasting. I even bought a liter of balsamic from Trader Joe's the next night with the idea that I am going to cook down the whole bottle to have whenever I want. Enjoy!

Beet Greens with Grilled Vegetables and Balsamic Glaze

by Ace Nation

Keywords: grill saute vegan gluten-free greens vegetables

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

For the beet greens

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 cups beet greens, washed and chopped
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Red pepper flakes, to taste

For the grilled vegetables

• Nonstick Cooking spray
• 1/2 delicata squash, seeds removed, cut in strips
• 2-3 1/4-inch sliced onion
• 1 small eggplant, cut in pieces
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

For the balsamic glaze

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

For the balsamic glaze

Pour vinegar in small pan and place on the heat. Stirring occasionally, cook until vinegar has reduced by about half and coats the spoon. This will thicken even more as it cools.

For the grilled vegetables

Microwave the squash 2-3 minutes, just enough to get the squash slightly tender.

Spray the squash, onions, and eggplant with nonstick cooking spray.

Season each side of the vegetable liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Grill each side until lightly charred and cooked through; each vegetable will require a different cooking time.

Set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces.

For the beat greens

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat.

If using tougher beet greens, begin by sauteing the stems first. Add the garlic to the pan, stirring occasionally, cook 3-4 minutes.

Add the remaining greens and cook until all vegetables are just tender and wilted, about 5 minutes.

Season with kosher salt and red pepper flakes to taste.

To serve

Place a bed of the greens on a plate. Arrange the desired amount of grilled vegetables over the greens. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and top with basil.

Enjoy!

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Corvallis Farmer's Market 5/12

Amount Spent: $5.50

After missing the market last Saturday and getting there too late the week before, I made a point to get down to the market early today to pick up one of Gathering Together Farm's potato donuts. Delicious!

Left to right: Cilantro and gai lan from Beautiful Garden

I love all the new types of produce I am seeing, particularly Asian vegetables. A couple of weeks ago, I tried gai lan for the first time. I made a point to get another bunch today. Beautiful Garden had quite the selection of produce today. I picked up a beautiful bunch of cilantro.

From left to right: Tat soi and oregano from the Community Table

I always enjoy perusing the Community Table; you just never know what they might have. Today, I picked up some fresh oregano. I have never had fresh oregano so I am very excited to try it. They also had two vegetables I have not seen before: pak choy and tat soi. The pak choy looked like the more familiar bok choy but a pale green replaced the cream-colored ribs and veins. I could not get both so I got tat soi after the very nice vendor let me try a leaf. After one taste, I can tell you the leaves of tat soi are very tender with a delicate taste reminiscent of kale and chard.

Kale from Velazquez Organic Farm

One of the new vendors this year is Velazquez Organic Farm (the Gazette Times included them in a nice article a few weeks ago). I have been drawn to their lovely produce every trip to the market so far and today is the first time that I have bought. I purchased some very nice kale for $1. $1!!!This was definitely an impulse buy. I do not think I have tried this particular variety of kale. The leaves are smooth, about as big as my hand, relatively flat, with crinkly edges.

I stopped by the vendor, Rick Steffen Farm, where I got baby turnips a couple weeks ago. No turnips this week. I asked if they might have some more this season and the answer was they have turnips intermittently throughout the season.

New Arrivals

• Denison Farms had strawberries. There was a very long line of excited folks waiting to buy some fresh strawberries.
• Lots of new greens. The farmers have had lots of different types of salad greens since the first week but I saw many more types of greens like lemon sorrel and other delicate greens.

Check back later this week to see what kind of creations I make with my produce. Enjoy!

Dinner for One: White Beans and Turnip Greens

I bought a bunch of small, white turnips recently at the Corvallis Farmer's Market. These little turnips had a huge amount of greens attached. I actually bought these turnips mostly for the abundant greens.

Baby turnips, gai lan, and green onions from my first trip of the year to the Corvallis Farmer's Market

Before this bunch of greens, I do not know if I had ever tried turnip greens. I did a little research before cooking with turnip greens. I took away three bits of knowledge:

1. The South has a long tradition of cooking turnip greens with bacon. Sounds great!
2. Most folks commented on the bitterness of the greens and adjusted their recipe to take into account the bitterness. Frequent additions to counteract the bitterness were 1/2 teaspoon of sugar or a little bit of apple cider vinegar.
3. Most importantly, turnip greens are packed with nutrients. I had no idea! This chart from the USDA shows the estimated amount of the vitamins and minerals in turnip greens but I found this information from Self Nutrition Data to make more sense. Turnip greens are high in Vitamins A, C, K, folate, calcium, and iron, among other minerals.

I had my grocery budget to think about so bacon was not an option (I did not already have some). I will definitely be trying turnip greens with bacon in the near future.

I was using baby turnips so I knew the bitterness of my greens would not be too bad. Plus, I knew the direction I wanted to go would balance the bitterness.

 
I could have used any type of bean. If my greens were on the pungent side, the sweet creamy white beans I used would off-set the greens. I used tomatoes for three reasons:

• Tomatoes are delicious.
• As they heated up and broke down, the tomatoes would create a thin sauce.
• The acidity of the tomatoes would contrast nicely with the greens and smoked paprika I planned on using.

Now that I have made three different dishes with turnip greens (and enjoyed a few days' worth of leftovers for lunches), I have fallen in love with turnip greens. Bitter is one of my favorite flavors and the bitterness of the greens of baby turnips is very approachable. I will share the recipe where I used the delicious turnip bottoms. The greens would be great in any cuisine. I have used the greens in this recipe, a dish slightly inspired by my Go Ducks! Curry (just without the Indian spices), stir-fry, and sauteed. The greens are flavorful and have a nice texture when wilted. Try turnip greens!

I served my White Beans and Turnip Greens alongside a serving of quinoa. I could have chosen any grain or rice and it would have been just as delicious. Quinoa sounded good that day. Enjoy!

White Beans and Turnip Greens, serves 2

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cups turnip greens, tough stems removed, washed, dried, and chopped
1/2 15 ounce can white beans, almost 1 cup beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Kosher salt

1. In a high-sided skillet, head oil over medium-low to medium heat. Add onions, season with half of the pepper flakes and kosher salt. Stirring occasionally, cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Add jalapeno and garlic. Stirring occasionally, cook until garlic is tender, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add turnip greens, white beans, tomatoes, and paprika, stirring very gently so not to break the beans, cook until beans are warmed through and greens are tender, about 5-6 minutes. 
4. Season to taste with remaining red pepper flakes and kosher salt. Serve with your favorite grain or rice.

Corvallis Farmer's Market Pick of the Week

I suggest that anyone going to the Corvallis Farmer's Market tomorrow should:

1. Enjoy a potato doughnut from Gather Together Farm. Just please leave two plain ones for Z. and I.
2. Try gai lan from Wonderful Garden.

As I have shared before, Wonderful Garden is one of my favorite vendors at the farmer's market. This year, I see that they are growing a variety of Asian vegetables. Gai lan being one of them. Do not be afraid of this humble looking vegetable. It is delicious!

Another name for gai lan is Chinese broccoli. I had no idea what I was going to do with this vegetable when I first bought it. I figured for a $1/bunch, I could get some then figure out what to do with it.
 
Once home, I did a little research. I think I found the most useful information about gai lan here on Steamy Kitchen and World Crops provided me with a little more knowledge.

Z. and I decided to use a few stocks of gai lan in stir-fry. What a treat! I appreciated the mild broccoli-type flavor. This was much appreciated by Z. who likes broccoli but is not such a fan of broccoli in stir-fry. The stems kept their crunch and the leaves did not wilt down very much, keeping much of their bulk. I have not used gai lan raw yet but I am looking forward to doing that due to its crisp, yet tender texture. Enjoy!

The Corvallis Farmer's Market Adventure Continues

Ace here, back with your weekly farmer's market report. I am continually amazed by how simply beautiful fruit and vegetables can look. As soon as Z. and I stepped foot into the market, we made a beeline for Gathering Together's pastries and doughnuts. Z. discovered their organic potato doughnuts last weekend and I was fortunate enough to have a bite. These little gems, at $1 apiece I might add, made a pleasant morning wonderful. We took our doughnuts and coffee we had previously purchased and plunked ourselves down on a bench along the river walkway. Everyone who walked or biked past us stared. Either a) we are kind of funny looking, b) we had beautiful doughnuts in our grubby little paws and they were wondering where the could find one, or c) we had big silly grins on our faces because we were each enjoying coffee and an amazing doughnut with our best friend. I am guessing all of the above.

I love going to the market and watching the season unfold. Each week brings new surprises. The newcomers to the market this week were melons and what I have been looking forward to all year: chili peppers! Just a couple weeks ago, the only peppers present were padrons and serrano. Saturday, multiple vendors had several varieties of chilies. One of my favorites, Spring Hill Farm, had many types: serrano, padron, pepperoncini, pablano, Anaheim, and chimayo. I spotted the brilliant red of the chimayo from down the street and knew I had to have some (here is an interesting article I read about the chimayo). The first picture of the post of the two red chilies, are the chimayo peppers I came home with. I left Spring Hill with two chimayos and a gorgeous pablano. I picked up four jalapenos for $1 from another stand. The second farm stand that sells padrons had a deal on the peppers for the last hour of the market where they were discounted $1. I cannot wait to try these little peppers!

Chimayo peppers!

Padron peppers

Right to left: pablano and four jalapenos

I wanted to share what I did with the chard from a couple weeks ago. I very much enjoyed the flavor of the chard, which had a delicious strong spinach flavor and a lovely color. I tried making dolmas with the leaves. While this was not very successful due to the fragile nature of the cooked chard, I did make some awesome couscous. If you are interested in using chard as a wrapper, here is what I did. I wanted to cook the leaves so after wrapping the couscous no further cooking was required. First, I trimmed the stalks. I dropped the leaves in a pot of boiling, salted water for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. I had a big bowl of cold water waiting nearby for the chard. After the chard blanched, I immediately put the greens in the cold water. When cool, I patted them dry. Then, I stuffed a large leaf with about 1 ½ tablespoons of couscous, and rolled the leaf like a burrito or summer roll. For the smaller leaves or leaves with lots of holes, I layered two leaves. I found after cooking, the chard was incredibly delicate. I ended with tearing most of the leaves just by moving them. But I really enjoyed the rich spinach flavor of the chard with the couscous.

Couscous is the ultimate fast food in my book. You do not even really cook it! I am sure all brands have their own directions, so follow those. To prepare all the couscous I have come across, boil the appropriate amount of water, add couscous, stir, remove from heat, cover, and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff before serving. And if you are one of those people who cannot even handle boiling water without burning something, heat the water up in a kettle, pour the couscous and water in a pot, and cover. Anyone can handle couscous. Enjoy!

Couscous with Dried Fruit and Nuts, serves 4

1 cup couscous
1 1/4 cup vegetable or chick stock
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 small zucchini, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 raisins

1. Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the spices, and toast for 30-60 seconds. 
2. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add couscous, remove from heat, and cover. Let sit while cooking vegetables.
3. In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-low to medium heat. Cook onions until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 2-3 minutes. 
4. Season liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
5. Combine couscous and vegetables in a large bowl with toasted almonds and raisins. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt if needed. Enjoy as a side dish warm or at room temperature or use as a filling in dolmas.

Farmer's Market Meal: Bitter Salad

Last weekend Z., a couple of friends, and I spent a leisurely and extraordinarily pleasant morning downtown and at the farmer's market. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful town with such an incredibly vibrant downtown.

Over the course of the week, Z. and I chatted some more over purchasing produce at the farmer's market. For a couple of months each summer, we get to try beautiful produce that we may not have tried. So, I lived a little and picked up a bunch of purple cippolini onions (this recipe for caramelized onions looks delicious) and the most gorgeous head of treviso. Here is a little more information about treviso. Our treviso was very similar in size and shape to a head of romaine. The leaves of the traviso were the color of a nice cabernet while the stalk and veins contrasted in a soft, creamy shade of green. The moment I laid eyes on the treviso, I knew I had to have it. I have never seen greens that were so pretty.

Normally, treviso or radiccio is mixed with other greens for salad or briefly cooked to temper the bitterness. But we wanted to let the treviso be the star so following Z.'s suggestion I made a bitter salad using  treviso, the green cippolini stalks, and balsamic marinated minced cippolini onions. Trust me and use the onion tops. The flavor is mild and delicious. Z. is not a vinegeraholic like I am so the only balsamic in his salad was from the marinated onions. I found that the little extra drizzle of balsamic on my salad transformed what could have been an over-powering bitterness into a lovely hint. Enjoy!

Bitter Salad for 2

4-5 leaves treviso
2 cippolini onions, minced
green stalks from cippolini onions, sliced
1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic, plus a little extra *
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl, place the minced cippolini onions and about 2 teaspoons of balsamic. Let marinate 30 minutes or so.
2. Slice each treviso lengthwise in half then cut thin strips. 
3. To serve divide between two salad bowls or plates and top with onion stalks and marinated cippolini onions. Drizzle with olive oil and a little extra balsamic vinegar if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

* A dish this simple and with such high-quality ingredients deserves the best balsamic you have. In my case, I used my Kirkland Signature Balsamic Vinegar. The flavor is very smooth, slightly sweet and only mildly acidic, a great match for the treviso.

Farmer's Market Meal: Ace's Adventures with . . . Zucchini

More zucchini, of course! Every dinner (and some lunches) this last week have involved zucchini in some form. We are definitely taking advantage of the fact we can get 3 pound zucchinis for $0.50 each right now. Some vegetables we will buy fresh and freeze. For instance, when we have been able to find bell peppers at the grocery store 3 for $1 we bought 8 or so peppers. We washed them, removed the seeds, chopped the peppers, and placed them in freezer bags, which got tossed into the freezer. These frozen vegetables work great for stir-fry and other dishes. Zucchini is so delicate that we are eating it fresh and will not be freezing any.

I tried a new recipe the other night: zucchini pancakes. Sounds weird, right? Well, the recipe referred to them as zucchini patties and I did not realize I had pancakes until I had a bowl of shredded zucchini with fresh black pepper in pancake batter ready to go into the skillet. Turns out, zucchini pancakes are not bad. This particular version was rather simple but I think a little grated onion and minced garlic would do wonders. I think the savory pancake has potential. If you are curious, here is the original recipe post. The only change I did was to use a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet. Any more than that, and they turned out rather oily.

Zucchini Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 whole egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 tablespoon grated cheese, such as Parmesan
Oil to fry

1. Mix ingredients together until combined.
2. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add batter by large spoonful.
3. Cook until golden brown then flip and cook the second side until golden brown. Best served hot.

Z. made a very nice dinner of pasta with zucchini and white wine the other evening, which I was also able to enjoy for lunch the next day.

Pasta with Zucchini and White Wine, serves 2

2 servings of your preferred pasta
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup white wine *
1-2 tablespoons butter

1.  Bring water for pasta to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/4-1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a high-sided skillet. Add onions and season with salt. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook until done, about 3-4 minutes.
4. When vegetables are done, add pasta, pasta water, white wine, and butter to the onion mixture and stir to mix thoroughly. Season with pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if desired.

  * We used chardonnay this evening because that was what I had opened last weekend. I prefer cooking with sauvignon blanc. I find sauvignon blanc to have a slightly more complex flavor than chardonnay that stands up better to the heat of cooking.