Don’t miss our in-store Rioja tasting this Thursday, July 11, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Marc Stotland, regional manager of Opici Wines, (importer of El Coto Riojas) will be pouring samples of these delicious and well-priced wines. Stop by to taste the El Coto Rioja Blanco, and four tintos, including a taste of the limited, winemaker’s selection red, El Coto Real.
la Fête Nationale or Bastille Day is this Sunday, July 14. On this day in 1789, Parisians stormed the Bastille prison-fortress, liberating 7 prisoners along with a cache of munitions and turned the tide of the French Revolution. In France, this national holiday is celebrated much like the U.S.A.’s 4th of July, with firework displays, concerts, a fireman’s ball, and parades, including a large military parade with aerial flyovers. In between the festivities, families and friends gather for picnics, Champagne and games of pétanques. So gather up a French picnic here at Paris Grocery and celebrate! Our recommendations follow, available at Paris-Madrid Grocery:
A serving of pâté campagne or duck mousse accompanied by Maille cornichons, petite toasts from France and Dijon mustard
An assortment of classic French cheeses including Brie, Roquefort, and Beaufort d’Ete
A charcuterie assortment including sliced French-style Sauccison Sec and Rosette de Lyon
A white bean salad with French coco beans, olives, and vinaigrette with shallots and Dijon mustard. (see recipe below)
A bottle of French champagne from Paris Madrid Grocery to serve with a ready-to-eat Dungeness crab from the Pike Place Market
For dessert, an assortment of French macarons (available in our freezer). Made in France and frozen, they thaw out in about 45 minutes and are phenomenal!
Bastille Day Wines:
Bubbles are always essential for celebratory occasions. To pair with cracked Dungeness Crab, we recommend Gaston Chiquet Blanc de Blanc d’Ay Grand Cru Champagne ($55.00). The rich, fresh and toasty notes of this bubbly pair wonderfully with crab.
Slightly sweet bubbles are fantastic with dessert. The Jalliance Clairette de Die sparkling Muscat is fantastic with our macaron selection. This soft and fruity wine has a creamy texture with elegant notes of citrus and lychee. Made in the natural, ancestral method, this is a light sparkler with only 7% alcohol.
For platters of charcuterie or pâté, we find that a Cru Beajolais rouge, such as the bright Granit Manganèse Beaujolais Moulin Á Vent ($21.99) is just perfect. It’s a medium-bodied red with black fruit notes, mineral, and just enough grip to stand up to the cured meats.
White Bean Salad (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
17 oz of dried coco beans
1 bay leaf
7 oz soft French goat cheese
7 oz French olives
7 oz cherry tomatoes
For the vinaigrette:
1 shallot (or 1/2 red onion)
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard (preferably Fallot walnut Dijon mustard)
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper
Directions:
Soak white kidney beans in a large volume of water overnight. The next day, rinse and cook 80 minutes in 3 times their volume of non-salted water with a bay leaf. Drain beans, let them cool and put in the fridge.
Cut the cheese into cubes. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. If desired, pit the olives.
Finely chop the shallot, add salt and pepper to taste, then add mustard and vinegar. Let the shallot mixture macerate for 10-15 minutes then add olive oil. Stir all these ingredients well with the white beans and serve.