We hosted an exclusive event at our Nashua outlet – an elevated experience created especially for the occasion. Designed to inspire, educate, and delight, the evening invited guests to discover and savor the art of food and drink through chef-prepared dishes and thoughtfully curated wine pairings.
Guests spent the evening with Chef Ed Aloise and Angie Shannon, enjoying chef-driven bites paired with perfectly poured wines from Shannon Family Wines. A guided lineup of dishes and pairing tips walked everyone through the menu, along with a look at Lake County’s geography and Shannon Family Wines’ commitment to sustainability. Below, you’ll find the recipes from the evening so you can recreate the pairings at home.
LENTIL KOFTA
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup of red lentils (washed)
- 1/3 cup of green or brown lentils ( washed )
- 1/3 cup of bulgur wheat ( washed)
- 3/4 cup of crumbled feta
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon each of mint and parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of chili paste ( or more )
- 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper* available in all Mediterranean markets.
- 1/3 cup of chickpea flour.
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions:
1. Add the bulgur wheat to a bowl and cover with warm water to just cover. Let sit until all the
water is absorbed (30 min)
2. In a pot of boiling salted water, add the green or brown lentils and cook until done.( al dente
like pasta) Drain and place in a bowl. Repeat with the red lentils, but let the lentils cook until
completely soft. Drain and add to the brown lentils
3. Lightly sauté the onion and red pepper; add the cumin and Aleppo. Add to the lentils.
4. When the bulgur wheat is soft, add to the lentils and vegetables.
5. Add the chili paste, feta, chopped herbs, and chickpea flour. Mix well and let sit for 30 minutes.
6. In a high-sided sauté pan ( so as not to splash and burn you), add the oil. Form patties and fry.
TZATZIKI
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped cucumber
- 1 clove of garlic, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon ZA’atar* (available in any Mediterranean market)
- Add all of the above ingredients to a bowl and refrigerate for fifteen minutes.
- HALLOUMI WITH DUKKAH
- 1 block of Halloumi cheese cut into squares
- Dukkah*
- EVOO
Instructions:
1. In a pan or on the grill, add the block of cheese until warm, then roll it in olive oil, then in
Dukkah, and set aside.
2. Serve with tomato ginger jam and frisée tossed in olive oil and lemon juice
DUKKAH
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup of white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds ]
- 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons of chopped pistachios.
- 1 tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
Instructions:
1. In a warm saucepan, add all the ingredients, and then set aside.
TOMATO GINGER JAM
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of diced tomatoes
- 1 small finger of grated ginger
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
- 2 Thai chilies, diced
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon of cloves
Instructions:
- Add all the ingredients to a sauce and let simmer for 40 minutes or until the sauce begins to
thicken; then let cool.
LAMB RAGU
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. of ground lamb
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 1/2 cup of tomato paste
- 1 cup of tomato puree
- 1 cup of red wine
- 1.5 tablespoons each of chopped parsley and mint
- 3/4 tablespoon of cumin
- 3/4 tablespoon of coriander
- 1 teaspoon of cardamom
- 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper
- 1 tablespoon of chili paste
- 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions:
1. In a preheated pan, add the lamb, salt, and pepper, and cook until light brown (do not
overcook). Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
2. Add the vegetables to the rendered fat and sauté. (If the lamb is grass-fed, there may not be
enough to sauté; then add olive oil)
3. Add the tomato paste and cook for three minutes, then
add the lamb back to the pan along with the spices and chili paste. Mix well, then add the wine
and cook for fifteen minutes.
4. Add the tomato puree and simmer for thirty minutes.
5. After thirty minutes, add the chopped herbs and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses over the
mixture, then let sit for thirty minutes.
6. Serve with saffron basmati rice.
SAFFRON BASMATI RICE
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups of white basmati rice (washed)
- 3 threads of saffron
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- Kosher salt
Instructions:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the saffron and turmeric.
2. When the water changes color, add the rice and cook until done, then drain.
3. Then cool, and add the parsley and salt.
