Not a lengthy review today, you've already read about my new found love of Cono Sur. Wine is satisfying for me, that this brand is from a vineyard that are constantly striving to care for the planet makes it doubly so.
With many of us aiming to emulate the idyllic, outdoor lifestyle portrayed in ‘The Good Life’ by Felicity Kendal and Richard Briers - or more recently the delightfully acerbic Giles Coren and Sue Perkins - you can’t help but notice the soaring popularity of growing your own vegetables in the UK these days. With spring now upon us, all you gardeners will soon be filling your wheelbarrows with homegrown asparagus, cauliflower and rhubarb, so if you’re looking for tips on what to do with all your delicious homegrown produce, help is at hand thanks to Chilean winery Cono Sur and their sustainably produced, award-winning range of wines.
There’s nothing like fresh, homegrown produce at its seasonal best so Cono Sur, one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly wineries*, has teamed up with celebrity chef and author of “The Allotment Chef”, Paul Merrett, to create seasonal recipes for ‘Green Cooks’ to re-create at home, using your own home-grown produce, with tips on which Cono Sur wines are best paired to each season’s dish.
For spring, Paul has created a delicious, seasonal recipe using new-season lamb rubbed with cumin, accompanied by home-grown cauliflower styled to look like cous cous, roasted tomatoes and a beetroot tzatsiki, paired with the beautifully aromatic Cono Sur Reserva Riesling.
Aromatic wines are known for their food matching capabilities and with aromas ranging from ripe, tropical fruit to delicate, floral notes, they are the perfect match to gently spiced dishes. Cono Sur Reserva Riesling (Tesco and Tesco.com, RRP £8.99) is elegant and fresh with hints of grapefruit, apricots and jasmine that contrast well with the juicy lamb, without overpowering the cauliflower. Alternatively, try Cono Sur Gewurztraminer (Sainsburys, Booths, Tesco.com, RRP £7.49), a wine displaying aromas of ripe lychee fruit, rose petals and hints of spice which beautifully complements the delicately-flavoured lamb.
If you’re looking for more seasonal and sustainable cooking tips, the Cono Sur Green Cooks website* here is an excellent resource containing delicious, seasonal recipes along with wine matches, blog posts from eco-experts and green-living tips. Updated seasonally, the website is a sustainable dining hub and the perfect place for inspiration, so with spring now upon us, there’s never been a better time to make the most of what nature gives us!
*1 Cono Sur is the first wine producer in South America to gain the ISO 14 064 certification in August 2010 after becoming one of the world’s first carbon neutral wineries in 2007
*2 For more information about Cono Sur’s activities in the UK, visit www.conosurgreencooks.com
Cumin rubbed rump of lamb with cauliflower ‘couscous’, roasted tomato
and beetroot tzatziki
Serves 4
For the lamb:
4 x 170g lamb rumps
4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 teaspoons of ground cumin
For the cauliflower couscous:
1 cauliflower head
For the beetroot tzatziki:
8 cooked beetroots
12 mint leaves finely shredded
A dollop of Greek yoghurt
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 teaspoon of chopped dill
For best results, marinate the lamb a few hours before cooking. Prepare the cauliflower couscous and beetroot tzatziki before cooking the lamb.
1. Trim the florets off a head of cauliflower, removing any thick stalk
2. Place the florets in a food processor and blend for 3-4 seconds
3. Once blended, place the cauliflower in a colander above a pan of boiling water and steam for 2 minutes until cooked through
4. The cauliflower couscous can then be left to cool and reheated ahead of serving
5. Coarsely grate the beetroot heads and shred the mint, then mix together with the Greek yoghurt, crushed garlic and dill and serve with the lamb
6. When you’re ready to cook the lamb, simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl until all the lamb is coated with cumin.
7. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and in the meantime, seal the lamb in a hot pan until it is browned all over.
8. Transfer the lamb to the oven to cook for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
9. Once cooked, rest the lamb for 10 minutes prior to cutting and serving.
10. There is no need to make a sauce for this dish but if your butcher gives you any lamb bones, you can roast them off and make a simple stock which can then be reduced and served with the lamb.
I have been a Pinot Grigio and Sauvingnon Blanc fan for years and tended to play safe and always pick these or a cava, oh and on lucky days, champagne!! Recently I was won over by Cono Sur to their Viognier and loved it, now they have introduced a new one to me, their tasty Reserva Riesling, all I can say is wow, my palate has been happily broadened a second time.
Its a lovely crisp dry wine, I'm no connoisseur but if I were to describe the flavour it would be light citrus taste, grapefruit I think, I also taste a sweet melony flavour, its one of those wines where you understand the term bouquet. I know that means the scent but this has a summery flowery taste.
I will leave you with a fabulous recipe recommended to partner the Reisling perfectly.
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