Celebration in Oaktown: Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

During our recent trip out to the Bay, we were graciously welcomed by our friends, Amy and Chris. We spent a few days with them in Oakland, along with a fun-filled excursion to Napa. The four of us decided to venture to an area of wine country that was previously unexplored to us all – northern Napa county. We did the drive north past Napa and Oakville, and found ourselves driving through the rolling hills of northern Napa county and quaint towns of St. Helena and Calistoga. St. Helena had buildings with Victorian charm, while Calistoga reminded us of the wild west. The first stop on our wine tour took us to Chateau Montelena Winery, where we marveled at the stone castle, as well as their orange and lemon trees (the wines were good too, particularly their Riesling).




We next ventured to Sterling Vineyards, where a aerial tram takes visitors up to the winery and tasting rooms at the top of the hill.



Our last stop was Cuvaison Estate, where we had a sample of a special Cab, and the sommelier tried to show my husband a thing or two with our camera. After a wonderful meal at Tra Vigne, Chris and Amy gave us a lift to the airport, and we barely made our red-eye flight back home.



Earlier that week, Amy had been scheduled to take a graduate exam that she had long been studying for. While she was off at her exam, I went into San Francisco in search of the Painted Ladies. After an uncalculated walk through the Tenderloin, I finally found the famous row houses and had enough time to snap some pictures before heading back to Oakland to meet Amy.


She had aced the exam and a celebration was in order. Amy, Chris, and I went to a celebratory lunch at Bocanova in Jack London Square. After debating over several options on the menu, Amy and I both ordered the Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette. It was delicious - so refreshing, light, and flavorful! As a fellow cook and foodie, Amy and I spent most of the meal trying to determine how it was prepared.


With the sun shining and a pleasant breeze blowing, Amy and I continued the celebration with a little wine tasting. And on this day, we did not have to hop in a car and drive north of the city to get to wine country. We instead only had to walk a few blocks to get to a couple of Oakland’s wineries. The tasting rooms of JC Cellars and Dashe Cellars are both in Oakland, and share the same location. You can taste flights of wine from each winery for $5, respectively (much cheaper than wineries in wine country!). Amy and I spent the afternoon sampling wines from JC and Dashe, and it was the perfect afternoon to follow up our delectable lunch.


I couldn’t get that quinoa out of my mind, and once I returned home and had a chance to spend time in the kitchen, I made an attempt to recreate our lunch (less the wine tasting). I was pleased that my version was pretty comparable to the dish that we had! I was only able to find a purple beet at my grocery store, but I recommend using a golden beet if you can find it. (The purple beet will color the whole dish, and if you are using one, I recommend adding it at the last minute to try to avoid coloring the rest of the ingredients purple.) You can omit the shrimp for a vegetarian version. Amy and I were contemplating adding some crumbled feta, which I did try, but found it to be too much. This is good as it is, and a lunch that I’ll forever remember!

Kate's Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1 medium-size golden beet
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup carrots, shredded
10 oz. cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 orange, segmented
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tbsp. watercress or microgreens, for garnish

Directions
Wisk together olive oil, orange juice, mustard, champagne vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Cut off beet greens, wash beets, and gently scrub to remove any dirt. Wrap beet in aluminum foil and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake until beet is thoroughly cooked (approximately 1 hour). Unwrap beet and allow to cool. Using a paper towel, rub off the beet’s skin. Cut beet into small cubes.

Place quinoa and vegetable broth in a 1 ½ quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all broth is absorbed (10-15 minutes). Allow quinoa to cool.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, shrimp, orange segments, carrots, cilantro, beets, and salt and pepper. Toss with vinaigrette mixture until lightly coated (you may not use all of the vinaigrette). Top with watercress or microgreens to garnish and serve.

Special Side Dish: Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

When we returned from our vacation to California last spring I brought myself (and my family members) some souvenirs. Unfortunately, one can only fit so many bottles of wine and olive oil in a suitcase. (Not to mention the extra charge airlines are demanding per checked bag, and the further charge if you bag exceeds 50 pounds in weight – I will admit that over the past several years I’ve had several bags weigh in at 49.5 pounds!)

Among other goodies, I was able to fit a bottle of Meyer Lemon Olive Oil in my bag, purchased at the Oakville Grocery in Oakville, California. I’ve been savoring it in small amounts ever since, and one of my favorite applications is with steamed broccoli.



I slightly adapted this recipe from Giada de Laurentiis. (I found that I didn’t need as much olive oil as her recipe calls for, and I also like the addition of crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick.) If you don’t have lemon olive oil, I would recommend using extra-virgin olive oil along with 1 teaspoon of lemon zest (or fresh lemon juice).

Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
(Modified from Giada's Family Dinners)
Ingredients
* 1 pound broccoli florets
* 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Fill a large pot halfway with water. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water and add the broccoli. Boil until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Drain, transfer the broccoli florets to a large bowl, and toss with the oil to coat. Season the broccoli florets with crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Seconds, please!

My husband and I visited Napa for the first time last year. You frequently hear about “wine country”. You read the labels on your wine bottles and see if your wine is from Sonoma, Napa, or elsewhere. You really have no idea what it looks or feels like until you visited. Our first trip Northern California wine country found us staying in Sonoma and driving around to several vineyards in Napa County. The weather was perfect – the temperature was around 80°F and the clear blue sky was framed the bright sun. As we cruised along the St. Helena Highway in our rented convertible, the top was down and the breeze was blowing our hair. We were slightly buzzed from the wine and the sound of a catchy Jason Mraz tune filled the air. We looked at each other smiling and said, “This is the life! Does it get any better than this?" We decided we must return to make an informed decision on that question.




So we headed back to the area just under a year later for a second trip to Napa. Rented convertible? Check. 80°F and sunny? Check. Wine tastings a plenty? Check plus! For this visit we had scheduled to take a wine tasting class (officially titled “ A Guided Tasting”) at Robert Mondavi. The Mondavi grounds are absolutely beautiful. The Guided Tasting class is at 10:00 am (they start your day off right!) and can hold up to 15 people per class. Much to our delightful surprise, we had a private class! Our instructor/sommelier, Doug, had a wealth of knowledge. We worked our way through several wines, learning the proper technique to taste. The intimate size of our “class” allowed us to ask questions and engage in conversation about the wine, and also learn about the Mondavi estate. For anyone traveling to wine country, this class is a MUST DO! You’ll be surprised with how much you’ll learn, and the winery and vineyards are stunning. We walked away with a bottle of Unoaked Chardonnay that we purchased (and now can't find anywhere around here to buy more of!), and a desire to call our new friend Doug for a consult every time we’d buy a bottle of wine the in future!



We then spent the rest of the day going from vineyard to vineyard, but I’ll fast-forward to dinner. After a day full of wine tasting your appetite does not desire much. However, when in Napa, there are too many quality restaurants to settle for anything less than a gourmet dinner. Napa Valley includes some marquis restaurants in the Foodie world, like French Laundry and Bouchon.

As we didn’t want to take out a second mortgage to pay for dinner, we found a reasonably priced restaurant with rave reviews in downtown Napa. Celadon is located by the Napa River. They have a large outdoor patio, as well as indoor dining. At the time of our visit, the patio was covered and heated, and we were seated next to their charming outdoor fireplace. Our server greeted us with a surprising toss of confetti (how celebratory!), and we put in our order for yes, more wine!



We started with the macadamia nut crusted goat cheese with port poached figs, apples and crostini, and a cup of the mushroom bisque.


We decided that it was the best mushroom bisque we have ever had. We finished the whole thing and ordered another. Yes, we had not yet received our entrees, weren’t even that hungry, and ordered a SECOND mushroom bisque. It was that good. (And I am still in disbelief that we ordered two.)


I had the grilled polenta napoleon with garden vegetables, fresh mozzarella and balsamic glaze. The taste of these chargrilled vegetables were able to stand up to the exquisite presentation of the dish.



My husband had the grilled c.a.b. filet mignon, braised yukon golds, sautéed mustard greens, cabernet sauce, which he thoroughly enjoyed.


I suppose one must concede that you're going to be overly full in Napa. (Even without the second order of mushroom bisque.) Don’t skimp on wine (that’s why you’re there, right?). Don’t skimp on the food either. It is a Foodie heaven. During our session at Mondavi, we asked Greg what time of year he reccommeded for a return visit to Napa. He said the best time for a Napa excursion is for the "crush" which occurs around October when the grapes are harvested. Greg said that you can drive around Napa and the smell of grapes fills the air. I foresee us needing to take a third trip to Napa to confirm his word. We'll likely be needing a convertible for that trip too!