What are best Vegetable Dishes to go with Big Reds?

Hi,

I am entertaining a bunch of wine & travel writers (gulp) this coming Sunday for dinner. Starting off with local Tomales Bay oysters, and then moving on to dinner from there. I"m pretty sure the main course will be a big standing rib roast (yummy!). Now I need to decide on the side dishes that will pair well with both the meat and my red wines. Our wines are all great food wines- well-balanced & structured, somewhat fruit forward, smooth & velvety.... We'll be serving a (big) Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Syrah (full, fruity, a little earthy, nice spices).

Any suggestions for side dishes to help show my wines off as well as possible? Anything that I can prepare partially the day before would be handy, although not mandatory.

Thanks!
Mary

[Jenise]

Welcome to our kitchen, Mary! Are you serving a potato or other starch?

Several thoughts: most vegetables aren't perfect wine matches in and of themselves and most of the advice I'd give on that topic would be more about what NOT to serve, like anything with a sweet glaze (why would anyone do that to a vegetable anyway?) or anything too raw (save the grilled green onions for another time). Asparagus, artichokes and green peppers would also be on your list of avoids. That leaves you with what does work; and virtually anything that goes especially well with your lovely prime rib is going to go well with a big red wines. Brussels sprouts roasted with bacon and garlic, for instance, has a lot going for it with good color, interesting visual detail and wonderful aromatics. It's also seasonally appropriate at this time of year. You can blanch the brussels sprouts the day before then roast off just before dinner--they'll hold well. Also, vegetables that take well to being coated with a bechamel sauce or incorporated into a gratin will also do very well. Creamed spinach isn't a classic without good reason! How about roasted cauliflower lightly coated in a bechamel sauce? Roast the florets the day before, then coat with a bechamel liberally studded with parsley and sprinkled with grated swiss cheese. Reheat just to melt the cheese, and broil off for some color. You're in the Napa area, I believe?

Hi Jenise,

Well, great minds think alike: one of my favorite veggie dishes is brussels sprouts with pancetta and caramelized onions.
And yes, I was planning on doing scalloped potatoes or else a brown and wild rice dish. Unless some other recipe came along that was too hard to resist.
The cauliflower sounds delicious- haven't done a bechamel sauce in many years, but if it's not too time consuming I could do that too.

Next question:
What to do for desert that goes with red wine? I may just order a nice bittersweet chocolate flourless cake or something like that.

Thanks for your suggestions!
Mary

Jenise,
One more question: how exactly do you go about roasting your cauliflower?
Thanks,
Mary

Mushroom & spinach lasagna.

I'm not Jenise, but here's how I roast my cauliflower: prior to roasting, toss with oil, salt, and Herbes de Provence (or something spicier, if appropriate). Roast at 500 (or 525 if cut small and spread in a large pan). Usually takes 16-18 minutes.

Roast at 500 (or 525 if cut small and spread in a large pan). Usually takes 16-18 minutes.

That's interesting. What is the texture like?

I usually roast them closer to 400 (or lower) and for 45-60 minutes. I like going slowly because it gives the cauliflower a nice creamy texture with a slightly crispy exterior. But perhaps I'll try at higher heat and see how it compares.

To go with rib roast, I agree with others that the veggies are the side note, not the main player. They should simply complement the beef, not match the wine on their own accord. They should certainly not conflict with the wine.

I'm not sure that cruciferous veggies make the best partner to fine wine. If you don't get the cooking precise, that sulfurous quality can make the wines taste odd.

I like roasted cauliflower. But I slow roast (275 F) rather than quick roast, so that the flavor sweetens slowly. High heat risks burning, as there is just a minute or two between done and bitter.

I like young carrots, steamed and then finished in a pan with butter and parsley. I like oven-roasted potatoes. I like kale (e.g. lacinato) sauteed in duck fat or foie gras fat. I like braised leeks in a light cream sauce.

I would consider brown buttered roasted root vegetables i.e. carrots and parsnips, with sprigs of fresh thyme. My logic is good winter vegetables, good use oven, and advanced preparation with little time needed once guests arrive. I also love the flavors in combination with rib roast and a good red wine.

Roasted cauliflower, or sauteed with some mild spices (turmeric and a bit of cumin) can work quite well. Not sure how easily available it is, but I really find pan-fried or braised lotus root goes very well with a lot of wines.

I was ready to recommend one of our favorite vegetarian dishes until I noticed you were just looking for a side. We would go with carrots.

If you have access to some nice fresh (or dried) mushrooms, Mary, a sauté of them and shallots in butter (with added cream for extra decadence if you like) makes for a very red wine-friendly side dish.

Mark Lipton

I'm with the crowd that thinks most sides dishes would be fine, as long as you avoid asparagus, artichokes, and highly acidic dishes (tomato as an accent is fine, as dominant factor, less so).

Usually for a main course to complement bigger Bordeaux varietals or syrah we'll do a meat with one starchy side (mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips, etc) and one green vegetable. Roasted kale is easy and good, or green beans (a little touch of sesame oil is fine with reds, as long as it doesn't dominate).

I don't eat dessert, but with big reds I usually do a cheese course with some drier cheeses- aged Gouda, real Cheddar like Montgomery, aged Manchego.

As Mark stated above, something with mushrooms would be good. I'd also think an eggplant dish or even ratatouille would do well.

[Jenise]

Jenise,
One more question: how exactly do you go about roasting your cauliflower?
Thanks,
Mary

Pretty close to Lee's version: break into florets, toss with EVOO, spread out on a sheet pan and roast, on one of the high shelves in your oven to get maximum advantage from the heat, at 450 for 20-25 minutes. Cauliflower contains a lot of natural sugar and browns nicely--when it's pretty, it's ready. Interesting that Lee, too, uses herbs de provence--I always add hdp to my bechamel when it's going to go on cauliflower. Then it gets tossed with the sauce and put into a gratin dish, cheese and bread crumbs on top. You can do up to here the day before then, day of, bake fast and hot until just heated through the bubbly on top--use the broiler to finish off with some nice color.

Hi everyone,

Wow- thanks for all the great ideas. More than I can use in one dinner, but now at least I have some ideas to break out of the salad and broccoli rut we have been in lately at home!

I'll probably do the roasted cauliflower (hope I can get to the bechamel sauce), and perhaps the carrots and parsnips too. They seem to fit the wet and wild weather we've been having here this week. Or maybe the mushrooms- how can I go wrong with those?

Appreciate all the feedback,
Mary

[Jenise]

Hi everyone,

Wow- thanks for all the great ideas. More than I can use in one dinner, but now at least I have some ideas to break out of the salad and broccoli rut we have been in lately at home!

I'll probably do the roasted cauliflower (hope I can get to the bechamel sauce), and perhaps the carrots and parsnips too. They seem to fit the wet and wild weather we've been having here this week. Or maybe the mushrooms- how can I go wrong with those?

Appreciate all the feedback,
Mary

Mary, if you don't do the bechamel, follow Lee's advice and sprinkle Herbs de Provence on your cauliflower when you roast it. But otherwise, we're here to make life simple so I'll save you having to look up a recipe.

For two cups:

3 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
dash ground nutmeg

Over low heat melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour. Stir until the flour's incorporated, and continue cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the roux turns golden. While that's going on, in a separate pan (or in a Pyrex cup in a microwave) bring milk to a boil, set aside. When the roux is ready, whisk in half the milk and when smooth, add the rest. Simmer for about ten minutes, then season.

Jenise,
You are great! I run 2 plus businesses, so I love all these shortcuts!
Just to confirm, you said I can do everything up through making the bechamel sauce the day before, right?
That would be so great.
I'll let you know how it goes, and thanks again,
Mary

[Jenise]

Jenise,
You are great! I run 2 plus businesses, so I love all these shortcuts!
Just to confirm, you said I can do everything up through making the bechamel sauce the day before, right?
That would be so great.
I'll let you know how it goes, and thanks again,
Mary

Yes, exactly, you can do everything the day before, then bake it off to finish. Good luck! (Btw, any names we'll recognize at this dinner?)

Easier than bechamel is to toss the cauliflower in butter before slow roasting. Once it begins to soften, you can sprinkle with seasoned breadcrumbs (S&P, grated parmeggiano reggiano) and finish the roasting.

Is there an outbreak of cauliflower fever going around??

I'd vote for something that blunts the tannins of young and/or big reds without affecting the taste.

Ratatouille is my favourite, but any sort of veggie melange will probably work well.

I'll suggest another one that may sound odd - white beans. You could even make it a one dish meal if you did cassoulet.
Goes beautifully with raw brawny reds.

Roasted potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, parsnip, sweet potato. Roasted mushrooms. Roasted onions (roasted a long time, perhaps in the pan you're roasting your meat in).

Regarding what dessert goes with a big red wine: I wouldn't try to match dessert with big reds. I'd suggest enjoying the wine with the main course, and a cheese plate, and finishing it up before dessert is offered. With flourless chocolate cake I might offer a liqueur muscat - the deep warm raisiny flavour complements dark chocolate very well. Or skip the wine with dessert and have a digestif afterwards with coffee.

Mary, I often have roasted root vegetables with a big red and a big roast beef such as the standing rib. Some veggies I like to use in addition to potatoes and onions are: parsnips, turnips, leeks, sweet potatoes, whole cloves of garlic, and any other root veggie that might be found lurking. I cut them in one inch chunks, drizzle pretty good with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and often add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary around the roasting pan. Roast at 400F (stirring occasionally) for 45 min to an hour and serve as soon as they come from the oven.

Good luck with the dinner, I wish you success. Welcome to the FLDG.

... and, Mary - can you post after the dinner about how it went and what you served?