For our TasteLive friends looking to serve up something fresh and exciting for the holidays, we present the “Three Sticks, Three Ways for the Holidays” recipes created by Chef Duskie Estes of Zazu and Bovolo restaurants in Sonoma County. Fans of TV Food Network’s “Next Iron Chef” will recognize Chef Duskie from this season’s show. Chef Duskie has paired a vegetarian dish with Three Sticks 2008 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay, Liberty Duck with Three Sticks 2007 Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir, and Williams Ranches Lamb with Three Sticks 2006 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

And better yet, if you’re seeking wine and cooking tips directly from Chef Duskie and the purveyors, join us on Wednesday, November 17^th at 5:30pm PT for “Three Sticks, Three Ways for the Holidays” streaming broadcast from Cellars of Sonoma in Santa Rosa, California. The broadcast will be hosted by Ziggy, the Wine Gal, with Three Sticks’ Winemaker Don Van Staaveren and special guests Chef Duskie, Jim Reichardt 
of Sonoma County Poultry & Liberty Duck and Rex Williams of Williams Ranches.

To order your Three Sticks Wines for the holidays, visit www.ThreeSticksWines.com and click on Allocation. Due to Three Sticks small-lot productions, purchases are limited to a minimum of 3, 750ml bottles and a maximum of 12, 750ml bottles per customer. Happy Holidays!

DUSKIE’S VEGETARIAN DISH for Three Sticks Wines 2008 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay:

curried pumpkin + coconut soup

serves 6

You can serve this soup in roasted sweet dumpling squash for a more meal size and glamorous presentation. Before roasting the seeded squash you should cut the bottom a little to make a flat surface for your plates.

1 red onion, peeled and julienned

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red thai curry paste

2 cans coconut milk

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced large

2 cups vegetable stock

lime juice to taste

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, washed and picked

kosher salt to taste

In a medium sauce pan on medium – high heat, open up onions and ginger in olive oil until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste. Add the coconut milk, squash, and stock.  Simmer until squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender and season to taste with lime and kosher salt. Adjust to desired consistency with water if necessary. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Chefs Duskie Estes & John Stewart

zazu restaurant + farm | bovolo | black pig meat co. 

LIBERTY DUCK for Three Sticks Wines 2007 Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir:

roasted tiny pumpkins with ginger bread and duck leg stuffing 

serves 6-8

You can pick the leg or serve it whole. You can serve it with a seared duck breast if you like. You can do these pumpkins without the duck as a vegetarian stuffing served family style in a big seeded pumpkin.

For the duck legs: 

4 duck legs 

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper  

2 stalks celery, rough chop 

1 carrot, rough chop 

1 onion, rough chop 

3 peeled garlic cloves 

a sprig of fresh thyme 

1 bay leaf 

1/2 bottle pinot boir 

4 cups chicken stock   

For the gingerbread: 

1 1/2 cup boiling water 

1 cup molasses 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

4 ounces soft butter 

1 cup packed brown sugar 

1 egg 

2 1/2 cups flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

2 teaspoons ground ginger 

1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt             

a pinch of ground cloves   

For the pumpkins and stuffing: 

6 – 8 little pumpkins 

2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash 

2 shallots, peeled and diced 

1 apple, diced 

1 stalk celery, dice 

olive oil 

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper   

To braise the duck, preheat the oven to 350°F. In an oven proof pan on medium high heat, sear off the duck legs until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic and saute until fragrant and beginning to color, another 5 minutes or so. Add the red wine and let reduce a few minutes. Add the stock, bring up to a simmer, cover with foil, and place in oven. Braise until the meat begins to pull back on the bone, about 11/2 hours. Remove the duck legs and pick the meat into bite size pieces when cool. If you want to make a sauce, strain the vegetables from the braising liquid and discard (the vegetables). Skim the fat from the surface and place braising liquid in a sauce pan on medium heat and reduce to sauce consistency, skimming the surface periodically.

To make the gingerbread, preheat the oven to 350°F.  With nonstick spray, spray an 11 x 13 pan.  Stir the molasses and baking soda in the boiling water.  Let cool to lukewarm.  Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and clove.  Alternately fold the molasses mixture and the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake at for 30 - 35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Remove the gingerbread from pan. Cut 1/4 of the cake into little 1/4 inch cubes. Place on a baking sheet and bake about 15 minutes more. Watch carefully, because it is a dark cake, therefore it is hard to differentiate between it’s correct color and burnt. When you remove the croutons from the oven, they will still be a bit soft, but will firm up upon cooling. You can eat the remainder fresh for dessert with caramelized apples and sabayon or save it for stuffing another time. It can be wrapped well in plastic wrap and frozen for later use.

To roast the pumpkins and put the stuffing together, preheat the oven to 350°F. Carefully cut the top out of each pumpkin and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, on another baking sheet toss the diced butternut in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast until just soft, about 17 minutes. In a saute pan on medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the shallots, celery and apples, and saute until fragrant and just beginning to color, about 7 minutes. Add the diced butternut squash, the picked duck meat, and the gingerbread. Stuff the hot stuffing into the hot pumpkin and serve. This can be served as is as a side dish. At the restaurant, we serve it with a seared duck breast, a bed of sauteed spinach, and a ladle of the sauce.  

Chefs Duskie Estes & John Stewart

zazu restaurant + farm | bovolo | black pig meat co.

WILLIAMS RANCHES LAMB for Three Sticks Wines 2006 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

sonoma county lamb rack, pomegranate fattoush, mint chutney 

serves 6

This is a middle eastern herb & bread salad. This salad is also great accompaniment to salmon or chicken. At ZAZU, we are lucky enough to grow all these herbs and more in our backyard garden! 

2 pieces pita bread, cut into one inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lemon cucumbers, peeled and diced (or 1 english cucumber)

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1 pomegranate, seeded

1 bunch parsley, leaves picked

1 bunch basil, leaves picked

1 bunch mint, leaves picked

9 ounces goat cheese

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the dressing:

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon sumac

1/2 cup olive oil

for the mint chutney:

1 bunch mint, washed, dried, leaves removed from stems

1 bunch cilantro, washed, dried, leaves removed from stem

1 bunch green onions, bottom removed

1/2 jalapeno, seeded (or more to taste) 

2 tablespoons pure olive oil 

2 tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon honey 

2 teaspoons lime juice 

12 bones of frenched lamb rack 

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 and preheat your grill. In a bowl, toss the pita with the olive oil, sumac, salt and pepper. Bake until golden and crisp, about 10 – 15 minutes. Make the dressing by combining the sherry vinegar, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, brown sugar, and sumac in a bowl and whisking in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

To make the mint chutney, in a blender, combine the olive oil, water, mint leaves, cilantro, green onion, jalapeno, honey, and lime juice and puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  It should be the consistency of a loose pesto. 

Season the lamb with the salt and pepper. Grill the racks to medium rare (or desired temp.), about 10+ minutes, moving them about to cook all sides (depending on the heat of your grill and the size of the rack). Remove and let rest about 5 minutes. Slice between bones.

In a bowl, toss the pita croutons, cucumber, red pepper, pomegranate seeds, and herbs with vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each plate. Lean 2 bones of lamb rack against the mound. Top with mint chutney. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Chefs Duskie Estes & John Stewart

zazu restaurant + farm | bovolo | black pig meat co.