Posts By: Silke

Whether this is your first vegan Thanksgiving, or you’re a ‘seasoned’ vegan professional, there are endless ways to enjoy Thanksgiving while ditching the meat. Our favorite Thanksgiving meal is always paired with the right wine, and our limited release Underwood Nouveau Pinot Noir pairs well with meat or meatless turkey, herbs like thyme and rosemary, and any roasted or mashed root vegetable.

Our Underwood Nouveau is a riff on a Beaujolais Nouveau, which is traditionally made from Gamay grapes in the Beaujolais region of France. Always looking for an Oregon angle, we decided to use our Pinot Noir grapes in the Underwood Nouveau for a fresh take on our traditional Pinot noir. The Gamay grape is actually a cousin of the Pinot Noir grape and flourishes in very similar climates.

Nouveau is known for being a fresh, fruity wine that celebrates the first pour of the season. 2021 is our third vintage and it’s our favorite so far. As a reminder, all of our wines are vegan and gluten-free. Enjoy!

MARSHALL’S BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

½ pound brussels sprouts

½ lemon, juiced

½ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons Marshall’s Red Chili Lime sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups mixed lettuce

2 mixed-color snacking peppers or bell, diced

1 cup spiced nuts* (see below)

Shaved parmesan for garnish (substitute Violife for vegan parmesan)

PREPARATION:

Clean and thinly slice the brussels sprouts.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and hot sauce, season with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the brussels and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add the lettuce, peppers, nuts, and cheese and toss to combine.

*Easy spiced nuts: 2 cups of your fave nuts (I used hazelnuts and cashews), roast at 350° for 15 minutes, let cool, and toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon Marshall’s Volcano Sparkle, 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

VEGAN MASHED POTATOES

(inspired by JULIE PIATT’S recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

2 heads cauliflower

15 medium potatoes – a mix of Russet and Yukon Gold

2 cups vegan mayo – Follow Your Heart or similar

1 stick vegan butter – Miyoko’s or similar

1 head roasted garlic

2 tablespoons sea salt

PREPARATION:

Slice the top half of garlic so tops of cloves are exposed. Drizzle olive oil and salt on top.

Replace top of garlic head. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes, or until golden in color and soft.

Fill a large pot with water to 3/4 full.

Add the potatoes to the pot and boil on high until they are soft. For Instant Pot users, cut potatoes in half, add ¼-1/2 cup of water to bottom of pot, sit potatoes on steamer rack in pot, cook on high for 12 minutes. Let rest 3-5 minutes then manually release pressure.

In a separate large steamer pot, steam the heads of cauliflower until they are very soft and translucent. Instant Pot users, similar to potatoes but cook for 2-3 minutes on high.

For those who prefer to remove potato skins—empty the potatoes into a strainer, drain the water and gently rub the potato skins off with your thumbs under a cool stream of water. Omit step 4 if you prefer to leave skins on.

Combine potatoes and cauliflower into one pot and mash well.  Add all other ingredients and continue mashing until desired texture is reached and all ingredients are combined.

Add more salt, butter, or mayo as needed. Enjoy!

VEGAN MUSHROOM GRAVY

INGREDIENTS

½cup extra-virgin olive oil

½small onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

4-6ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

½cup all-purpose flour

4 to 5cups vegan vegetable stock, preferably homemade but vegan bouillon cubes will work•1teaspoon soy sauce, more to taste

½teaspoon kosher salt

¼teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon light miso

PREPARATION:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in vegetable stock, a little at a time, until a smooth sauce forms. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Season with soy sauce, miso, salt, and pepper.

For a smooth texture, blend in a high-speed blender. For chunkier grave, serve as-is, or pass it through a fine-mesh strainer.

VEGAN TURKEY – VERY GOOD BUTCHER’S STUFFED BEAST

INGREDIENTS:

1 Stuffed Beast

BASTE:

1 cup veggie stock

1/4 cup vegan butter

1 sprig each thyme and rosemary

3 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

Make sure to thaw the beast. Remove packaging and cheesecloth.

Baste your beast to keep it nice and juicy using your favorite recipe or our very good baste.

Cook the beast uncovered on a baking pan at 350° for 45-60 minutes, basting every 15 minutes to keep everything nice and moist. Make sure the center of the beast is above 160°. Remove from the oven once nicely roasted, let cool for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy!

Grilled Summer Squash with Fresh Mozzarella and Toasted Sunflower Seeds

Recipe Note:
A super simple way of dressing up the summertime staple; grilled zucchini. Perfectly smashable as a starter or side with a cold glass of Underwood Pinot Gris in hand.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:
6 zucchini
3 eight oz. balls of mozzarella or burrata
1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
a handful of sunflower sprouts
edible flower petals (optional)
juice of one lemon
extra virgin olive oil
salt

Method:
Heat a grill to a medium high heat and make sure the grate is cleaned and seasoned with oil. Cut the zucchini down the center, lengthwise, and toss in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Grill the zucchini, turning as needed, until they are well caramelized and tender, but not mushy. Remove from the grill and place directly on a serving platter.
Tear the balls of mozzarella with your hands into bite sized pieces and arrange on the platter with the zucchini. Sprinkle the toasted seeds over the entire dish, followed by the sunflower sprouts and flowers. Before serving, finish the platter with the freshly squeezed lemon juice and an additional blessing of extra virgin olive oil and flaky salt.

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Shaved Pecorino

Recipe Note:
Blistery and sweet peppers with salty pecorino and crisp pinot gris makes for instant happy hour at home.

Serves 4 as an appetizer

Ingredients: 
½ lb (~4 cups) shishito/padron peppers
4 oz pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
flaky sea salt
lime or lemon wedge (optional)

Method: 
Heat up a large cast iron pan to high heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil, followed by the peppers. Make sure they’re evenly dispersed in one layer. Toss the peppers in the pan every thirty seconds. It’s important to let them sit and blister between tosses, so resist the urge to stir! Once the peppers are evenly blistered and softened, remove from the pan onto a paper towel lined dish. Season with flaky salt before transferring to a serving plate/bowl. Freshly shave pecorino cheese with a vegetable peeler over the blistered peppers before serving with a lime wedge and a few glasses of pinot gris!

Maple and Whiskey Glazed Peaches for Pancakes or Waffles

Recipe Note:
Brunch is our favorite excuse to drink before noon, and these boozy maple peaches give us even more of a reason to crack open a can of bubbles. Spoon these peaches over pancakes, on top of waffles, or even on a croissant with mascarpone. Pair with an Underwood Rosé Bubbles mimosa for the perfect Sunday brunch.

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:
4 yellow peaches
2 tablespoons butter
4-5 ounces maple syrup
2 shot whiskey

Method:
Slice the peaches into large chunks and set them aside. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and add the butter, followed by the peaches. Cook the peaches, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes before adding the whiskey, followed by the maple syrup. Be careful adding the whiskey as it may flambé! Allow the peaches, whiskey, and maple syrup to cook down together for a minute before removing from the heat. Let the peaches cool down a bit before serving.

Recipes and Photography by Chef Kevin Oconnor