The Sonoma wine country not only produces great wine but also a wonderful assortment of fruits, vegetables and artisanal products that make it a foodie wonderland.    "Celebrating the Seasons" by Chef John Littlewood of Westerbeke Ranch allows you to explore and enjoy this cuisine from home.  

Organized as menus for specific seasonal events Chef Littlewood shows his love of food while teaching us how to prepare his food.  Menus range from an Earth Day Buffet (sautéed chicken breasts, buttermilk mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and poppy seed angel food cake) to Mediterranean Summer Solstice Party (white fish, jasmine rice-quinoa pilaf, chayote putanesca, roasted ratatouille, and raspberry pizza) to Harvest Festival (roasted pork loin, soft polenta, braised chard, foccacia bread, vanilla panna cotta and almond-anise biscotti) and beyond.  These menus are a great help in planning a complete meal but any of the recipes can be made on their own or at any time of year for that matter.  As Chef Littlewood says "Although seasonality is the theme I've used to organize this book, my recipes rarely depend on an ingredient that is available in just one season".  

"Celebrating the Seasons" also celebrates Chef Littlewood's teaching skills with recipes that are clearly described and with helpful notes throughout.  For example, in the "Roasted Pork Loin" recipe below, Chef Littlewood introduces brining as a technique to enhance the pork loin to make it nice and juicy.  Rounding out the menus and recipes, Chef Littlewood includes a helpful resource section where he shares his kitchen knowledge by providing hints, tips and details on everything from kitchen components to ingredients.   

Roasted pork loin with fennel-pepper crust and salsa

From "Celebrating the Seasons at Westerbeke Ranch" by John Littlewood, Happy Palate Press 2005

This rustic dish is fragrant with fresh herbs and contrasting flavors. Brining the pork loin overnight makes it really juicy. Although this recipe takes some advance preparation, the results are well worth it.

Serves 6 to 8

• 2½ cups water
• ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• 1 tray ice cubes
• 3 pounds boneless pork loin

1. Bring water, brown sugar, and salt to a boil in a saucepan, then remove from heat. Pour brine into a 2-quart (or larger) container and add just enough ice cubes to measure 1 quart. Stir to dissolve ice.

2. Place loin in brine and refrigerate overnight. If loin is less than 4 inches in diameter, brine and refrigerate only 4 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 325°.

4. Remove pork loin from brine, wipe it dry with a paper towel, and lightly coat it with
Fennel-pepper crust. Place loin on a roasting pan and roast 22 minutes, or until internal temperature is 145° at the thickest part (check with an instant-read thermometer, if you have one). Let rest 15 minutes in a warm spot.

5. Cut roast into ½-inch slices. Serve with Salsa verde on the side.

Notes:

• For more on brine and its uses, see All-purpose brine in Essential Recipes.
• For this recipe, use center-cut pork loin-not tenderloin, which is smaller and more expensive. The darker meat at the end of the loin is the juiciest and most tender. Ask your butcher for it.

Fennel-pepper crust

• 2½ tablespoons whole fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Grind spices together coarsely in an electric spice or coffee mill. Do not grind too long;
seeds should be just broken up and mixture should have the texture of coarse sand.

Salsa verde

Basil and olive oil are a classic combination - but mint, sugar, and vinegar? Once you've tried this sauce, I bet you'll be looking for other dishes to serve it with.

Makes 1½ cups

• ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1¼ cups chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
• ¼ cup roughly chopped green onions
• ¼ cup roughly chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• ½ cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup dry white bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process 4 or 5 seconds, or until smooth.

Notes:    

• Try salsa verde with fresh tomatoes, grilled chicken breasts, grilled lamb, roast beef, or sliced bread. Or add a spoonful to vegetable soup.
• A sharp food-processor blade is important for this recipe. A dull blade will only bruise the ingredients. Use a steel or hand-held knife sharpener to maintain the blade.

About Celebrating the Seasons

Get "Celebrating the Seasons at Westerbeke Ranch" at:

• Amazon.com