This is part of my March series on women in wine. Read my invitation to the #WinePW Festa delle Donne. And I am also shining the spotlight on a local-to-me female entrepreneur.
Anni of The Quail & Olive
Just before the pandemic, I met Annelise of The Quail & Olive. We became fast friends and frequent collaborators. She and I started co-hosting quarterly paella parties at her shop. Then, when the world shut down, we ran olive oil tastings and cooking classes by Zoom. Let me tell you "hold up your pan and let me see the caramelization of your onions" is not a sentence I ever thought I would utter. But we made it through and have done several Friday happy hour collabs with winemakers in the Carmel Valley Village, including a Sweet'N'Spooky Happy Hour with treats such as Bloody Vials (beet soup) and a Mothers' Day Happy Hour where every dish has edible flowers. I also am her resident epicure, creating recipes with the quarterly selections she has for her Covey Club members and helping with recipes for her social media accounts. My team and I even cooked and served dinner at her welcome reception for her wedding and her rehearsal dinner. It was an honor to share that special weekend with her and Marc.
You can read Anni's full journey to proprietor in her interview with Bold Journey: Meet Annelise Gerome. But if you're local-to-me or come to the area for a visit, stopping at her shop is a must. Anni has a shop full of olive oil and vinegars along with an amazing pantry of curated specialty foods and ingredients. For instance she has everything you need to make a stunning paella - even the pans!
I traveled with Anni to the specialty food show in San Francisco one year to brainstorm ideas for new inventory and how to use the ingredients in recipes. And she took me to one of her producers - Chapparal Gardens - to taste their new season's fruit vinegars. She and I have lots of fun together and eat really well! I so appreciate the care she takes in choosing products for her shop and they really spark some culinary creativity.
Here's my Happy Hour Collaboration with The Quail & Olive and Big Sur Vineyards from February 2024 that included Winter-Kissed Lettuce Caprese Cups, Chevre Dip with a Cherry on Top, Spiced Lamb Lollipops, and Chocolate Cremeux and featured many of her products.
On the Plates
For a dinner this week, I used the Za'atar from Villa Jerada that she carries along with her Doctor's Blend Olive Oil and Lemon Balsamic Vinegar for a simple roasted salmon.
Roasted Salmon
1 salmon filet
za'atar seasoning (by Villa Jerada in the pantry section of The Quail & Olive)
salt and pepper (I like any of the Big Sur Salt blends in the pantry section of The Quail & Olive)
Doctor's Blend Olive Oil
Lemon Balsamic Vinegar
Also needed: baking sheet and parchment paper; lemon slices for serving
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place salmon filet in the center. Sprinkle with za'atar. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Place in pre-heated oven. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of your filet. To serve, move filet to a serving platter and place lemon wedges on the side.
Mushroom-Stuffed Jacket Potatoes
baked potatoes
butter
sour cream
salt and pepper (I like any of the Big Sur Salt blends in the pantry section of The Quail & Olive)
mushrooms, sliced
olive oil (I used the Roasted Garlic Olive Oil)
fennel pollen (from Wineforest in the pantry section of The Quail & Olive)
Heat Roasted Garlic Olive Oil in a skillet. Add in sliced mushrooms and sauté until softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Slice baked potatoes lengthwise and press moderately to open them up. Spoon in the butter and sour cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon the sautéed mushrooms into the jacket potatoes and sprinkle with fennel pollen.
Theo-patra, Queen of the Vineyards
Theodora Lee, a trial attorney, started Theopolis Vineyards in 2003. Nicknamed Theo-patra, Queen of the Vineyards, she fell in love with wine when she arrived in San Francisco in 1987. She expanded her knowledge through several viticulture classes at the University of California at Davis before launching her own vineyard. In 2001 she purchased land in the Yorkville Highlands of the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. In 2020 she was recognized as a wine industry leader.
In the Glass
I was able to get my hands on a bottle of the 2021 Theopolis Vineyards Estate Grown Rosé of Petite Sirah. The grape also goes by the names: Duriff, Plant Durif, Plant Fourchu, Pinot de Romans and Pinot de l’Hermitage, Petit Syrah; its pedigree is Syrah with Peloursin Noir. As a red wine, Petite Sirah boasts a rich, deep purple color with bold aromas. As a Rosé, it is still deeply colored with a soft, round body. On the nose, I noted ripe red cherries with notes of rose petals and green apple. On the palate it's more of an apple pie with warm baking spices of cinnamon and nutmeg.
It was a nice match to my mushroom-filled jacket potatoes and roasted salmon.
That's a wrap on my post about Anni Gerome and Theo-patra. I will have one more for the #WinePW #FestadelleDonne event. Stay tuned!
I am anxious to visit Quail and Olive on my next visit.