36 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 7-13, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com “Always drink your best beer,” says my buddy Chad Harder. “That way you will always be drinking your best beer.” This mantra is as close to religion as Harder may ever get. And its wisdom is available to all, including non-beer drinkers like myself, whose fridge is not teeming with different types of beer to choose from every time I get thirsty. But as a wine drinker I have faced similar calculations deciding which bottle to drink, and Harder’s motto takes all of the stress and guesswork out of that ordeal. Don’t overthink it. Drink your best stuff. Always. That’s it. The same logic applies to most other foodstuffs. And elsewhere in life—you can take it as far as you wish. No matter where you apply it—in the kitchen, dining room, or any other stage—you should go for that crème de la crème. That way you always will be enjoying nothing but the crème. A restaurant doesn’t have this luxury. In that insane business, success often hinges on using food before it rots. But at home, we’ve no need to eat our worst food first. We can and should focus on the absolute best of the fridge. If that means some other produce goes south, so be it. If you can, recover it in some fashion—such as by putting carrots, celery, onions and other suitable vegetables into stock, or baking those wrinkled cherries that got pushed aside by the golden raspberries. I know this because all last week I had both whole milk and heavy cream in the fridge. Which do you think I put in my coffee? That’s right, folks. Always drink your best cream. That gallon of milk ended up in a cooler when we took a camping trip by the river. But since we forgot ice, the clock was ticking on that poor gallon of milk, and everything else in the cooler for that matter. My old milk made it through the night, and was fine in my morning coffee. After breakfast I heated the milk and added the juice of a lemon I’d brought with me. The acid curdled the milk. I added salt to the curds in order to preserve them, strained them in a dish rag, and then twisted the rag to squeeze out the water. This process is the first step in making most types of cheese. I took the salted curds home and crumbled it upon a batch of couscous that I made with the freshest vegetables I had on hand: purple bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and zucchini. In the recipe below I don’t salt the cheese—I find it easier to add more salt, if necessary, than to remove it if I’ve added too much. So, that is the recipe I’ll be leaving you with. Along with a reminder to drink your best beer, always. First course Summer vegetables—like this beautiful stack seen at the Seaside Farmers Market— mingle with cheese curds and couscous in this recipe that uses everything in the fridge. Harvest Party Time…It’s finally time—McIntyre Vineyards is hosting a harvest party on Sunday, Sept. 10 from 11am-2pm. Join the winemaking team at their estate for an afternoon of sipping wines, tasting small bites, a guided vineyard tour by Steve McIntyre and staff, outdoor games and music. Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/ McIntyreHarvest2023 for $90 per person and include tastings and small bites, as well as a souvenir glass. Shuttle services from Carmel Valley are available for $50 per person. 32486 Sanchez Road, Soledad. 626-6268, mcintyrevineyards.com. Dance It Off…McIntyre isn’t the only winery headed into harvest mode and ready to celebrate. Dust off your boots and head to Rustique Wines on Friday, Sept. 17 for the family-run vineyard and winery’s harvest kickoff party. Dance the night away with Boot Juice and keep your energy up with a delicious barbecue meal from Kleinfeldt Family BBQ. Doors open at 6pm and live music follows from 7-9pm. Tickets are $15 for wine club members and $20 for non-members. 1010 River Road, Salinas. 320-8174, rustiquewines.com. New Face, New Place… Estéban Restaurant in Monterey’s Casa Munras Hotel has found a new executive chef in Ben Hillan. Formerly of Humble Sea Brewing in Felton, Hillan comes to Estéban excited to work with fresh, seasonal ingredients. “Seasonality is the best,” Hillan says. “You get items at peak season at peak flavor. Why do it differently?” Read more about Hillan’s background, and his menu plans, at mcweekly.com/food_wine. Or stop by and taste what’s on offer—indoors, or on the newly reopened outdoor patio—at 700 Munras Ave., Monterey. 375-0176, estebanrestaurant.com. Bunny Fest…The Bunny Trail Rescue’s annual fundraising event happens Sunday, Sept. 10 from 4-8pm at Hacienda Hay & Feed. Hop on over for a fun-filled evening with live music, a live auction and a barbecue meal with kid- and vegetarian-friendly options—all in support of our furry friends in need. 7180 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. 884-3123, thebunnytrailrescue.org. pasta plate…The 90th annual Festa Italia brings a cultural Italian experience—with, of course, an emphasis on food—to Custom House Plaza in Monterey from Friday-Sunday, Sept. 8-10. For more, see Hot Picks, p. 26. By Jacqueline Weixel morsels Send a bite to eatanddrink@mcweekly.com Eat + DrinK Daniel Dreifuss Use It Up Eating the best food in your fridge doesn’t mean the rest should go to waste. By Ari LeVaux Cheese Curd Couscous The lemony cheese makes a lovely summertime compliment to the vegetables and couscous; substitute the freshest vegetables you have. Serves four people. 1 gallon milk 2 lemons, juiced and zested 1 pound large-grained couscous 1 clove garlic 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, pierced with a fork 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 purple bell pepper, sliced into spears 1 zucchini, sliced into rounds In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the milk on medium, stirring occasionally to prevent scalding. When it starts to foam, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. The milk should instantly separate into curds and whey. Lay some cheesecloth over the colander and pour the curdled milk through it. Save the whey. Tie the corners of cheesecloth together and hang the ball of curds to drain. Put the whey in a pot and add the couscous, and heat on medium. Add the garlic, tomatoes, butter and oil, mix it well and let it cook until nearly all of the whey is absorbed. Add the pepper and zucchini, mix them in, and cook for five minutes, covered. Crumble the cheese on top and cover again. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve.
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