The first morning of IPNC we visited Maysara Winery just outside of Sheridan, Oregon. They are a biodynamic winery with close ties to Linfield College. I first visited Maysara last year during IPNC with a few friends and had a great time. The area is so secluded and beautiful. Just look at these great photos.
The lunch at Maysara had a Persian inspired menu (the Momtazi Family is Persian — go to their website and read the history of the winery) and started with a Cold cucumber soup, flowers, olive oil and was paired with the 2011 Maysara Autees Pinot blanc. The soup was a bit thick and quite refreshing.
We had smoked cod, green beans, frikah and Aleppo chile, which was served with 3 Degrees 2009 (also Maysara). As said before, I don’t really like cod, but this was fantastic. Perfectly prepared and an excellent portion, yes, I wanted more.
The main course was a grilled lamb with eggplant, tomato, yogurt and saffron and was served with Maysara Owl 2009. I also jumped in and started eating before I could snap a good picture — says a lot about the plate, doesn’t it?
For dessert we had grilled peaches, soft goat cheese and Ned’s honey. This was served with the same wine as the soup. Fresh grilled peaches are amazing – and something I never make at home. The caramelized peach from the grill has a great sweetness without the heaviness of a big filthy traditional dessert.
Jason French (Ned Ludd of Portland) was the guest chef here and did a really great job. I think I liked this menu so much because it was really tied to the venue – the Persian influence was really a great match with the wines and the locale. Loved it.
What do you think of Persian food? Does everyone like Cod, but me? Do you all think we don’t eat lamb enough in the US?
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