This past weekend we celebrated our first Annual Ravinous Club Member Party with over 70 members! A huge thanks to all who came – we had a great time with all of you, pouring our wines and enjoying  the spectacular weather and view in front of the lake! We really enjoyed this celebration of a gathering of friends and hope you did as well.

All of the food, from the appetizers all the way to the desserts, was prepared by Lisa, Ravines’ resident foodie, using all locally grown and produced food. Check out all of the recipes below and try them for yourself. Each dish can be enjoyed with Ravines wine – we recommend the Dry Rose, Dry Riesling or Keuka Village White for any of the dishes!

Laurence Francois’s Mediterranean Couscous
2 cups uncooked couscous
2 cups tomato juice
1 T salt
2 T olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 cup minced fresh onion
1 cup chopped black olives
1 cup crumbled feta
½ cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Boil tomato juice with salt & olive oil, add couscous and stir then remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 mins.  Gently scrape couscous from pan into bowl, making sure to break apart clumps.  Let cool.  Add other ingredients, mix well and chill.

Grilled Chicken with Garlic Scape Pesto

Brush your grilled chicken with this pesto sauce 5 minutes before it comes off the grill.

4 cups Basil
12 garlic fresh scapes, chopped
½  cup olive oil
1 cup  grated romano cheese
½ cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves
Salt & pepper to taste.

Blend all ingredients in a food processor.

Cold Green Bean & Lemon salad

4 Cups Fresh Green Beans
½ cup olive oil
2 fresh lemons
1 red onion, finely sliced
Salt & pepper to taste

Blanch green beans in boiling water until slightly tender then plunge into ice water. Dry beans then add oil, lemon juice and lemon zest, onion & seasoning. Refrigerate.

Lisa’s Potato Salad

8 white potatoes (small new or red will also do)
1 cup chopped red or white onion
½ cup chopped green scallions
1 cup homemade mayonnaise or Hellman’s mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup fresh oregano
salt & pepper

Gently boil the potatoes until just tender. Let cool and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Mix the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice & seasonings. Add potatoes, onion, scallions & oregano. Mix well & chill.

Zesty Lemon Chicken

3 fresh lemons
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 t wild fennel pollen or dried fennel
1 t fresh thyme, finely chopped
2/3 c olive oil
s&P
1 whole chicken, pieced

Grate yellow zest of 2 lemons avoiding bitter white part and then . Add juice to garlic & spices. Slowly whisk in olive oil in thin stream. cut remaining lemon into thin slices.
Pour 3/4 of marinade over chicken pieces and massage a bit. Let marinate overnight. Grill until cooked appx. 30 minutes and grill lemon slices too. Spoon remaining 1/4 marinade over chicken and garnish will grilled lemon slices.
Serve with Ravines Dry Riesling.