
- PHOTO COURTESY OF PASO ROBLES ROTARY
- GRILL MASTERS : Winemakers cook up their best for the Paso Robles Winemakers’ Cook-Off, coming up Aug. 8. Rich Hartenberger of Midnight Cellars is pictured.
I never saw it coming, not at all, after judging some pretty bad chili competitions over the past decade where the ground beef tasted like something the USDA should have recalled. So imagine my shock when I judged the Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers’ Cook-Off last year, and tasted through an amazing array of gourmet dishes. I fully expected the ubiquitous Santa Maria style tri-tip, blackened chicken, and overdone cheeseburgers. But I wasn’t served anything close to those sad dishes.

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THE 11TH ANNUAL PASO ROBLES ROTARY WINEMAKERS’ COOK-OFF: Saturday, August 8
The good times take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at River Oaks Hot Springs, 800 Clubhouse Dr., Paso Robles (behind Martin-Weyrich tasting room off Hwy. 46 East). Ticket sales are limited and this fabulous tasting always sells out. For tickets and information call 877-686-8564 (toll free), or purchase tickets online at winemakerscookoff.com. Tickets are $75 per person or for $650 you can reserve a table of eight. You can arrange to have tickets mailed to you or held at the will-call booth.

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TOMATILLO GUACAMOLE: 1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, halved and roasted
1 T. lime juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. cilantro
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 T. mayonnaise
2 avocados, halved and diced
1 serrano chile, minced
Roast the tomatillos in 425° oven for about 30 minutes until soft and brown. Place tomatillos and chile in food processor or blender, process until a coarse puree forms. Pour puree into medium bowl. Mix in all remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill, can be made 24 hours ahead. Makes approx. 2 1/2 cups.

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MITCHELLA WINERY’S SHAMELESSLY SOUSED SHRIMP TACOS: (3 recipes, serves 10-15 people)
2 lb. shrimp 21/25 bag (approx. 42)
8 corn tortillas cut in 1/2” slices, fried
1 cup Mitchella Viognier
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium jicama
1/4 head Napa cabbage, grated
1 lemon
1 lime
1 T. ground black pepper
1 T. cumin
1 T. ground oregano
1 T. brown sugar
Clean shrimp, butterfly, and marinate in the mixture of zest and juice from the lemon and lime with wine, garlic, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and brown sugar for 8-24 hours. Save the marinade for basting while barbecuing. Thinly slice jicama with mandolin or slicer into 22 pieces. Grill the shrimp, basting frequently, three minutes each side until opaque. Arrange two shrimp on a slice of jicama, top with a bit of cabbage, 1 T. guacamole, 1/2 T. relish, top with three tortilla strips.

- PHOTO COURTESY OF PASO ROBLES ROTARY
- TONGS IN HAND : Bill Sheffer of Halter Ranch Vineyard and Robin Zazueta of Vina Robles dish up some tasty fare, to raise money for the Rotary Club’s scholarship fund.

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MANGO RELISH: 1 mango, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped 1 red tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1 T. honey
juice of 1 lime
Mix all ingredients together, season to taste with salt and pepper. Red chili flakes can be substituted with 1 T. fresh chili paste. Cover and chill, can be made 24 hours ahead. Makes approx. 1 cup.
“It was so easy to unite all of these Paso Robles winemakers over a barbecue,” Shumrick laughed. “I can’t imagine anything more fun with all of the good food and wine we serve during this event.”
The 11th Annual Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers’ Cook-Off heats up on Saturday, Aug. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. at River Oaks Hot Springs, 800 Clubhouse Dr., Paso Robles. Tickets sales are limited and this fabulous tasting always sells out. For tickets and information call 877-686-8564 or buy tickets online at winemakerscookoff.com. Tickets cost $75 per person or for $650 you can reserve a table for eight.
You can reach New Times’ Cuisine columnist Kathy Marcks Hardesty at khardesty@newtimesslo.com.
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