Abbot’s Passage welcomes harvest season with new fall menu

The gazpacho, topped with a gremolata, is paired with a rosé made with their 80-year-old zinfandel vine. But Kuklewski’s favorite dish on the menu is the pork belly and shrimp pané. The pork belly is braised with their crisp white wine, a blend of chenin blanc and verdejo from Heringer Estates Vineyard in Clarksburg. Kuklewski shared the recipe for the braised pork belly, omitting the complicated shrimp pané, which is part of the dish at the winery.

“The wine is high in acidity, so it braises beautifully with pork belly,” Kuklewski said. “The natural fattiness found in pork belly balances the acidity in the wine you drink. You can taste the aromatics in the wine itself.”

Another dish on the menu, the Garden Succotash, is a vibrant medley of vegetables with basil and zucchini puree, crispy shallots and heirloom beans served with a sauvignon blanc and muscat blend from Calistoga and with a chill-able grenache from Alexander Valley.

“It’s a beautiful medley of different veggies,” Kuklewski said. “The beauty of it is it’s an expression of what’s tasting the best and most ripe at the moment.”

The Roasted Strawberry and Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich, which features sweet strawberry puree sandwiched between blondies made with dark chocolate chips, is the perfect way to end the meal.

“The dessert has these immaculate strawberries from Oak Hill Farm that are so flavorful,” Kuklewski said.

Harvest traditions

Abbot’s Passage, whose name is inspired by a monk who trekked regularly from Napa into Sonoma on an old road first carved by Native Americans to reach his favorite watering hole (aka bar) in downtown Sonoma, is full of surprises and discovery, Bundschu said.

“You’ll get to create your own journey at the winery and discover all these little treasures,” Bundschu said.

The winery is inspired by “paths less traveled,” a concept she puts into practice by using grapes from “less-familiar areas” like Clarksburg, the Sierra Foothills and Mendocino.

“We’re showcasing the vineyards and stories of people and places within Sonoma and beyond,” Bundschu said. “We want to dig deeper into the stories that are in nontraditional areas.”

Similarly, the winery’s fall menu is designed to let visitors explore and discover, she said.

“It’s less about perfect pairings and more about exploring and creating your journey,” Bundschu said. “It’s also about sharing and enjoying the company you’re with.”

Abbot’s Passage has a playful character, and is kid- and dog-friendly, too. Visitors can play a game at one of the shuffleboard courts nestled among the vines after a wine tasting in the laid-back Olive Grove area. Or they might get a box of Hot Tamales candy and a surprise digestif drink that changes seasonally, she said.

But for Bundschu, whose family has produced wine since 1858, the harvest always has been a monumental time. This year will mark the family’s 165th harvest.

“I remember being late to school and not being able to go to a football game because it was harvest,” Bundschu said. “It’s a big deal around here.”

As autumn approaches, she makes a toast with her family, usually with a blessing and poem, to the first grapes that are ready to process.

Bundschu married winemaker Christopher Tynan in August 2020 and they welcomed a baby boy, James, last October.

“This is my first harvest with (James),” Bundschu said. “I get to experience how special it is to share harvest with him. It’s a part of who we are. We hope to pass it down to James someday.”

The following recipes are from the fall menu at Abbot’s Passage Winery + Mercantile. The menu is served on weekends, by reservation (see box for details).

Heirloom Tomato and Melon Gazpacho with Stone Fruit Gremolata

Makes 4 to 6 servings

8 heirloom tomatoes, ripe

1 small cantaloupe, ripe, skin peeled and seeds removed

1 mini watermelon, seedless, skin peeled

2 red bell peppers, white pith and stems removed, deseeded

1 jalapeño, white pith and stem removed, deseeded

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, smashed

3 lemon cucumbers or 1 small English cucumber, peeled, ½-inch slices

12 sweet Italian basil leaves

2 lemons, zest and juice

½ cup plum wine

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

1 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Honey, to taste

Clean, peel and deseed all the fruits and vegetables. Dice them into ½-inch dice. Place all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. The salt will help release the moisture in the ingredients. Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

Once marinated, place the mixture in a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth. Check for acid, salt and sweetness and adjust as needed with the salt, pepper and honey. Chill before serving. Add gremolata on top.

Stone Fruit Gremolata

1 plum, pit removed, ¼-inch dice

1 nectarine, pit removed, ¼-inch dice

½ small shallot, finely chopped

½ bulb fennel, finely chopped

2 stems tarragon, leaves only, finely chopped

6 stems parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

1 lemon, juice and zest

2 tablespoons olive oil

Place all ingredients in a bowl and allow flavors to marry. Check seasoning before serving and adjust as needed.

Kuklewski’s favorite variety to use for the Heirloom Beans, added at the end to the Garden Succotash recipe, is Goldeneye, though he also recommends Royal Corona. To avoid ending up with mushy beans, he cooks the beans by bringing them to a boil, turning off the heat and repeating the process.

Summer Garden Succotash

Makes 4 servings

¼ pound pole, yellow wax or Blue Lake beans or haricot verts

Oil, for cooking

1 onion, small dice

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

1 red bell pepper, small dice

½ jalapeño, small dice

1 corn ear, shucked and kernels removed

1 zucchini or squash, small dice

Heirloom Beans, recipe follows

10 basil leaves, chiffonade

Prepare a small ice bath. In a small pot of boiling salted water, blanch the pole beans for 30 to 45 seconds. Remove them from the boiling water and shock them in the ice bath. Once chilled, cut the pole beans into 2-inch pieces and set aside.

Add a small amount of cooking oil in a large saute pan and set over medium-low heat. Saute onions and garlic until softened, roughly 1 to 2 minutes. Be sure to season with salt and pepper as you add ingredients. Add the red bell pepper, jalapeño, corn and squash and saute for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and add the pole beans, heirloom beans and basil.

Heirloom Beans

4 ounces total of 1 - 2 types of heirloom beans

1 - 2 bay leaves

2 - 4 garlic cloves, smashed

Cook each bean type separately, as they will finish at different times depending on size.

To do so, place each bean type in a pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Add a bay leaf and 2 garlic cloves to each pot and bring to a boil. Once it has boiled, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Repeat this process, bringing the beans to a boil again, every 20 minutes until the beans are cooked through.

Once cooked to desired doneness, season the cooking water generously with salt water and allow the beans to absorb it. This process could take up to an hour. This process allows the beans to stay intact. Season beans only when they’re cooked thoroughly; otherwise, they’ll cook unevenly.

Crispy White Wine-Braised Pork Belly and Shrimp Pané

Makes 4 servings

½ cup kosher salt

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

½ bunch parsley, leaves and stems

½ bunch tarragon, leaves and stems

¼ side of pork belly, about 2 pounds, skin removed

½ onion, medium dice

1 celery stalk

2 Calabrian chiles, rough chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed

½ bottle bright, acidic white wine

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 grapefruit

1 bay leaf

In a food processor, add salt, sugar, fennel seeds and the leaves of the herbs. Puree until bright green, to make the herb salt cure for the pork belly. Rub the mixture over the entire pork belly and let it cure in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, depending on thickness and size of the pork belly.

After curing, rinse the salt mixture from the pork belly and pat dry. In a large saute pan, pan sear the fat side of the pork belly until golden brown. Remove the pork belly (don’t clean the saute pan) and place it in a braising pan. Add onion, celery, chiles and garlic into the saute pan and cook until softened. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook off the alcohol. Pour sauteed vegetables into the braising pan with the pork belly and add the zest, bay leaf and herb stems.

Slowly braise in the oven at 300 degrees for 1½ to 2 hours or until you can easily pierce the belly with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the fridge for easy slicing, then pan sear the slices before serving.

Roasted Strawberry and Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich

Makes 12 large sandwiches

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulls removed

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg, whole

3 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 ½ cups heavy cream

Blondies, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss strawberries with the balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons sugar. Roast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

Place strawberries in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a stainless-steel bowl of a double boiler, add eggs, yolks, ½ cup sugar and salt. Heat over a double boiler while whisking until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer and whip until it doubles in volume and has cooled. Fold in strawberry puree and the coconut.

In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the cream and egg-strawberry mixture together until a cohesive mixture is formed. Set in the freezer until solid (at least 8 hours).

Blondies

2 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled (see Note)

1½ cups dark brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup 70% dark chocolate chips

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a half sheet tray (12 inches by 18 inches) with parchment paper and spray with nonstick oil.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together brown butter and brown sugar. Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until it all comes together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, then fold in chocolate chips and coconut.

Gently spread the dough evenly across the sheet tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut the Blondie in half to prepare for the ice cream.

To assemble, lay out a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the Blondie half. Place one half of the Blondie on the plastic, then cover the surface with the ice cream. Top with the second half of the Blondie and gently press down to push the ice cream to the edges. Completely enclose the cookie with the plastic wrap and freeze up to 8 hours. Cut into 12 sandwiches of desired shape.

Note: Brown the butter to add extra depth to the Blondie. Heat the butter until the butter’s milk solids begin to caramelize, and let it cool before adding to the recipe.

You can reach Staff Writer Mya Constantino at mya.constantino@pressdemocrat.com. @searchingformya on Twitter.