Ferrari-Carano chef shares tips on making a summery, Italian-style brunch at home

When people think of Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery, they often picture the 5-acre Estate Winery Garden, home to more than 2,000 plant varieties, or the postcard-perfect views of the sunset over the vineyards and Italian cypress trees.

But Ferrari-Carano is also known for premium red wines grown and produced at its high-elevaton PreVail Mountain Winery above Alexander Valley and its renowned whites such as the fumé blanc, crafted at the estate winery in the Dry Creek Valley.

Acquired two years ago by Foley Family Wines, the winery has recently hit the refresh button. Part of its new look is the hiring in November of Estate Chef Tim Vallery, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park. who has deep roots in the Sonoma County food world.

“This is what I always wanted in a job,” Vallery said while giving a tour of the Villa Fiore guest experience center, which is undergoing a remodel. “The potential here is amazing.”

Once his new kitchen next to the Sycamore Grove is renovated, Vallery hopes to expand the hospitality program with an array of new offerings. Plans include food and wine pairings served outdoors in the grove and upscale grazing boxes served in the pergolas around the fountain as well as in the estate garden.

While waiting for the new kitchen, Vallery and his crew are serving a cheese and charcuterie pairing with the daily wine tastings and an Italian-style brunch, La Colazione Italian, each Sunday in the Sycamore Grove.

“It’s a wine experience with four wines and five entree options,” Vallery said of the brunch and wine experience. “It’s been fun to utilize the garden as much as we can.”

Brunch entrees are hearty and range from Prosciutto Benedict to a Croque Madame, both served with Roasted Potatoes and an Estate Garden Salad.

The brunch starts with a welcome wine such as a rosé and a savory bite, an amuse-bouche, then ends with a sweet bite, often served with a dessert wine.

As an amuse-bouche, the chef has been making Strawberry Gazpacho with the fresh, ripe strawberries from the estate’s culinary garden.

“It’s a fun dish I’ve been doing for years,” he said. “And it’s very easy to make. It’s just rosé, strawberries, cabernet vinegar, salt, black pepper and a spice blend ... to add a little hint of heat.”

One of the more popular brunch entrees is Yanni’s Italian Sausage Strata, showcasing the local sausage from Yanni’s and the local Estero Gold Cheese from Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery.

“It’s like a savory bread pudding,” Vallery said. “We have the roasted vegetables, sausage and bread ready, then make them to order. But if you make them at home, you can let everything soak together overnight.”

As a sweet finale, Vallery likes to serve a Volo Chocolate Panna Cotta, made with the local chocolate from Healdsburg chocolatiers Jeff and Susan Mall, topped with a fruit puree and whipped cream.

“We also offer a Fleur Sauvage pairing with our Reserve Tasting,” he said. “(Windsor Chocolatier) Robert Nieto and I tasted through the chocolates and came up with the pairings.”

Vallery oversees the food and wine pairings for two other wineries owned by Foley Familiy Wines: Foley Sonoma (the former Stryker Sonoma Winery) in the Alexander Valley and Banshee Wines in downtown Healdsburg.

For his latest new job, Vallery has a 20-mile commute to work at the bucolic upper end of the Dry Creek Valley. He lives in Windsor with his wife, Jess Vallery, the direct-to-consumer manager at Trione Vineyards and Winery in Geyserville.

A native of Stockton, Vallery went to San Joaquin Delta College, then moved to Davis and started washing dishes and cooking at Caffe Italia. He really got fired up about cooking at the craft brewery Sudwerk Brewing Co., also in Davis.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York, he started working at Mosaic restaurant at the former Hilton Round Barn in Santa Rosa in 1999, then served as opening sous chef in 2002 at La Brasserie de la Mer at the Hyatt Santa Rosa in Railroad Square.

In 2004, he started working at the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club, then launched his own catering company in Healdsburg in 2008, which he still runs on a limited basis. A bicycle enthusiast, he named his catering company Peloton after the bike riding group that manage to ride faster because they ride together.

“I was busy before COVID, then everything shut down,” he said. “After COVID hit, I worked at Coyote Sonoma restaurant in Healdsburg.”

With help from his culinary team — chefs James Molina and Kevin Gill — Vallery enjoys serving Wine Country cuisine that is seasonal and fresh and highlights the simple flavors of locally grown, locally sourced ingredients.

For the future, the chef is excited about firing up the estate’s outdoor Mugnaini oven, which he took for a test drive during a Ferrari-Carano club member party this spring with wood-fired pizza and live music.

“Ferrari-Carano already has so much of a draw,” Vallery said. “I’m looking forward to doing more pizza someday.”

Vallery has been making this fun, refreshing soup for many years and has served it often at the Taste of Sonoma. It’s currently on the summer brunch menu at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery.

Strawberry-Rosé Gazpacho

Makes 2 quarts

1½ pounds strawberries, washed and stems removed

1½ cup Ferrari-Carano Rosé (or rosé of your choice)

1 cup Basi-Mint Simple Syrup (recipe follows)

¼ cup cabernet vinegar

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Pinch kosher salt

1 teaspoon barbecue spice rub (of your choice)

1 cup Bellwether Farms Crème Fraîche

Combine all ingredients except crème fraîche in a Vitamix blender. Blend until puree is smooth. Chill until ready to use. Portion soup and top with crème fraîche.

Basil-Mint Simple Syrup

Makes 2 cups

1 cup sugar

½ cup Ferrari-Carano Rosé (or rosé of your choice)

½ cup water

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 bunch mint

1 bunch basil

Combine sugar, rosé, water, peppercorns and bay leaf in a stainless-steel pot. On medium heat, simmer until sugar is melted. Reduce heat and let the mixture cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the basil and mint. Let steep for 2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve.

This strata is an easy brunch casserole that needs to be assembled the night before to allow the bread to soak in the custard. Yanni’s Sausage is available at Big John’s Market in Healdsburg and at Oliver’s Markets throughout the county.

Yanni’s Italian Sausage Strata

Makes 8-10 servings

Olive oil, as needed

16 ounces Yanni’s Italian Sausage, cut into ¼-inch half wheels

2 yellow onions, medium-size, peeled and cut into ¾-inch-thick wheels

3 yellow squash, cut in ½-inch-thick half wheels

3 zucchini, cut in ½-inch-thick half wheels

16 farm eggs, lightly whisked

1 cup heavy cream (preferably Clover Stornetta)

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

12 slices sourdough bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes (preferably Costeaux Bakery bread)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups Valley Ford Estero Gold Cheese, grated

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a stainless-steel saute pan. Pan sear the cut sausage and set aside.

For the onion, preheat a stainless-steel, ovenproof saute pan in a 450-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Season the onion slices with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of olive in the heated pan, place the onions in the pan and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip the onions and continue to cook until well-caramelized, about another 10 minutes. Cut the caramelized onions into ½-inch pieces.

Pan sear the cut squash and zucchini, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the cream to the whisked eggs and generously season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the butter over the surface of a 9-inch-by-12-inch ovenproof dish. Evenly spread the diced bread, sausage, squash, zucchini, thyme, caramelized onion and 1 cup of the grated Estero Gold cheese in the buttered dish. Add the egg mixture, let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then gently stir to make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover with plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove the strata from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 cup grated cheese over the strata and bake until it is lightly puffed and the center is not jiggly, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Volo Chocolate is available at Big John’s Market in Healdsburg and Oliver’s Markets throughout the county. The Organic Strawberry Puree needs to be made 24 hours in advance.

Volo Chocolate Panna Cotta with Organic Strawberry Puree and Sweetened Whipped Cream

Makes 16 4-ounce servings

5½ cups heavy whipping cream (preferably Clover Stornetta)

3¼ teaspoons powdered gelatin

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pinch kosher salt

15 ounces Volo Dark Chocolate, finely chopped

Organic Strawberry Puree (recipe follows)

Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe follows)

Pour 1½ cups of cream into a small heatproof bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over it and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Place the bowl on a double boiler, stirring occasionally until the gelatin is completely melted. Use a stick blender if necessary to completely dissolve the gelatin.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring the remaining cream, sugar and salt just to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add the gelatin mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until well-blended. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Working quickly (so the chocolate mixture doesn’t cool too much), portion into a cup, jar or dish. Be sure to divide the mixture evenly. Loosely cover the panna cotta and chill until properly set. Chill for at least 3 hours.

To serve: Top with a spoonful of Organic Strawberry Puree and a dollop of Sweetened Whipped Cream.

Organic Strawberry Puree

1 pound organic strawberries, cleaned, hulled and cut into 4 to 6 wedges each

3 ounces granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch black pepper, freshly ground

1 tablespoon basil, chiffonaded

Thoroughly combine all ingredients; let mixture rest 24 hours. Add all ingredients into a Vitamix blender and puree until smooth. Reserve in refrigerator until ready to use.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream (preferably Clover Stornetta)

⅓ cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk cream with other ingredients until soft peaks form. Reserve in refrigerator until ready to use.