From the Vine> Beaujolais Nouveau Day celebration of wine that’s served the year it’s made

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Of all the celebratory eating occasions in the fall, my favorite is Beaujolais Nouveau Day. What started as a competition among winemakers of the Beaujolais region in France in the late 1950s, Nouveau Day has developed into an international event. Falling on the third Thursday in November, this holiday is the time to celebrate the completion of the harvest and enjoy a toast of the “new” wine made from the gamay grape.

Unlike traditional wines, which may take years before they are ready to drink, Beaujolais Nouveau may be quaffed in the same year it is made. Grapes are harvested by hand and the wine is made simply by allowing the weight of the grapes to crush themselves. The resultant product is bottled and shipped to consumers in less than 60 days. Winemakers from California and Italy have joined in the festivities, some often air-shipping their products to markets to arrive by the designated day.

Beaujolais Nouveau is a light and fruity red wine, and is one of my favorites because it is so “food friendly.” This flexible wine may be appreciated any time of the day and enjoyed with a wide variety of foods like grilled meats, pizza, pates and cheeses. The ideal temperature at which to serve Beaujolais is 50 degrees. Because the youthful flavors of nouveau will dwindle, it is not a wine to cellar, but to drink.

When I was in the restaurant business several years ago, I loved the third Thursday of November and would always have Beaujolais Nouveau for my customers. We once packed the cafe with long tables of guests drinking Beaujolais Nouveau from coffee cups, singing French folk songs and enjoying an authentic Burgundian four-course meal.

The recent discovery that Sunset Acres Farm of North Brooksville was growing guinea hens inspired me to create this year’s Nouveau menu. Originally from Africa, guinea hens are a French specialty raised in pens in the back yard, much like rabbits. This small bird is a relative of the partridge. The meat is dark with a pleasant, gamy flavor. As this is country cuisine, I have chosen to roast the birds very simply. The sauce for the hens, made from recently harvested Maine cranberries, complements the fruitiness of the wine perfectly.

Garlic mashed potato and a simple spinach salad round out this celebratory repast. The green spinach is the perfect foil for ripe, juicy pears, toasted pecans and hearty bleu cheese.

The first course, gougeres, originates deep in the heart of Chablis and features the rich, nutty flavor of Gruyere cheese. In Burgundy, gougeres come the size of your fist and are a perfect accompaniment to a glass of Nouveau wine. This savory cheese puff is made from pate a choux: cream-puff pastry. Although the intense beating with a wooden spoon tired my arms, gougeres are not that complex to prepare. Their addictive flavor was well worth the effort.

The rustic simplicity of this dinner is a marvelous way to savor the bounties of the fall harvest. This is not Michelin three-star dining, but peasant food: fresh ingredients, artfully prepared, highlighting the love and the joy of the harvest.

Perhaps the best part about this Beaujolais Nouveau menu is that the components may be assembled in advance, creating the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing potluck supper. Each recipe serves four and can easily be doubled. For dessert, I would recommend anything chocolate: chocolate brownies, chocolate chunk cookies, just simple chocolate.

Now that harvesting is done in Burgundy, in California and here in Maine, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this year’s wine. We plan to invite a few friends over on Nov. 20 to eat, to drink and to be merry. Salud to farmers everywhere! Salud to Beaujolais Nouveau Day!

Gougeres (Cheese Puffs)

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup unsalted butter 1 cup flour, sifted onto waxed paper 4 large eggs 4 ounces fine Gruyere cheese

In a saucepan, gently heat the water, salt and butter until the butter is melted. Bring the mixture just to a boil and remove from heat; immediately add all the flour. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. The dough should be shiny and just fall from the spoon. Beat in diced Gruyere.

Using two spoons, shape the dough into 2 1/2-inch mounds on a greased baking sheet. Brush the puffs with the egg glaze and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in a 375-degree F. oven until the gougeres are puffed and brown but still slightly soft on the inside, 30-40 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 9-10.

To prepare in advance, early in the day that they are to be served, bake the gougeres and cool on a rack. Just before serving, reheat 3-4 minutes in a 350-degree F. oven.

Roasted Guinea Hens with Fresh Cranberry Sauce

2 guinea hens, cleaned, with giblets removed, and washed 4 strips uncooked bacon 2 cups fresh cranberries 2 cups chicken stock 1/3 cup red currant jam 1/3 cup heavy cream

Cut the bacon into 3-inch pieces and place over the skin of the guinea hens, in particular the breast section. Stuff the cavity of each bird with one cup of fresh cranberries. Roast hens, uncovered, in a greased roasting pan in a 350-degree F. oven, until tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. To test to see if the bird is done, it should register 150 degress on a meat thermometer.

Remove the bacon from the birds and discard. Drain the juices and the cranberries from the bird into a saucepan. Deglaze the roasting pan with the chicken stock and add to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce by one-half. Remove the meat from the birds to a platter. When the sauce has been reduced, add the jam and cream and cook until the mixture is thickened slightly. Serve over the sliced meat.

To prepare in advance, roast the birds and make the sauce. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Warm the sauce on top of the stove and reheat the birds gently in the microwave.

Spinach, Pear, Roasted Pecan and Bleu Cheese Salad

For the dressing: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice of 1 lime)

1/2 cup canola or peanut oil

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1 scant tablespoon sesame oil Fresh ground pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl

For the salad: 2 pears, cored, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 6-ounce bag baby spinach 2 ounces pecans (about 2/3 cup), toasted for 5 minutes in a 350-degree F. oven 1 1/2 ounces bleu cheese, crumbled

To assemble salad, peel, core and cut the pears into a small bowl with the fresh lemon juice. Stir once to coat the pears. Tear the spinach into bite-size pieces and put into a salad bowl. Toast the pecans and add to the spinach. Crumble the bleu cheese over the spinach. Add the pears and lemon juice and 3-4 tablespoons of the dressing. Toss well and serve immeidately.

Garlic Mashed Potato

4 Maine round white potatoes 2 cloves peeled garlic

1/4-1/3 cup hot milk Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons butter

Peel and cube the potatoes. Cook the potatoes and peeled garlic cloves in water on top of the stove until soft. Drain the water, add the hot milk and mash. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grease a casserole dish and spoon in the potato. Dot the top with butter and refrigerate. To serve, bake in a 350-degree F. oven until golden brown and hot, about 30 minuutes.

Preparing mashed potato early in the day and then reheating it in a hot oven gives Garlic Mashed Potato a crisp, crunchy crust with a creamy, smooth, garlicky interior.

Guinea hens are available from Sunset Acres Farm at the European Farmers Market on Buck Street in Bangor every Saturday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Beringer’s Beaujolais Nouveau (from California) is now available in supermarkets and wine stores. French Beaujolais Nouveau will be featured at a wine tasting Thursday, Nov. 20, at Welch’s Beverage & Tobacco House, 546 Hammond St., Bangor.