“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Happy Thanksgiving to all…remember to secure your dinnner reservations early if you plan to dine out for Thanksgiving in the Napa Valley, restaurants are offering prix fixe menus and tables will fill up fast!

Enjoy this recipe from our Chef!

Dried Wild Blueberry Scones

3 cups all purpose flour

? 1/3 cup sugar

? 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

? ½ teaspoon baking soda

? ¾ teaspoon salt

? 6 ounces cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

? 1 cup buttermilk

? ½ cup dried wild blueberries

? grated zest from one orange

? egg wash made from one egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

? ¼ cup turbinado or other coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 425

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Scatter butter pieces over the top. Briefly pulse the mixture a number of times until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with small pea size pieces of butter remaining.

Add the buttermilk and the zest and the dried blueberries. Pulse the mixture again until the dough just starts to come together. Transfer to a lightly floured counter. Gather together into two equal sized portions. Form each into a disc, about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick. Cut each half into six wedges and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Brush each wedge with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden and the scones just spring back.

1801 INN FREE FRIDAYS!
If you can only get away to Napa for the weekend then enjoy a FREE FRIDAY NIGHT on us! Stay in any Luxury Suite, Cottage or Carriage House at regular rack rate and get Friday night free.
2 night minimum required.
Valid until January 31, 2010…Call Now! 707-224-3739

The cold weather is upon us…enjoy this week’s winter recipe from the Chef at 1801 First as you cozy up to the fire!

Blueberry Pancakes
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla extract.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. Mix together until flour is just incorporated.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter just until incorporated. Let set for 15 minutes and gently fold in the blueberries.
Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron griddle over medium heat. Brush with the butter and heat until the butter just begins to sizzle. Scoop scant 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan or onto the griddle and cook until bubbles appear on the top surface and the bottom is golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip over and cook until the bottom is lightly golden brown, about 45 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven.

Maple Blueberry Syrup
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup maple syrup (grade B)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick cinnamon
1 strip lemon zest
Bring blueberries, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest to a simmer over low heat, simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and chill overnight. Strain; serve warm or at room temperature.

Blueberry Compote
1 pint blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, split
Cassis
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Combine blueberries, sugar, butter, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer to dissolve sugar. Remove from the heat and stir in the cassis. Serve at room temperature, folding in the chopped mint just before serving.

Our own in house Chef at 1801 First serves up remarkable gourmet breakfast entrees every morning to pamper our guests. Try this recipe at home from 1801 First Luxury Inn…

Canadian Bacon, Porcini Mushroom and Sage Omelet (Serves 4)

1 cup dried Porcini Mushrooms
½ cup hot water
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, minced
6 slices Canadian Bacon, diced
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh Sage
12 eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

garnishes (optional)
finely chopped chives, parsley oil, mushroom powder, fried sage leaves

Pour ½ cup of hot water over the dried Porcini Mushrooms and let sit for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, and chop the mushrooms coarsely. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter to remove all of the sediment from the mushrooms.

Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat until hot. Add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and the shallots and cook until translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and the mushroom liquid and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the Canadian bacon and the fresh sage and cook until the bacon is just warmed through. Keep the sauté pan over low heat while preparing the omelets.

Beat three eggs, seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper in a small bowl.
Heat a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add one teaspoon of olive oil and swirl around. Add the eggs and cook, pushing the eggs around with a spatula to gently scramble them and gently lifting up the edges and tilting the pan so the uncooked eggs flow underneath the already set part of the omelet. When the omelet is still a bit uncooked on top, but not too runny, add ¼ of the filling to just the middle section of third of the pan. Gently fold over the top third onto the middle of the omelet, covering the filling. Gently tilt the pan over a plate. Start sliding the omelet onto the plate and turn over onto itself again so that the omelet is folded in thirds on the plate. Continue with the remaining eggs to make more omelets.

To serve, place the omelet on the plate and dust the eggs and the plate with chopped chives, parsley oil and mushroom powder. Arrange three fried sage leaves attractively on each omelet.

Grand Marnier French Toast

(serves 6)

?      1 1/2 cups whole milk

?      3 large eggs

?      Juice of 1 Med orange

?      2 tbsp Vanilla

?      2 tbsp Grand Marnier

?      1 tbsp sugar

?      1 tbsp lemon zest

?      ½ tsp ground cinnamon

?      Pinch nutmeg

?      Pinch salt

?      Brioche (8 slices per loaf)

?      Maple pecan granola, processed until medium coarse

Method:

–Whisk together eggs, milk, juice, vanilla, Grand Marnier, sugar, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt in bowl.

–Soak bread slices (30 seconds to 1 minute) in egg mixture

–Pat granola mixture on presentation side

–Cook in mixture of butter and canola oil 3 – 5 min per side until crisp & browned. Place on wire rack and finish in over @ 350 degrees.

Presentation:

Square plate w/ warm maple syrup on bottom

Thick slice of French toast cut on bias, set across each other

Orange slice twist

Light sprinkle of powdered sugar

Serve with chicken apple sausage.

Duo of Rolled Shitake Omelets topped with melted mushroom brie and a Sauvignon Blanc, Yuzu, shitake sauce

?    2 tsp. sesame oil

?    4oz. shitake mushrooms, sliced thin

?    ½ bunch chives, fine dice

?    1 tsp. miso paste

?    ¼ cup sauvignon blanc

?    6 eggs lightly beaten

?    2 tbls. half & half

?    cracked pepper and sea salt to taste

?    4 oz. mushroom brie

?    A dash of Yuzu or lemon zest and juice of 1 meyer lemon

(Yuzu is Asian citrus juice –like lemon) can find in Asian or specialty markets.)

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add mushrooms & chives and sauté until mushrooms release moisture. Dissolve miso in ¼ boiling water and add to pan  with mushrooms.  Add ¼ cup sauvignon blanc. Cook for 3 minutes and stir. Add yuzu or lemon & zest. Set aside.

Spray or oil a small nonstick pan and heat. Add a few mushrooms evenly to bottom of pan. Add one ladle of egg/milk mixture & season w/ salt & pepper. Swirl as if making crepe and let omelette set. Flip for 30 sec. and remove from pan and gently roll. Cut in half & arrange on plate. Spoon some of mushroom miso mixture over the top and top with small wedge of brie.

Makes 2 – 3 omelettes. 

With the changing of the seasons, guests at 1801 First will notice fresh, seasonal ingredients adorning our scrumptious “Napa Valley” Gourmet Breakfast. With mouth watering treats like Apple-Sage Crepes adorned in pomegranate molasses, and our Wine Country Hash boasting sweet potatoes and yams, you may never want to go home!