Mac & Gruyere Casserole with Leek Tops & Other Veggies

Really, don't let the leek top thing throw you off this one. I first read about using leek tops in a frugality article encouraging the use of items like this that are often thrown away. Here, the remnants of the leeks I used for last night's soup combine with the cheese, mushrooms and other ingredients for an earthy dish with a bit of zip.

1 lg leek top, sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup red wine

6-8 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup Gruyere, grated

1/2 cup grated romano or parmesan

1/2 cup milk or cream

1 tsp Herbes de Provence

1/2 lb. short pasta, such as elbow or penne

1/2 cup or so breadcrumbs

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Begin boiling water for pasta. Heat olive oil in a skillet, then saute the garlic for a minute or so. Add the leeks, saute on medium heat, salt generously. Gradually add the water to keep the pan from getting too dry. After they begin to soften in about 10 minutes or so, add the peppers, mushrooms and butter. This is a good time to add the pasta, and cook until al dente.

Continue cooking the vegetables. After the mushrooms begin to sweat, stir in the wine. Meanwhile, drain the pasta, be sure not to cook beyond al dente as it will cook more in the oven. Stir the gruyere and milk into the pasta, then stir in the vegetables. Spread the pasta into a casserole dish. Top with the romano cheese and breadcrumbs, spreading them evenly over the top to just cover it. Spray the top with a bit of olive oil. Bake covered for about 15 minutes. Remove the cover, return to oven to broil for a minute or two, in order to brown the top a bit. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't get overdone. Remove and serve hot!

Note: Most mac & cheese recipes I've seen call for heating the cheese and cream to make a sauce. Not a bad idea, but for weeknight cooking I think this step can be skipped to save time and a pan. This recipe is not intended to be a purist version of mac & cheese anyway; rather it's a quick and simple way to use up some ingredients you might have on hand. It's lighter than typical mac & cheese.

Wine pairing: A baked pasta like this, with mushrooms and Gruyere, call for an earthy red to match. I went with the 2008 Moulin de Gassac Le Mazet ($10), a red blend from France's Languedoc region, blending Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah and Alicante. This is a great every day red to have around for cool weather like casseroles and stews.

WINE CHAT: Live Tasting of S.A. Prum Rieslings

I'd come across Taste Live events in the Twittersphere (#ttl), seeing wine tasting notes fly back and forth. Sounded like fun, so a few weeks ago I signed up for one. I had a vague awareness that another one was coming up Friday night, but the event obviously required a particular wine. Low and behold, a box of 4 S.A. Prum Rieslings was waiting for me when I got home from work Thursday, so I needed to quickly round up some fellow tasters!

Fortunately I was able to round up a group of 6 tasters on short notice to set about the arduous task of sampling the wines. The basic Taste Live process is that there is a designated time for people to start sampling the wines in a set order. Short tasting notes are then shared directly on the Taste Live website, which is linked to Twitter. The notes are short to conform with the 140 character limit on Twitter. It was a fun process to share these wines with a group in person but to also compare notes with tasters around the world.

Now, more about the wines we sampled last night. This was definitely the most focused attention I've given to Rieslings. They are in my wine rotation, primarily something I pair with spicy Asian food; so this provided a chance to learn more and compare different styles. All 4 Rieslings were from S.A. Prum; the Prum family has been cultivating wine for 200 years in Germany's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, probably the best known area for Riesling. Yet despite being the same grape varietal, from the same region and producer, each of the wines displayed distinctly different characteristics. I'll recap some of the basic notes in the order tasted; then share some of the overall impressions from our tasters.

S.A. Prum Essence Riesling: I got a citrusy nose, tart green apple on the front with a slightly sweet honey on the finish. Others noted the slight minerality and that it went well with the appetizers (a spicy dip and assortment of cheeses).

S.A. Prum Blue Riesling: This was quite full bodied for a Riesling, almost comparable with a chardonnay in terms of body. We tasted peach and apricot, and one taster noted the lingering honey on the finish. Based on the tasting sheets, I'd matched this with our main course, a pork stir fry with sides of noodles and a pasta dish that had been brought. The body stood up well to the food, the tip sheet was on point!

S.A. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett: I think our impression of this one may have suffered a bit from our tasting it while we were still working on our main course; this was a bit sweeter than the Blue, I can see it working better with something spicier. Some tasters dismissed it quickly as too sweet, but when I tried it with a crab cake and Cajun remoulade, my impression of this one improved. Most of the comments I saw on this from tasters elsewhere were quite positive.

S.A. Prum Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett: I really liked the firm structure of this one, a nice blend of honey and lemon with a distinct minerality in the backdrop. This is produced in a single 140 acre vineyard.

Our group really had a pretty diverse impression of the wines. None of us came in as Riesling mavens by any stretch, John perhaps being the most enthused about them. The Essence was definitely the most popular overall, as a couple group members really didn't care as much for the ones that had more sweetness. The Blue and Urziger both generated some heated discussion--thankfully more civic than the health care debate. Some really liked the fuller bodied nature of Blue, others didn't like this quality (tended to break down those who like chard vs. those who don't). A couple members thought the Urziger was sweet for their tastes; John and I, who I'd say overall were the biggest Riesling champions in the mix, definitely liked this one a lot with the combination of honey, lemon and minerality I noted.

All in all, it was a very fun night. And I definitely will be keep the S.A. Prum label--especially the Essence and Urziger--in mind next time I'm seeking a Riesling!

For more information:

Taste Live Website or follow on Twitter http://twitter.com/tastelive

S.A. Prum Winery Website or http://twitter.com/SAPrum

Wines of Germany (note: German wines are being featured all month on the Taste Live program so you can still get in on some of them!)