officially begins tomorrow. It is a must for all who love fabulous wine accompanied by great food and unique events. Fall is the perfect time in the Okanagan to watch the grapes ripen in the sun and indulge yourself during the harvest celebrations. During the festival you can experience vineyard tours, lunches, dinners, events and the fall wine harvest at over 70 wineries in the valley. The festival is for the next 10 days and guests and locals enjoy their choice of over 165 events throughout the valley which are focused on wine, food, education and the arts in one of North America's most spectacular settings. The festival continues to rank in the top 100 events by the North American Bus Association.
Visit their site at www.thewinefestivals.com
I sound like I work for the Chamber of Commerce and have an ad for tourism, but, my friends and I love to attend some of the events together each year. This year we are going on the Historic Rails & Trails Wine & BBQ Event. We have a guided four mile (not km) walk along the picturesque Trans-Canada Trail to the small community of Faulder. Then we take the steam train back to Summerland where the event wraps up with a barbeque lunch and a glass of wine. I have also been on the Kettle Valley Railway Train Robbery. Volunteers dress up in full gear and rob the train just like in an old western movie. They "rob" the passengers and all the money goes to local charities.
My friends and I will also be attending a luncheon at St. Hubertus Winery next weekend. I will be sure to post about all these events.
In honour of the wine festival I will be making a dish with wine for the next 10 days...even if I have to be the "Galloping Gourmet" himself and just swig it back as I am cooking. Wink...wink...
My first dish serves 2 for a cozy dinner with a nice glass of wine, but, you can easily double, triple or quadruple the recipe to serve many.
**Chicken with Lemon-Caper Sauce**
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 (6 oz) skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 T capers, drained
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Place flour in a small dish or a plastic bag, then coat the chicken and shake off the excess. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Shake excess flour from chicken, then brown in hot oil until both sides are golden-brown, and the inside has turned white and firm, 3 - 4 minutes per side.
Remove the chicken, and set aside in a warm place. Pour white wine into the skillet, and allow to boil as you dissolve the cooked bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the lemon juice, and allow to come to a boil, cook for a few minutes until reduced by half.
Sprinkle the cubed butter into the boiling sauce. Swirl and shake the pan vigorously to dissolve the butter, thus thickening the sauce. The butter must never come to rest, or the sauce will separate and become oily. Once the butter has completely incorporated, remove from heat and stir in capers.
To serve, pour lemon-caper sauce over the chicken, and serve with a wedge of lemon.
Serves 2
