Beet-Marbled Eggs with Feta + 2019 St. Supéry Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc #InJoy #Sponsored

  This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of St. Supéry.

Complimentary wine was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

However, all opinions expressed here are my own. 

Here we are for the third session of the #InJoy series that started last month with St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery*. Once again we chatted with Estate Horticulturist Brianne Hoover; Emma Swain, CEO; Michael Garcia, Viticulture Manager; Brooke Shenk, Winemaker; and Tod Kawachi, Estate Chef. And we sipped the 2019 St. Supéry Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc while we watched Chef Tod make his Beet-Stained Eggs with Feta creation. Here's his close-up...

But before the cooking inspiration, we heard from Garcia about the frost protection measures in place as the mornings dip into the 30s while the days are feeling like summertime already. And Hoover shared all kinds of tips for successful tomato gardening, including planting the plants to the bottom of the top leaf and planting it horizontally in a trench. 

Since I am not a gardener - more of a cook and an eater - I paid closer attention to Hoover's favorite varieties of tomatoes will hopefully be able to sway my in-home gardeners to plant a few. The Costotuto Genovese looks like a flower when you slice it, apparently; and the Hungarian Heart, in addition to being shaped like a heart, is great on BLTs. Yeah, I have some BLT fans in this household.

And, if I do get Jake and D to plant some tomatoes, I'll be sharing her tips on companion planting to naturally repel pests with plants such as including marigolds, sweet alyssum, basil, yarrow, and cosmos in your rows.

In the Glass

Shenk tasted the 2019 and 2020 Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blancs side by side though I only a bottle of the 2019 on-hand. She explained how the grapes are picked at night so that they come to the winery cold which preserves the acidity and the aromatics. Though the 2019 is no longer available on the winery website, the 2020 is: here. But I was able to locate the 2019 at a local retailer still.

Shenk is right about the acidity and aromatics, this Sauvignon Blanc has both of those in spades. It pours a pale straw hue though the bottle must be slightly tinted green because it's much more yellow in a glass. On the nose there's the expected green lime and grapefruit notes of a Sauvignon Blanc, but it's the kiss of passionfruit and a tinge of fennel that really drew me in. This is a very pretty wine that is surprisingly weighty.

While we were tasting the wine, Swain shared a photo that Shenk had taken on harvest day for the Sauvignon Blanc that captured one of the lightning strikes that started the fires in Napa Valley in 2020. She described how neighbors brought water trucks and their neighborly spirit to help protect the vineyard from the fire and shared how we could support the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. Done!

On the Plate

very slightly adapted from original recipe courtesy of Estate Chef Tod Kawachi found here

"It’s Easter season and egg season!" declared Swain, as she introduced Chef Tod and showed photos of the Dollarhide chickens. "Happy hens," Chef Tod agreed. Garcia chimed in to talk about the mobile coops that can be pulled around by tractor and ATV. "It gives the hens a diversified diet. They scratch around for grubs and peck at the peaches that have fallen. It makes a difference to the orchard as well as the quality of the eggs."

It's true: the quality of free-range eggs is amazing. I love having friends with hens. And I happily trade loaves of sourdough or other baked goodies for their fresh-laid treasures.

Chef Tod shared tips on how to hard boil eggs and cautioned to turn down the heat a tad when the water comes to a boil because "cooking aggressively causes the egg whites to get rubbery." Then he urged us to try this process with different colors such as using golden beets or saffron with Sauvignon Blanc. He showed us the different hues of pink depending on how long the eggs were submerged in the beet liquid.

And, after he showed us his eggs, he inspired us with a few riffs that included crumbled bacon, bleu cheese, and some specialty wine-infused salts that he makes. I stuck with the basics for my first attempt, but I might be picking up some golden beets to do a pink and gold platter for our Easter starter this weekend. We shall see...

Ingredients serves 6

• 6 eggs
• 2 organic beets, trimmed and halved lengthwise 
• 3 ounces vinegar
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• chives, chopped for garnish
• organic pea shoots, for garnish
• pickled beets, for garnish (my version here)
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper 

Procedure

Place the eggs, beets, and vinegar in a large saucepan. Pour in enough water to ensure that there is at least an inch of liquid over the eggs and beets.

Bring the water to a rolling boil. Let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the eggs stand in the hot liquid for 15 - 20 minutes. Run the under cold waters so that they are cool enough to handle.

Tap the boiled eggs to make a series of cracks all over the eggshells. Try to keep the shells intact. But if some pieces happen to flake off, don't worry. Place the cracked eggs back in the pot with beets. Let cool completely, then transfer them to the refrigerator to steep overnight.

To serve, peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Top with crumbled feta cheese and chopped chives. Sprinkle with freshly ground salt and freshly ground pepper.

Plate with pickled beets and organic pea shoots. Serve immediately.

This series has one more session -  next week - when we make 'Brocco-latke'-Zaatar, Charred Lemon with the 2018 Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon as we focus on Encouraging Home Garden Biodiversity. And because I loved the way Swain ended the Zoom class, I am going to say the same: Be well, be kind, and Happy Easter!

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*Disclosure: I received compensation in the form of wine samples for recipe development and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.