Cafe Champagne at Thornton Winery’s won the Gold Award for Contemporary Cuisine for eleven consecutive years from the California Restaurant Writers Association, but Executive Chef Steve Pickell is not one to sit back and savor his success for long: he is too busy dreaming up new dishes to share with his guests.
Graduated from the Culinary School of Washington, D.C. and trained under Australian chef Nora Pouillon at D.C.’s Restaurant Nora, Pickell has stayed true to the ideals using of fresh, local seasonal ingredients in his cooking. (Corie Maue/SWRNN)
“Cafe Champagne does not have a soup on the menu because I like to feature something new, fresh and seasonal each day,” said Pickell. “I have a bit of a commute, so I usually have something in mind by the time I get to work.”
Graduated from the Culinary School of Washington, D.C. and trained under Australian chef Nora Pouillon at D.C.’s Restaurant Nora, Pickell has stayed true to the ideals using of fresh, local seasonal ingredients in his cooking.
“We source a lot of our produce from Crow’s Pass Farm,” said Pickell. “They are right up the road here in Temecula and have some of the best fruits and vegetables available. We also utilize the great herb garden on the property.”
The menu at Cafe Champagne changes seasonally, so guests can expect light, fresh Spring dishes like Pistachio Roast Salmon with Artichoke and Asparagus Salad and Crispy Shrimp and Calamari Risotto.
Ask most award-winning chefs to share their recipes and they are, well, reticent. Pickell, on the other hand, hosts periodic cooking classes to teach guests how to prepare his favorites.
“People don’t eat out seven days a week,” said Pickell with a dry smile. “If they are not at Cafe Champagne, they should still be able to have an excellent meal.”
At a recent vegetarian cooking class staged on the Thornton Winery Fountain Patio, students enjoyed five dishes paired with Thornton wines. Taught in demonstration-style (rather than hands-on), the class allowed guests to learn the dishes while sipping and sampling.
Vegetarian Paella (Corie Maue/SWRNN)
At the conclusion of the afternoon, each participant left with a cookbook of all of the recipes to try at home:
Vegetarian Paella | Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
3 Tbl. olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion finely chopped
1 small red pepper cut into strips
1 small yellow pepper cut into strips
1/2 fennel bulb cut into strips
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup short grain rice
6 Tbl. sherry
1 tsp saffron threads
Sea salt
2 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup shelled fava beans
12 plum tomatoes halved
6 artichokes hearts marinated in oil
15 pitted kalamata olives
2 Tbl. rough chopped parsley
4 lemon wedges
Directions:
Heat up the olive oil in a paella pan or a large shallow skillet, and gently fry the onion slices about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and fennel and saute 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add the bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and cayenne to the vegetables and stir well. Then add the rice and stir thoroughly before adding sherry and saffron threads. Cook for about a minute or two, then add the stock and 1/3 tsp. salt. Reduce the heat to medium, cook gently for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed by the rice. Do not cover or stir rice during cooking.
Remove the paella from the heat. Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and fava beans over the rice.
Cover the pan with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
Remove foil sprinkle with olives and parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Paired with Thornton 2010 Viognier ($18): A popular Rhone-style varietal showcasing a flowery, perfume-like rose with rich honeysuckle flavors and crisp acidity. Purchase at the winery or online.
Cafe Champagne is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year and Chef Pickell offers his next cooking class – BBQ Cooking – on Saturday, June 30. For more information or to make reservations, please visit www.thorntonwine.com or call 951-699-0088.
Corie Maue is a local writer and regular contributor to SWRNN.
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