Preparing for Wine and Coffee Tasting

Adam cupping some of their coffees

As it is getting closer to our Wine & Coffee Tasting - International Congress Open House, we are tasting and cupping coffees at Deeper Roots Coffee (DRC) to ensure that you will get a great variety and experience. Thanks to DRC's suggestions and willingness to help, we've figured out our coffee tasting plan:

The Taste of Guatemala
La Armonia Hermosa - Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala
Slow Food Presidia Coffee - Huehuetenango, Guatemala

The Taste of Different Coffee Processing, Ethiopia
Amaro Gayo Washed, Ethiopia
Amaro Gayo Natural, Ethiopia

You might be wondering, "What does "washed" and "natural" mean?"

Washed - A process where the coffee cherry is de-pulped
and the beans are then washed before 
                they are sun-dried.

Natural - A process where the coffee cherry is sun-dried with the pulp still on the coffee beans.

We hope to see you at the tasting. It's going to be fun!

Mushroom Agnolotti with Corn and Tomato Pan Sauce

 In the midst of summer what do you have a lot of?  We have a lot of sweet corn and tomatoes so this recipe is fabulous if you have an excess of both!

Mushroom Agnolotti with Corn and Tomato Pan Sauce
(adapted from Better Homes and Garden - Sept. 2012 issue)

2 ears sweet corn on the cob (came from Gorman Heritage Farm)
18 oz. wild mushroom agnolotti or ravioli (we amazingly had one package of this in our freezer but we added another package of three cheese tortellini)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced (Egyptian walking onion from our garden)
2 cloves of garlic minced (from our garden)
2-3 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped (orange paste, ponderosa beefsteak, and Opalka paste from our garden)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp chives, chopped (from our garden)

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Shave corn off the ears with a serrated knife and reserve. Add the cobs (to release corn starches and add richness. Les was also making a salsa verde sauce so he boil some tomatillos in the water before I put the past in. You definitely don't need to do this!) and agnolotti to water. Boil for about 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for pan sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook until fragrant, about two minutes. 
3. Add corn kernels and garlic to skillet; cook until bright and crisp and tender, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and toss until they begin to release some juices, about 2 minutes more.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup liquid. discard cobs. Add pasta back to the pot with the reserved cooking water, corn mixture, and butter. Gently toss over low heat to melt butter. (The original recipe put arugula in at this time which would be very tasty but arugula isn't in season right now - way too hot for that). Sprinkle in chopped chives and serve. 

Makes about 4 servings