Four Courses for July 4th

In years past on July 4th across the United States, friends and families would gather in parks and yards, on decks and patios, poolside and beachside, to celebrate Independence Day and enjoy traditional July 4th dishes. With the coronavirus ever-present some people may opt-out of large gatherings that would have taken place and opt for smaller get-togethers. If you are looking to switch up your typical barbecue, burgers, and hotdogs for something unique, fun, and out-of-the-box, we have the perfect four-course meal for you. These recipes come straight out of  Wineucation the Cookbook, written by our founder Jennifer McDonald. It can be purchased on our website or in the winery.

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First Course

Broiled Scallops with Parmesan Crust

Wine Pairing: Apple Moments

Serves 6

Ingredients

Sea Scallops – 2 lbs

Butter – 2 tbsp

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Bread crumbs – ½ cup

Parmesan cheese – 2 tbsp

Parsley finely chopped – 1 tsp

Paprika – ¼ tsp

Black pepper – to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven.
2. Dry the sea scallops and place them in a bowl.
3. In a bowl, add olive oil and melted butter, mixing it all thoroughly.
4. Pour the mixture over the scallops.
5. Take the rest of the ingredients and place them in a separate bowl. Add the scallops.
6. After coating the scallops in bread crumbs, place them on the top rack of the oven for 10 minutes.
7. Serve.

Second Course

Beef Carpaccio

Wine Pairing: Red Wine Blend

Serves 4

Ingredients

Beef fillet – 14 ounces

Arugula – 2

Parmesan – 1 tbsp

Sea salt – to taste

Black pepper – to taste

Directions

1. Place parchment paper on the kitchen slab.
2. Cut the beef into slices. Take each slice and place it onto the paper and top it with another sheet of parchment paper.
3. Pound the beef until it’s evenly flattened.
4. Place the arugula on a plate and take out the beef slices, placing them to your liking.
5. Top it all with seasoning and parmesan.
6. Serve.​

Third Course

Grilled Skirt Steak and Peaches with Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Wine Pairing: Blackberry Passion

Serves 4

Ingredients

Skirt steak – 1 ½ pound cut into 4 pieces

Garlic cloves – 2

Bay leaf – 1

Small shallot – 1

Jalapeno – 1

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Soy sauce – 2 tbsp

Thyme – ½ tsp

Canola oil – 1 cup and 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Ground pepper – to taste

Dijon mustard – 1 tbsp

Boiling water – ½ cup

Honey – 2 tbsp

Cinnamon – ½ tsp

Ginger – 1 ½ tsp

Peaches – 4

Directions

1. Place the bay leaf, shallot, lemon juice, soy sauce, chopped thyme, and lemon zest in a blender. Blend the ingredients to perfection.
2. Add half a cup of oil and keep the blender on until the mixture is smooth.
3. Sprinkle seasoning on the mixture. Pour some of it onto a baking dish and place the steak on top of it.
4. Spread some more of the mixture on the steak, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
5. Add Dijon mustard to the rest of the mixture, and blend it all.
6. Using a small pot, add honey, grated ginger, and cinnamon to it. Mix it all well. Pour it into a medium-sized bowl along with the remaining ingredients.
7. Remove the rest of the marinade from the skirt steak. Season the meat and grill it for 6 to 8 minutes.
8. Grill the peach halves for 8 minutes, until they are charred and slightly squishy.
9. With a sharp knife, slice the steak and carefully make wedges out of the peaches.
10. Serve along with the dressing

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Wine Pairing: Union Station

Ingredients

Portobello mushrooms – 3

Canola oil – ¼ cup

Onion – 3 tbsp

Minced garlic cloves – 4

Balsamic vinegar – 4 tbsp

Directions

1. Mix oil, chopped garlic, chopped onions, and vinegar in a bowl.
2. Wash the mushrooms and place their caps on a plate. Remove the stems.
3. Pour the mixture over the caps and allow them to sit for an hour.
4. Heat a grill and place the mushroom caps on it for about 8-10 minutes.
5. Keep grilling till they look brown and ready.
6. Serve.

Fourth Course

Lemon Blueberry Clafoutis

Wine Pairing: Apple Moments

Serves 4

Ingredients

Blueberries – 2 cups

Castor sugar– ½ cup and 3-4 tsp

Cubes of cream cheese– 4 ounces

All-purpose flour – ¼ cup

Vanilla – 1 tsp

Eggs– 3

Whole milk – ½ cup

Powdered sugar – 1 tbsp

Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine cubes of cream cheese, half a cup of caster sugar, flour, one egg, and vanilla with a mixer till it’s smooth and creamy.
3. Add the rest of the eggs to the mixture as well. Blend till everything combines together. Pour in milk slowly while mixing at the same time.
4. Butter dessert dishes and dust leftover castor sugar.
5. Place half a cup of blueberries in each of the dishes. Add the batter to each dish, topping with some lemon zest.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or till the desserts become golden. After removing, let them cool, and sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.
7. Serve.

Shop Featured Wines

There’s still time to purchase all your Jenny Dawn Cellars favorites for the holiday weekend.

Come see us at the Tasting Room Tuesdays through Saturdays, or shop online for local pickup or delivery where available.

We hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend!

 

About Jenny Dawn Cellars

Founded in 2016 by Jennifer McDonald, Jenny Dawn Cellars has grown from the dream of an at-home winemaker into Wichita’s first urban winery.

In 2017, Jenny Dawn Cellars established a working partnership with a wine facilitator in Napa, California. In 2019, Jenny Dawn Cellars opened a winery and tasting room in the heart of downtown Wichita located at Union Station. Jennifer now crafts and bottles her wines on-site, with grapes and juice sourced from the finest growers in California and Kansas.

As of June 2022, Jenny Dawn Cellars has 7 handcrafted wines.

Jenny Dawn Cellars winery and tasting room at Union Station offers charcuterie and small bites, venue rentals, private wine tastings, wine locker memberships, and Winuecation – a monthly educational class.

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We’ve bottled the art of timing.

From the vine to the bottle – we craft our wine from grapes, fruit, and juice sourced from the finest growers in the nation.

From the bottle to the glass – that’s where you come in. When you open a bottle of Jenny Dawn Cellars wine, you open your moment, your reprieve from the business of busyness, and your time to bloom.

Jenny Dawn Cellars is inspired by the wildflowers in the Kansas countryside, inviting you to open up, enjoy the breeze, and show your colors to the world. Just like a flower, when Jenny Dawn Cellars wine is shared with someone special, it needs no further explanation – it’s a feeling that is simply understood.

Jenny Dawn Cellars – Let your moment begin.