Wine Harvest Celebration
Create a memorable evening with your own special
wine-tasting and appetizer party

Grilled Polenta With Roasted Portobello Mushroom,
Eggplant With Goat Cheese and Fire-Roasted Tomato and Garlic Shrimp

(Family Features) - This time of year is magical in wine country. Growers avidly wait for the precise moment when the long, slow ripening of the grapes has reached its peak. Then springing into action, they quickly and expertly harvest the grapes before an early freeze or rainstorm can throw off this symphony of man working in perfect harmony with nature. This fall is an opportune time to celebrate this delicate balance by sampling the smooth, refined taste of the season's wine harvest, accentuated by flavorful foods that bring out the best of the grape.

Whether you live in the next county over from a winery or halfway across the country, you can host your own elegant wine-tasting soiree and enjoy the bounty of the season with an appetizing combination of food and wine. And there's no need to call on a master sommelier. Even a wine-tasting novice can pull off a wonderful celebration with minimum fuss - and maximum impact.

The key to a fun and festive wine-tasting party is to keep things simple. By making several quick and tasty appetizers to accompany the wines, instead of a five-course meal, you'll be able to focus on creating a memorable event and enjoying the company of good friends.

Utilizing the best fresh seafood and the ripest produce in combination with a premium prepared pasta sauce, such as Classico, yields simple and sophisticated appetizers that will leave your guests asking for more. The recipes below take the thick, flavorful taste of pasta sauce beyond pasta to create three different delectable appetizers. Baked eggplant rounds with goat cheese filling, grilled polenta and Garlic Shrimp are all enhanced with tasty tomato sauces. The recipe for Garlic Shrimp uses Classico's new Cabernet Marinara With Herbs pasta sauce, showcasing wine's ability to infuse sauces with rich flavor.

In addition to the convenience and great taste of the prepared pasta sauces featured in these recipes, you'll also be contributing to the good health of your guests. Recent studies show that lycopene, a substance found in tomatoes, can help lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and other ailments. And the lycopene in processed tomato products, such as pasta sauces, is even better for you because it's converted to a form that's easier for our bodies to absorb.

Great food that's good for you, carefully chosen wines and close friends - what could be better?

Choose six wines - three reds and three whites. Sure bets are Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Assign each guest to bring a specific bottle of wine and their favorite wine glasses. Pay attention to details: appropriate background music, special lighting and an attractive presentation of food and wine. If weather permits, hold the party out-doors; a patio or deck provides an excellent venue. Couple the wine-tasting with delectable appetizers to suit the wine. Check out Classico's Website, classico.com or your local Barnes and Noble for The Classico Pasta Sauce Cookbook with more appetizer ideas and other recipes.

Grilled Polenta With Portobello, Crimini and White Mushrooms

4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup butter, divided
1/3 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
1 jar Classico Triple Mushroom pasta sauce

1. In medium saucepan, bring water and salt to boil. Gradually stir in cornmeal and 1/8 cup butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes. Mixture will become quite thick. Stir in remaining butter and Parmesan cheese. Pour cooked polenta evenly into 8-inch square baking dish, lined with parchment paper. Cool completely, then chill until firm. Slice into 12 wedges.
2. Place polenta wedges on greased grill over medium heat. Cook on both sides until heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. In the meantime, in large saucepan, heat pasta sauce. Serve polenta with about 1/3 cup sauce over top.

Serves 6.

Eggplant With Goat Cheese and Fire-Roasted Tomato

Salt
1 large eggplant, sliced into 8 rounds, 1/2 inch thick
All-purpose flour
1 cup olive oil, approximately
4 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons finely diced, roasted, yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 jar Classico Fire-Roasted Tomato & Garlic pasta sauce

1. Lightly salt eggplant rounds; let stand 30 minutes. Pat dry and toss in flour. Remove and set aside.
2. In saucepan, heat 6 tablespoons olive oil over medium- high heat; fry 3 to 4 eggplant rounds at a time, cooking until both sides are golden, adding more oil as needed. Place cooked eggplant on paper towel-lined trays to absorb excess oil.
3. In small bowl, combine goat cheese, roasted pepper and parsley.
4. Spread pasta sauce in 8-inch baking dish. Place 4 eggplant slices on sauce and evenly cover each with goat cheese mixture. Top with remaining eggplant slices and another layer of goat cheese.
5. Bake, uncovered, in preheated 350øF oven 25 to 30 minutes. Serve eggplant rounds with sauce and top with sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Serves 4.

Garlic Shrimp

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup Classico Cabernet Marinara With Herbs pasta sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and parsley. Sauté shrimp until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in pasta sauce and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6.

SOURCE: Classico Italian Sauces

 

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