The farm-to-table experience in the Pacific Northwest, like coffee, is built into our culture. Access to farmers’ markets is all over the region, in cities large and small. Similar to our philosophy on the quality of meat, we seek out the freshest produce. We also know that a large percentage of our customers, readers, and friends are vegetarian, so we have tried to incorporate the same level of flavor and passion into vegetarian dishes to create a culinary experience for everyone.
Many of these recipes are enhanced seasonally when certain vegetables are in their prime (like summer tomatoes), but they can also be cooked year-round. Following is a mix of our favorites that will be a great addition to any menu for yourselves or for your vegetarian friends. The theme for all of our cooking is that if you can cook it inside, you can cook it outside too, with fire. A few of these also make great side dishes, like asparagus and artichokes, and as such won’t have a wine pairing because the focus should be on the main items cooked.
One of Mary’s dearest friends, Andrea, introduced us to grilled artichokes. She never disappointed with these artichokes. They may seem intimidating at first, but a simple steam followed by direct grilling creates a tender and flavorful snack. We add a touch of Sweet Rub (this page) for extra flavor when grilling. And while Andrea used to buy store-bought Dijon aioli to dip the artichokes in, we discovered how easy it can be made on your own.
MAKES 4 ARTICHOKE HALVES (1 HALF PER PERSON)
2 artichokes
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Sweet Rub (this page)
1 lemon, cut in half down the middle
Basic Aioli, for dipping (this page)
Dijon mustard (optional)
1 teaspoon Sweet Rub (optional)
Prepare the grill for direct cooking.
To prepare the artichokes, use sharp scissors to cut off the thorny tips of the artichoke leaves. Then cut the artichokes in half lengthwise.
Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the fuzzy portion of the artichoke stem and seed. Scrape out the dark portion so you have just the artichoke flesh. Artichokes will start to turn color when exposed to air, so to prevent this, squeeze lemon juice over the top if desired.
Steam the artichokes for 15 minutes until fork-tender. Remove and set aside.
Coat the artichoke halves with the oil and apply the Sweet Rub to the cut side.
Place the artichokes on the grill leaf side down and cook for 3 minutes. Flip them over to the cut side and grill for 6 to 8 minutes, or until slightly charred.
Place the lemon halves on the grill flesh side down and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the lemon caramelizes. Use the juice of half of that lemon for the Basic Aioli recipe. Reserve the other half for squeezing over the grilled artichokes.
Remove the artichokes from the grill and serve with the Basic Aioli, adding in some extra Dijon mustard and Sweet Rub if desired.
WINE PAIRING: Artichokes are one of those foods that can present a challenge for a wine pairing because of a naturally occurring compound in the artichokes called cynarin, which can make a wine seem sweet. It’s best to find a dry wine with high acidity to stand up to the artichokes. Some of our favorites include grüner veltliner, vermintino, and sauvignon blanc.
If there’s one vegetable we never tire of, it is asparagus, and grilling is the only way to prepare it. The crust that results from grilling brings out a fantastic sweetness. We finish by tossing in some spicy pickled peppers. There’s a company out of Portland, Oregon, called Mama Lil’s that makes the most addictive and flavorful spicy pickled peppers. Mama Lil’s uses Hungarian goathorn peppers. If you can’t find them, look for a similar jar of spicy pickled peppers packed in oil. The aromatic oil and spicy peppers complement the crunchy grilled asparagus in the most amazing way. Try to find thick asparagus, as it grills better than thin stalks.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 bunch thick asparagus (⅔ pound)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped spicy pickled peppers
Prepare the grill for direct cooking.
Prepare the asparagus by selecting one and slowly bending it until it snaps. It will break where the woody part ends. Trim the rest of the asparagus to the same length and discard the woody parts. The fresher the asparagus, the less you will have to cut.
Season the asparagus with oil, salt, and pepper, then place on the grill. Grill approximately 5 minutes per side, or until slightly charred, closing the grill cover in between flipping. Flip or rotate at least three times. Keep an eye on the asparagus as this can take less or more time depending on your grill heat and the thickness of the asparagus.
In a large bowl, toss the asparagus, pickled peppers, and some of the pickled pepper oil from the jar. Serve warm.
WINE PAIRING: Similar to artichokes, asparagus can also be a challenge to pair with wine. Add the spicy peppers, and we’re doubly challenged. No problem! Grilling asparagus breaks down its strong compounds and makes it more pairing friendly and the peppers give it a kick and acid backbone. Grüner veltliner, semi-dry riesling, and pinot gris/grigio are all favorites with this dish. A fruity Prosecco is pretty dreamy with these asparagus too.
Smoking tomatoes is hands down our favorite way to use up an influx of fresh tomatoes in the summer months. Instead of roasting them in the oven, cook them in the smoker at a very low temperature to soak up that sweet smoke flavor for the most delicious summer gazpacho.
We use smoked tomatoes for everything from a smoked Bloody Mary to smoked marinara sauce to smoked tomato bisque. While gazpacho is traditionally made with fresh raw tomatoes, we’re bending the rules a smidge so we can get that lovely smoke infusion. Using a cold smoker will help you avoid cooking the tomatoes, but so does keeping your temperature at 175 to 200 degrees F, allowing the tomatoes to become smoky but not cooked.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
2 pounds tomatoes on the vine (approximately 6 medium tomatoes)
1 medium sweet onion
1 (8-inch) cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
¼ cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ large jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the smoker to 200 degrees F using a fruitwood, like cherry or apple. Avoid mesquite, oak, or hickory; otherwise, the vegetables may pick up too much smoke.
Quarter the tomatoes and onion and place them directly on the grill (or on a baking sheet to pick up any tomato liquid). Cook for 1 hour. Remove and let cool, then peel the skin from the tomatoes.
In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, oil, vinegar, jalapeño, garlic, and salt to the desired consistency.
Serve cold with a drizzle of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with chopped cucumber and red bell pepper.
WINE PAIRING: Maybe because this is a fantastic summertime meal or maybe because of our affinity for rosé, but this meal is just made for a fruity and full-flavored rosé.
Sean loves beets. He’s not much into green salads, so this one is meant to be heavy on the beets, with just enough greens for balance and crunch. Beets are very firm when raw, so we take the liberty of roasting them in the oven to soften, then finish them on the hot grill for flavor and char. The beets can be roasted the day before and kept in the refrigerator until time to grill, making this an easy party dish. While beets can be an earthy flavor on their own, adding citrus really brightens up the vegetable quite well. This works great with both red and golden beets.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
For the beet salad
1 pound red beets
¼ cup chevre cheese
2 cups mixed salad greens
¼ cup Smoked Pickled Onions (this page)
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Pinch of finishing salt
Shaved smoked almonds (optional)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
To prepare the beets, trim off the stems and roots. Clean the beets, then wrap in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Add a small amount of water to the pan and place in the oven.
Roast the beets for up to 60 minutes. Smaller beets will likely be done earlier; they’re done when you can insert a fork easily. If necessary, continue cooking until fork-tender and add more water to the pan if needed.
Let the beets cool, then remove the skins. Use gloves when removing the skin; otherwise, expect your fingers to turn red. If making a day ahead, refrigerate the beets.
To make the vinaigrette, in a large bowl, combine the orange juice, vinegar, Dijon, honey, and salt. Slowly whisk in the oil to emulsify. Set aside.
Prepare the grill for direct cooking.
Cut the beets in half, then place them on the grill for 8 minutes per side, or until slightly charred. Remove the beets, then cut them in half again, quartering the beets for final presentation. (If you quarter them before grilling, some beets may fall through the grates.)
To the bowl with the vinaigrette, add the beets and toss. Add the chevre. Stir again, gently, and add the greens and pickled onions. Toss one more time, then plate.
Add Parmesan shavings to each serving, sprinkle a pinch of finishing salt over the top, and add the almonds for crunch.
WINE PAIRING: Medium-bodied rosés, such as those from southern France, Italy, and Oregon, work very well with grilled beets. Similarly, sparkling rosé is super refreshing with this salad. If you’re craving red, cabernet franc from the Loire Valley of France pairs surprisingly well with the earthy beets.
The first wine business trip Mary was invited to go on was to Santorini. This Greek island had been on her bucket list since she was a little girl, so she felt like she hit the jackpot on the first try. To this day, it remains one of the most memorable experiences of her life. The food, the scenery, the wine! There was even one restaurant that had the most memorable smoked ice cream. She was in heaven! Plus, baba ghanoush and the freshest tomatoes were served daily, and she recalls them being so simple yet so delicious. There had to be a way to keep the memory of this trip alive. Thus…
MAKES 1½ CUPS
2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise and tops removed (see note)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
⅓ cup roughly chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish (optional)
⅓ cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish (optional)
¼ cup tahini
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Cracked black pepper, to taste
Smoked salt, for garnish (optional)
Smoked paprika, for garnish (optional)
Season the flesh side of the eggplant halves with ½ teaspoon of the salt.
Place the eggplants on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side up to allow the water that will be drawn out of the eggplants to drip onto the sheet. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F using applewood.
Place the eggplants on the smoker, skin side down, for 1 hour to 90 minutes, or until the outer skin begins to brown and the texture is soft when inserting a toothpick or sharp knife (the outer skin will still be a bit tough). If the texture isn’t soft after 1 hour, feel free to increase the temperature to 275 to 300 degrees F until it softens enough to process (no more than 2 hours of total cooking time). Remove from the smoker.
When the eggplants are cool enough to work with, spoon out the flesh and put it in a food processor. (You could also use a sharp knife to remove the outer skin.)
Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, parsley, oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper to the food processor. Pulse until you reach a texture you like. Some like it a bit chunky, but we prefer it silky smooth. Add more oil if it appears too dry or is too thick. Adjust the ingredients to taste.
Pour dip into a serving dish or bowl. Top with your preferred garnishes. Serve with pita bread, baguette slices, or crackers.
NOTE: Eggplant: size matters. The really large ones can be bitter and full of big, dark seeds. Avoid these, or be prepared to remove some of the seeds after smoking.
If you still see lots of large, dark seeds after cooking the eggplant, remove them before making the dip. They will contribute a bitter, unpleasant taste.
Avoid wrinkled, bruised, or damaged eggplant. It should feel firm, smooth, and spring back slightly upon touch.
Use it fresh. Eggplant will keep for a couple days in a dry location (avoid the fridge because it’s too cold), but ideally it should be used immediately.
Cook eggplant until it’s soft. If it doesn’t get soft after 1 hour on your smoker, increase the temperature and continue cooking until it does.
WINE PAIRING: The island of Santorini, which inspired this recipe, is all about assyrtiko, a highly acidic dry white wine that is fantastic with baba ghanoush. But assyrtiko can be challenging to find. Easier to find but equally great with this dish is Chablis, which balances the fresh lemon flavors. For red, choose something light, like a pinot noir.
We should all eat more veggies. That’s easier to accomplish when you can substitute vegetables in meals that meat eaters enjoy, like pulled mushroom sliders instead of pulled pork. And the bonus we have is that Oregon is mushroom heaven.
When looking for the perfect mushrooms to mimic pulled pork, ideally you want ones with the thickest stems you can find. The best are giant king oysters, but they are hard to locate and they’re expensive. The best substitute is to use the largest white button mushrooms available. We’re going to repeat: look for the biggest white mushrooms you can find with thick stems. The stems pull just like shredded meat, but the caps do pretty well too.
While there’s no true substitute for the flavor of pulled pork, these sliders are meaty, smoky, and full of incredible flavors. Even hardcore carnivores devour these!
MAKES 8 TO 10 SLIDERS
2 pounds large white button or king oyster mushrooms with thick, large stems
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup Sweet Rub (this page)
½ cup Pinot Noir BBQ Sauce (this page) or your favorite Kansas City–style sauce
1 package soft slider buns (such as King’s Hawaiian)
½ cup Smoked Pickled Onions (this page)
1 cup prepared coleslaw
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F using applewood or oakwood.
Clean any dirt off the mushrooms with a moist paper towel (leave the stems on).
On a large baking sheet, season the mushrooms with ¼ cup of the oil and the Sweet Rub. Place the baking sheet on the smoker for 1 hour, or until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned.
Remove the mushrooms from the smoker and let cool enough to handle.
Using your hands, remove the stems from the caps and squeeze out and discard any liquid that has pooled up inside the caps. (If you don’t squeeze out the liquid, the texture of the mushrooms may be slimy.) Using two forks, shred the caps and stems, as you would shred chicken.
In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, moving them minimally in order to crisp the mushrooms. If they haven’t crisped after 5 minutes, cook another 3 to 4 minutes, tossing only once or twice, until you see a little crispiness develop. Add the Pinot Noir BBQ Sauce, mix, and cook 1 to 2 minutes to caramelize.
Remove from the heat. Serve on a soft slider bun with the Smoked Pickled Onions and the coleslaw. Top with any remaining sauce and enjoy warm.
WINE PAIRING: Mushrooms have rich and meaty flavors and textures, and they take the smoke flavor quite well. With the caramelized BBQ sauce, these sliders are fantastic candidates to pair with a cabernet franc, syrah, and even zinfandel. Or if you’re looking for something refreshing to offset the richness of the dish, a bold rosé will never let you down.
Cooking at events always challenges us to come up with unique items for our vegetarian friends and customers, and people get tired of generic black bean burgers fast! Living on a hazelnut farm, we came up with the idea to create a patty incorporating hazelnuts, one that has the texture and flavor needed to stand up to the grill yet remains a tasty option that people would not only eat but crave. The good news is you don’t have to have a hazelnut farm to enjoy these meat-free burgers, as hazelnut flour is easy to find. This recipe was inspired by chef, friend, and sausage maker extraordinaire Adam Ruplinger. The veggie patty has a unusual combination of flavors and textures, giving it the ability to stay firm while grilling.
MAKES 4 (5-OUNCE) PATTIES
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½ cups finely diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard, destemmed and finely chopped
2 cups hazelnut flour
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
5 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese
¼ cup tahini
2 eggs
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
4 slices pepper jack cheese (optional)
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and then the onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are tender and translucent but not caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard, then turn the heat to low. Sauté until the chard is wilted but not overcooked, 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, bread crumbs, cheese, tahini, eggs, yeast, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the Swiss chard mix and combine by hand. It will come together in a firm doughlike texture.
Using your hands, form the mixture into 4 patties. If you want uniform patties, oil a 3½-inch-wide ramekin (or 3½-inch top of an airtight jar), fill with the mixture halfway, and press firmly. Tap several times on a cutting board to release the patty.
Prepare the grill for direct cooking.
Place the patties over direct heat and grill for 4 to 6 minutes, or until a nice sear develops. Flip and add cheese, if desired. Cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, until a sear develops, and remove from the grill.
To assemble the patties into a burger, follow the assembly instructions for Smokehouse Burgers on this page.
WINE PAIRING: The flavor of the patties is quite mild, so the pairing is going to be determined by your toppings. Do you go ketchup or stick with a creamy mayo? Cheese or no cheese? A safe go-to wine for either would be rosé, but if you’re craving red, a fruity Beaujolais (made from gamay) works great. For white, opt for torrontés, viognier, or Rhône-style white blends.
Mary loves thinking outside the box with BBQ, and likes to recreate classics with nontraditional ingredients, like swapping tofu for beef in the classic “burnt ends”. The tofu firms up nicely in the smoker, infuses with sweet smoke, and has great savory flavors from the miso marinade. This is a fantastic weeknight meal served with rice and vegetables or as a side dish. This is a good one to have in your arsenal for your vegetarian friends come summer cookout season.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS AS AN APPETIZER OR SNACK
For the tofu
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons Sweet Rub (this page)
½ cup Pinot Noir BBQ Sauce (this page)
For the marinade
¼ cup brown miso paste
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
To prepare the tofu, cut the tofu in half vertically, place on a wire cooling rack, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and place a cutting board over the top. On top of the cutting board, put a heavy pan (cast iron works well) or 28-ounce cans of anything. Place in the fridge and let the liquid press out for a minimum of 1 hour (or up to 3 hours). Squeezing out the liquid will allow the tofu to absorb the marinade.
Remove the tofu from the refrigerator, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
To make the marinade, in a small bowl, whisk together the miso, vinegar, and oil. Put the marinade into a 1-gallon ziplock bag. Add the tofu. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F using applewood or cherrywood.
Place the tofu on a wire cooling rack and sprinkle with the dry rub, then put it into the smoker for 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours.
The tofu is done when it starts to turn a darker color and has a slightly firm texture. Remove the tofu from the smoker and toss with the Pinot Noir BBQ Sauce in medium bowl. Place the bowl onto the wire rack and into the smoker for 30 minutes to let the sauce set. Remove from the smoker and enjoy.
WINE PAIRING: Tofu is a blank canvas. The flavor here is all sweet smoke and the BBQ sauce. Go with those sauce flavors and opt for a barbera, zinfandel, or even a syrah or cabernet franc.
Portobello mushrooms are hearty and satisfying (even for a hardcore meat lover). These burgers are jam-packed with flavor from a savory marinade, a slow smoke, and a spicy chipotle aioli sauce. Make sure to stack your burgers two high per serving to give them more balance. The mushrooms shrink while cooking, so a single one could get lost between a bun and the great mayo.
MAKES 2 BURGERS
For the marinade
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
For the mushrooms
4 portobello mushrooms
2 teaspoons Sweet Rub (this page)
For the aioli
½ cup good-quality mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chipotle adobo sauce (if you don’t like heat, use 1 teaspoon)
1 chipotle pepper, finely diced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the burgers
2 soft pretzel buns
¼ cup Smoked Pickled Onions (this page)
1 bunch red leaf lettuce
1 large heirloom or beefsteak tomato, sliced
To make the marinade, combine the oil, Worcestershire, shallots, and garlic in a 1-gallon ziplock bag. Remove the gills from the mushrooms using a spoon. Add the mushrooms to the bag and seal, tossing to coat the mushrooms thoroughly. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F using applewood.
To cook the mushrooms, remove the mushrooms from the marinade and discard the marinade. Apply ½ teaspoon of the Sweet Rub per mushroom cap on both sides. Depending on the size of your mushrooms, you may need a smidge more or less.
Place the mushrooms directly on the smoker and cook for 1 hour, or until the mushrooms are soft. They will turn a dark color and shrink. Remove from grill.
Make the chipotle aioli prior to assembling the burgers. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, adobo sauce, chipotle pepper, and lemon juice and mix.
To assemble the burgers, place 2 mushrooms on the bottom bun, then top with the sauce, Smoked Pickled Onions, lettuce, tomato, and top bun.
WINE PAIRING: This is a good one for a classic Bordeaux blend. Or for a hit of something fruity, reach for a Washington State merlot.