Irish Shepherd's Pie with Pelican Ranch Cinsault

Irish Shepherd's Pie, Garden Tomatoes, And Dutch Crunch Bread

Rick had a hard time getting through the day of the memorial service, and it was a relief that evening when Elaine arrived home, to sit on the deck and share an Irish Shepherds Pie while drinking Pelican Ranch Censault. Wanting to keep Rick's cholesterol manageable, Elaine had made the pie with turkey, instead of beef, and the gravy combined with the mashed potatoes provided the perfect comfort food.

                                                                    From Death Of A Foster Child

Death of a Foster Child explores the guilt felt when the foster placement of a teenage girl in the home of Rick Podowski and his wife failed. To complicate matters, the foster child was brutally murdered and the authorities believe she was selling drugs on the school campus and by implication asserted that the foster parents allowed this behavior. Rick Podowski with the help of Leti Ramos, Erin McGinty and Teresa Spinelli, also know as The Hefty Trio investigate to learn the truth.

In the process of investigating, they discover the world of drug sales on the high school campus, the underlying challenges facing students in a gang infested school, as well as the difficulties faced by special education students. The reader will experience the frustrations of foster parents when faced with a system that is designed to keep the children dependent. Suggestions to improve foster care and move the children towards independence are provided at the end of the book.

Rick and The Hefty Trio love to eat and the book contains ethnic recipes with pairings of boutique wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.

Irish Shepherd's Pie with Pelican Ranch Cinsault

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium chopped onion

2 sliced carrots

4 tablespoons flour

1 can of beef stock

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1 pound cooked ground beef or ground turkey

1 1/2 pounds mashed potatoes

8 ounces of frozen peas

Irish cheese

Preheat oven to 350° F. Brown the ground beef or ground turkey. Remove from the pan.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion and sauté it. After adding the carrots, stir in the flour and cook until it is slightly browned then add the stock and herbs.

Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce it a little by cooking for about five minutes. Add the meat and bring it back to a boil. Add the frozen peas.

Place in a pie pan or a deep baking dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes. Grate some Irish cheese over the top about 10 minutes before the end of cooking for extra flavor.

Serves 4

Pelican Ranch Cinsault 

Pelican Ranch Winery is a small family owned and operated winery specializing in Rhone and Burgundy style wines from the best vineyards in California. Established in 1997, production is limited to 100 cases from each vineyard for a total of about 1500 cases. The winery began commercial production in 1997 in a shared space with the Roudon-Smith Winery in Scotts Valley. In 2003, they were one of the first to open a tasting room in the Surf City Winemaker's area of Santa Cruz. February 1, 2011, marked the establishment of their new facility in Capitola.

Phil Crews, the owner and winemaker, is a professor of chemistry at UCSC's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and a noted expert in marine sponges. As part of his curriculum, he also teaches a course titled, Introduction to Wines and Wine Chemistry.

His wines are made using Oregon Oak for all of his reds, which are unfiltered and unfined and French barrels for his Chardonnay. The winery produces Pinot Noir, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Pinotage, Grenache, Syrah Rose, Raspberry Dessert Wine, Chardonnay, and Rousanne.