Pearmund Vineyard

Rob and I spent Sunday crossing a few more wineries off of our list.  We headed to Pearmund and Vint Hill to enjoy the gorgeous sunshine and a few glasses of vino.  These two took our winery count to 36! We had a wonderful tasting at Pearmund with an extremely knowledgeable pourer, which makes everything better.  Chardonnay is their claim to fame (the only grapes they grow on property) however we loved the Collaboration (a red blend).  We had a glass (or two!) with delicious onion soup out on the patio next to the fire pit.  It was the perfect end to our weekend.

The onion soup reminded me of a recipe for french onion soup that I made in a hurry last week and didn't have any pictures of.  I love french onion soup on cold days and I think it is truly worth the extra effort to make it homemade.  We ate it with grilled cheese and it was the perfect winter meal!  The best part for me was being able to make it and not have to worry about timing it to when Rob would be getting home...I just left it simmering and it was ready whenever he got home.  Plus being meat-free, it is perfect for Fridays during lent!

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 Onion, thinly sliced

1 t Garlic, minced

7 cups Beef Broth

1 T Soy Sauce

1 t Thyme

1 t Flour

4 Slices Bread (I like something thick and crusty)

4 T Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

2 Slices of Provolone Cheese

Directions:
Add onions, garlic, and one cup of beef broth to a medium sized pot and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly for about 20 minutes until all broth is gone and onions are brown and caramelized.
Add the rest of the beef broth, soy sauce, thyme, and flour to the pot and stir.  Simmer covered for at least two hours.
Cut two slices of bread into small cubes.
Spoon soup into oven safe bowls.  Stir in parmesan cheese and bread cubes then top with slices bread covered in provolone cheese.  Bake in oven for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and brown.