Remembering Jim Clendenen

This is a difficult newsletter for me to write. We recently lost a great winemaker, a pioneer of food and wine in Santa Barbara County and most of all a friend. Jim Clendenen was known far beyond Santa Barbara, and certainly played a major role in putting Santa Barbara wines on the global map. He has been written about in the pages of our magazine for years. And we’ve collaborated with him on events and feel privileged that were able to get to know him. Perhaps one of my favorite articles was one that Hilary Dole Klein wrote in our Winter 2013 issue—The Vintner as Chef: How Jim Clendenen Nourishes His Winery.

Click to read the full article.

Beautifully photographed by Jeffrey Bloom, I encourage you to read the full article that you can access above. Jim loved cooking for people and his lunches at the winery were legendary. There are few things better than gathering with a group of like-minded people over delicious food and wine. And with Jim cooking… well, it was a real treat. Because Jim was a storyteller. If you asked what he was cooking or about an ingredient he was using, it could lead to a fascinating tangent. Below is a photo of Jim telling me about his ‘hot & spicy red wine vinegar’—how he made it and what he uses it in.

So lunch involved food, wine and stories. You always met the most interesting people at his lunches. You probably learned quite a bit, and you were definitely entertained.

The huge pan that Jim is holding above is his Ravioli with Butternut Squash, Brown Butter and Sage. This is serious comfort food. It is one of the two recipes of his that we published in the article linked above. But for easy reference, I’m including it here, too.

Our recipe editor, Nancy Oster, wrote to me yesterday:

One of my favorite recipes to ‘test and retest’ was his ravioli and butternut squash with brown butter and sage (Winter 2013). Lots of butter as I remember. Maybe I should retest it again.

Yes, we all should. And raise a glass of Au Bon Climat to Jim.

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Ravioli with Butternut Squash, Brown Butter and Sage

Jim says: “This is a simple and fun dish that has become very popular at Au Bon Climat/Qupé Winery for some unknown reason, maybe deliciousness. There can be endless short cuts—frozen squash, etc.—depending on the self-esteem of the preparer.”

Makes about 16–25 servings

• 2 medium-size butternut squash

• 1⁄4–1⁄2 pound butter

• 15 cloves fresh garlic

• 1–2 cups white wine

• 1 bunch fresh sage

• 1 quart vegetable stock

• 2 Meyer lemons

• 2 (24-ounce) packages of cheese ravioli

• Salt, pepper, red chili flakes, lemon zest

• Crema Mexicana Agria or Mexican-style cultured cream

• 2 cups grated white Italian cheese (4- or 6-cheese blend)

• Endless olive oil

Cut open and seed the butternut squash. Roast in the oven, covered with foil, at 375° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until soft. A little water can be added to the pan.

In a large Dutch oven, brown ¼ pound butter. Add 10–15 cloves of diced garlic, cooking until browned. Add 1 cup wine puréed with 10–15 sage leaves, 1 butternut squash (cooked, peeled, and chopped), 1 quart vegetable stock, and the juice of 2 Meyer lemons. Cook into a sauce, adjusting with wine or stock for texture. Correct seasoning with salt, pepper, chili flakes, butter, garlic and lemon zest to taste.

Boil enough lightly salted water to cook ravioli as per directions.

Oil a large baking pan (a full-size stainless steel hotel pan works well) and place 1 layer of ravioli in the bottom. Layer sauce mixture over the ravioli and then place a second layer of ravioli. Cover with cheese and drizzle generously with the Crema Mexicana. Add remaining squash (cut into small cubes), salt and pepper and artfully apply sage leaves to the top. Moisten with olive oil. Finish by baking uncovered in the oven at 350° until the surface is melted, gooey and aromatic. 

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This makes a huge amount—enough to share with friends. Here’s to gathering with friends. May we appreciate and remember.

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Thank you for reading this email newsletter. It means a lot to me that I can share things directly with you in between issues of our print magazine. Speaking of which, the new issue is out and about. Subscribers will be getting it in the mail very soon and you will start seeing it around town.

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