Winemaker's Dinner

We are so excited to have partnered with Visit Winston-Salem to host eight amazing visiting journalists from all of the US and Canada that will tour our city over the next couple of days. We kicked off the weekend's festivities last night by hosting a 5-course Winemaker Dinner featuring Childress Wine. The night started with a pre-dinner reception and historic butler tour. Graylyn's Butler, Larry Worley, shared the story of the Gray family, their rich ties to Winston-Salem and interesting details of the estate's 86 guest rooms, private dining rooms and living spaces. the tour concluded in the White Garden where the Winemaker Dinner was dreamily set creating a breathtaking outdoor dining experience. The intimate atmosphere was created by our fantastic Wedding and Special Events Coordinator, Farah Scruggs,  by using 2 large rustic tables, mahogany chivarie chairs, lanterns perfectly placed on refurbished wine barrels, and beautiful place settings (along with our prayers for the weather to cooperate being answered!). Executive Chef, Gregory Rollins's created an impeccable menu and Childress Winemaker paired the perfect wines making this dinner flawless. what a lovely night it was.

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Chef Rollins' Asparagus Salad, Perfect for Warm Weather!

This is the perfect, light salad for any hot, summer day. Fresh asparagus combined with goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard will have you craving this salad.

Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 6

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  ¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallot

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

¾ tablespoons salt

 ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ cup salad oil

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and blanch until just tender, cooled completely

 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper. 

While continuing to whisk, add the salad oil in a very thin stream, whisking constantly.

Place blanch asparagus on platter and drizzle dressing over the top. Finish with crumbled 

goat cheese and garnish with chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve immediately.

Chef’s Tip: add chopped crispy bacon

Enjoy!

Chef Greg Rollins

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Chef Rollins' Three Favorite Easter Ham Glazes

These 3 glazes will spruce up any lunch or dinner by adding a hint of spice, sweetness and shine to your holiday ham. Not only can they be used for Easter but for anytime during the holidays. 

Pineapple Cherry Ham Glaze (Easter)

Prep Time: 10mins

Cook Time: 5 Mins

INGREDIENTS:

1 Can Sliced Pineapples (15.25) Drained And Keep Juice

4oz Of Maraschino Cherries

1 Cup Brown Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Before Baking Ham, Place Pineapples Slices On Ham With Toothpicks And Place Cherries In Center Of Pineapple.

In A Small Sauce Pan, Combine Brown Sugar And Reserved Pineapple Juice On Medium Heat Until Sugar Is Dissolved And Mixture Becomes Thicker.

Pour Glaze Over Ham The Last Hour Of Cooking. 

Maple Cinnamon Ham Glaze (Thanksgiving)

Prep Time: 10mins

INGREDIENTS:

¼ Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Maple Syrup

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Stir Brown Sugar And Ground Cinnamon Together In A Bowl Until Well Combined. Add The Maple Syrup And Stir Until Smooth.

Glaze Ham 45min To 1hour Before The Finish.

Zesty Ham Glaze (Anytime)

Prep Time: 10mins

INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Brown Sugar

3 Garil Cloves

½ Cup Of Mango Chutney

2 Tsp Orange Zest

1/8 Cup Orange Juice

¼ Cup Dijon Mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Combine Brown Sugar, Garlic Cloves, Mango Chutney, Orange Zest And Mustard In Food Processor Or Blender. Blend Until Smooth And Glazed Ham About 45mins Before Finish.

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Watch the NCAA March Madness at Graylyn

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Warm Up With Winter Cocktails - Beverage Manager Jeffrey Sykes's Favorites!

Days have grown shorter, the sunsets more colorful and sometimes we just need a drink to warm us up on those cold winter evenings.

While most people think warm drinks will do the trick, think again! Wintertime cocktails may be served cold but pack a nice warm punch. Combine it with an evening sitting by the fire and you've just created the perfect wintertime concoction.

The list of winter cocktails could go on and on, but we went straight to the source and spoke with Graylyn's Beverage Manager Jeffrey Sykes to get his secret list of the best wintertime drinks. Pour, mix, sip and enjoy!

The Old Fashioned (a Graylyn Signature Cocktail!)
Patiently aged Knob Creek small batch rye whiskey muddled with orange peel, maraschino cherry, sugar and Angostura Bitters. Served on the rocks in a highball glass

2 oz bourbon whiskey
2 dashes Angostura® bitters
1 splash water
1 tsp sugar
1 maraschino cherry
1 orange wedge



Mix sugar, water and angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Drop in a cherry and an orange wedge. Muddle into a paste using a muddler or the back end of a spoon. Pour in bourbon, fill with ice cubes, and stir.

Pear and Sparking Cider Cocktail

2 cups pear nectar, chilled
2 cups sparkling apple cider, chilled
2 cups seltzer, chilled
4 ounces (1/2 cup) bourbon whiskey, such as Knob Creek

1 Bosc pear, unpeeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges

Stir together pear nectar, cider, seltzer, and whiskey in a pitcher. Divide pear wedges among glasses, and pour in cocktail. Serve immediately.

Dandy Shandy

4 ounces good quality dark stout or porter beer (or nonalcoholic beer) (1/2 cup)

4 ounces chilled ginger ale or ginger beer (1/2 cup)

Place dark stout beer in a serving glass. Pour ginger ale atop. Makes 1 (8-ounce) serving.

Smoky Martini

2 oz Absolut Vodka
.5 oz Laphroig Single Malt Scotch Whisky
1 dash Pernod

Add both ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice.
Stir, and strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

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Ring in the New Year at Graylyn!

Christmas may not even be here yet, but I bet many of you are already thinking ahead and starting to make plans for New Year’s Eve. Whether you're looking for an exquisite dinner for you and your spouse or just a relaxing evening away from home, Graylyn has New Year's packages for you!

This year Graylyn is offering an A La Carte dining experience for its New Year's guests. Menu items start at $17.50, and Chef Greg Rollins has planned this one-of-a-kind menu with our guest's interests in mind. This dining experience is offered from 5:00pm to 11:00pm by reservation. 

Ready for a New Year's mini vacation? Send the kids off to grandmas because Graylyn is offering a special overnight dining package for you and your spouse. The package includes a dinner credit, overnight accommodations early check-in and late check-out. 

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to party like the Gray family in the early 1930s? Well now you can. Host a dinner party for up to eight people in one of Graylyn's unique private dining rooms. 

These packages are available from December 30 to January 4, 2015.  Be sure to call to make your New Year's reservations! For more information click here.

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Chef Rollins' Hearty Tomato Bisque, Perfect For Chilly Winter Nights!

This is the perfect heart-warming soup for those chilly winter days. Tangy roasted tomatoes paired with smoky bacon and cheesey croutons will have your tastebuds screaming for more. 

Tomato bisque is one of Chef Rollins' favorite soups to make in the winter time. He often serves it for lunch or dinner at Graylyn, so stop by and be sure to try it! 

Hearty Tomato Bisque Soup with Cheese Croutons

Serves 6

Prep Time 45mins

Cook Time 60 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 stalk celery, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 4 slices of bacon

• 5 cups chicken broth

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid), roughly chopped

• 3 parsley sprigs

• 3 fresh thyme sprigs

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 6 baguette slices

• 1⁄4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp 
and most of the fat has rendered, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper 
towel-lined plate and set aside. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and 
cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil while 
whisking constantly. Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and 
add to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

When the soup base is cool, remove and discard the herb bundle. Working in batches, transfer the mixture 
to a blender and puree until smooth. Using a sieve over a large bowl, strain the tomato puree. Return the 
puree to the pot and reheat over medium heat.

Butter baguette lightly, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toast until golden brown.

Whisk the heavy cream and salt into the soup and season with pepper to taste. Divide among warm soup 
bowls, garnish with cheese croutons, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Chef Greg Rollins

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Chef Rollins' Fall Sweet Potato And Black Bean Quesadilla With Bacon Sour Cream

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the quesadillas:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1⁄2 inch thick*
3⁄4 teaspoon salt, divided
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
1⁄4 teaspoon oregano
1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 can of 12 to 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
6 to 8 large flour tortillas
2 to 2 1⁄2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
1⁄2 cup raw diced bacon
3⁄4 cup sour cream

For serving:
Bacon sour cream salsa, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the sliced potatoes to a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt to the pot. With the heat on high, bring the water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and then add to a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano and chipotle peppers. Mix until well combined.

2. In a medium heated skillet, sautéed diced bacon until crispy, drain off grease.

3. Sautéed black beans and green onions until hot.

4. Place the tortillas on a work surface. Use a spatula to smear about 1⁄3 to 1⁄2 cup of the filling on half of the tortilla. Top with about 1⁄4 cup of the cheese (or to taste). Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling to form a semicircle. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

5. In a medium to hot skillet, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Place an assembled quesadilla in the pan and cook, flipping once halfway through, until both sides are browned and the cheese is melted.

6. Cut into triangles and serve with bacon sour cream or salsa.

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