FOOTBALL, CRAB CAKES AND LOCAL WINE

TAILGATING AT MR. JEFFERSON’S UNIVERSITY
                        -Gameday Recipe from Chef Lara Lyn Carter-

By Doc Lawrence

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia- Founded by the author of America Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia is one of out top places to tailgate. Everything here from attire to prepared food reflects relaxed elegant style. Original America still lingers and the region is wine country, rivaling anything in North America.

Wine in America was literally born here through the efforts of Jefferson who brought the great vintages from Europe to stock his cellar at nearby Monticello, serving Bordeaux, Burgundy and Riesling to dinner guests.

Tailgating at UVA is an extension of the Jefferson Culinary Heritage: hospitality: local food and fine wines. Everything seems quintessentially Southern. Think about that. William Faulkner, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, was a faculty member here. His place as one of the great writers firmly established, Faulkner accepted an invitation in 1957 from UVA’s English department to come to the University as writer-in-residence.

Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay  produces abundant seafood and crab is plentiful. A late summer Saturday urges tailgaters to enjoy crab cakes, They like their crab cakes the old-fashioned way: lots of crab and not much else. But tailgaters have a mind of their own and the different ones served before kickoff can be as varied as the Virginia countryside. Tartar sauce-always optional- was in abundance and much of it had some distinct spiciness.

Depending on whom you ask, “not too much else” may mean a modest amount of binder and a hint of seasoning, while others see onion, bell pepper, and plenty of seasoning as crucial. TV celebrity chef Lara Lyn Carter, a tailgating leader, prefers crab cakes with minimal additions. “There’s plenty of spice,” she says, “in my tartar sauce so you can control the overall enjoyment to suit your taste.”

GAMEDAY CRAB CAKES
     Lara Lyn Carter

Lara Lyn Carter

    
1 lb. lump crabmeat picked over and shells removed
½ cup panko crumbs
2 scallions chopped (green parts only)
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. Creole mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 egg beaten
Canola oil for Frying
 In a large bowl combine all ingredients except oil and form into equal size cakes.
Fry in canola oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side.

SPICY TARTAR SAUCE
1/2-cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Creole style mustard
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
Combine all of the ingredients together and serve with the crab cakes.

Wine for Virginia crab cakes? Jefferson Vineyards Viognier blends wine heritage and careful production to fit the fruits from Virginia’s bay waters. The grapes are European varietals of vitis vinifera grown exclusively in Virginia and true to Jefferson’s original vision of winemaking in Virginia. The 2013 Viognier was a double gold medal at San Francisco's International Wine Competition.


Give the Cavalier football team credit. While other powerhouse programs feast off lowly competition, Virginia began with highly ranked UCLA and Notre Dame.