As the holiday season gears up, it seems like there are more opportunities to have people over for dinner. Or maybe it’s just the time of year that puts me in the mood to cook for guests. Either way, here’s a cozy two-course supper for four that celebrates a variety of earthy mushrooms paired with two outstanding wines from California’s Provenance Vineyards.

Menu:
First Course: Pasta with Oysters, Shiitake Mushrooms & Fennel paired with Provenance Sauvignon Blanc

Main Course: Grilled Steaks and Autumnal Mushroom Salad paired with Provenance Cabernet Sauvignon

Wines:
Provenance 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford ($20). Elegant and complex, with layers of Meyer lemon, pear, tropical melon and citrus zest that pick up mineral and spice notes through the slightly creamy finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Provenance 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford ($40). Savory herbal notes mingle with rich, ripe red currant and blackberry fruit and spicy chocolate accents, with a long, focused finish that gains complexity along the way. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Recipe: Pasta: Pasta with Oysters, Shiitake Mushrooms & Fennel
This is a wonderfully flavored pasta, with a variety of earthy flavors balanced with delicate oysters and shallots. It’s also one of those times that the flavors of a crisp, refreshing white really enhance the dish and add a brightness to the entire meal.

1 pound pasta – short
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup chopped shallots
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups thinly sliced fennel (stalks removed)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup white wine
½ cup clam juice
½ cup cream or half-and-half
20 ounces Pacific oysters, strained
¾ cup seeded, chopped plum tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Fresh basil garnish

In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain thoroughly. Return to pot, drizzle with a little olive oil and keep warm.

In a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic, shallots, mushrooms, fennel and basil and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add wine, fish stock, and cream and simmer for 8-10 minutes more, reducing liquid slightly. Ad oysters and tomatoes and heat through. Season to taste.

Combine oyster-mushroom mixture with pasta and heat thoroughly. Serve on warm plates with basil garnish.

Recipe: Side Salad: Autumnal Mushroom Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Delicious with simple grilled steaks, this salad features an assortment of seared mushrooms, roasted red and yellow peppers, and a nutty shallot vinaigrette. Add some crusty bread and good quality butter, and you have a satisfying dinner with minimal fuss.

1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
20 assorted wild and cultivated mushrooms
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 shallot
1 lemon
sherry vinegar
walnut oil
mixed greens

Put one yellow bell pepper and one red bell pepper on a baking tray and place under the broiler for roasting. Roast until blackened on all sides. When done, place in a paper grocery sack and fold over to close. Let steam for a few minutes, then

Clean and stem assorted wild and cultivated mushrooms — use whatever is fresh and available in your market. Cut in halves (if using portobellos cut into about 1-inch chunks). Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add three or four tablespoons olive oil and then the mushroom. Cook, turning, until mushrooms are seared and softened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make vinaigrette: Finely mince two lobes of the shallot and place in a medium salad bowl. Add lemon juice from one lemon. Add about two tablespoon of sherry vinegar, a pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Whisk in four tablespoons of walnut oil and about two tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning or add another splash of sherry vinegar, if desired. Set aside.

Add some mixed baby greens (or your favorite lettuce) to the dressing in the salad bowl and toss to coat. Add the mushrooms, turning to coat in dressing. Hold peppers under running water and peel off the blackened skin, remove core and seeds. Cut peppers into strips and add to salad, tossing to coat.