2005 Brys Estate Old Mission Peninsula Gewurztraminer
$17.99

This fantastic DRY gewürztraminer comes from the Old Mission Peninsula of northern Michigan . The nose is wildly aromatic with notes of rose petals, geranium, clove and litchi. This wine has refreshing acidity with notes of citrus, mineral, tropical fruit and spice. Great with a traditional smoked ham, honey-glazed ham or traditional turkey.

www.brysestate.com

2005 Weingut Eduard Kroth Merler Konigslay-Terrassen Riesling Spatlese
$11.99

If you're looking for something a little sweeter to pair with your honey-glazed ham this Easter look no further. This late-harvested German Riesling is a sweeter table wine, but definitely not a dessert wine. It has great notes of green apple, apricot, citrus, and subtle honey. Sweet with refreshing acidity so it's not cloying. A great value!

2006 Lee Family Farm Rose
$14.99

This is a great dry California rose from Monterey made by Morgan winery. It is a blend of 50% pinot noir, 33% syrah, and 17% grenache. It is dry and medium-bodied with notes of red cherry and strawberry with refreshing acidity. It is the perfect match for a smoked ham or roasted turkey.

2006 Thorne-Clarke Terra Barossa Shiraz
$13.99

This is a delicious Aussie shiraz for a fair price. It has a rich, perfumed nose of crushed blackberry, blueberry, subtle licorice, and sweet vanillin. It has expansive notes of blackberry liquor, plum, and spice on the palate. Rich and decadent. Try it with a garlic-studded leg of lamb. Delicious!

www.thornclarkewines.com

2000 Chateau Ducleuzeau
$29.99

This stunning Bordeaux from Listrac-Medoc is really something. This Left Bank red comes from one of the best vintages in Bordeaux history. The nose is intense with blackberry, cassis, loam, and pencil shavings. It is mouth-filling on the palate with notes of blackberry, black currant, scorched earth, and subtle graphite. The tannins are firm and grippy, but a leg of lamb would do just the trick to soften them up. Yum!

Easter Recipes

Ham with Tangerine Glaze and Baby Carrots

1 (8 to 10-pound) smoked ham, bone-in, skin on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
2 tangerines, sliced thin, seeds removed
2 cups tangerine juice
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
11/2 pounds carrots, peeled

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the ham in a large roasting pan, fat-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts across the skin, about 2-inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Cut diagonally down the slashes to form a diamond pattern; season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Chop about 8 of the sage leaves and put it in a bowl; mix with the oil to make a paste. Rub the sage-oil all over the ham, being sure to get the flavor into all the slits. Bake the ham for 2 hours.

For the glaze: Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chunks of butter, tangerines, tangerine juice, brown sugar, water, and spices. Slowly cook the liquid down to a syrupy glaze; this should take about 30 to 40 minutes.

After the ham has being going for a couple of hours, pour the tangerine glaze all over it, with the pieces of fruit and all. Scatter the remaining sage leaves on top and stick the ham back in the oven and continue to cook for 11/2 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.

Scatter the carrots around the ham and coat in the tangerine glaze. Stick the ham once again back in the oven and cook for a final 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender, the ham is dark and crispy, and the whole thing is glistening with a sugary glaze.

Roasted Leg of Lamb

1 (7-pound) semi-boneless leg of lamb, aitchbone removed, fat trimmed to 1/4-inch thick, and lamb tied
8 garlic cloves
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Pat lamb dry and score fat by making shallow cuts all over with tip of a sharp small knife.

Place garlic, parsley, mint, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Rub the paste all over the lamb and place in a lightly oiled roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Roast lamb in middle of oven for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into thickest part of meat (not touching bone) registers 135 degrees F, about 1 3/4 hours.

Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 15 to 25 minutes (the internal temperature will rise to about 145 degrees F for medium). Slice the meat against the grain.

Mushroom, Asparagus, and Potato Cake

4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to grease the baking dish
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 bunches pencil thin asparagus, cut into 1/3's
1/2 cup reserved potato cooking water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound pancetta ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 bunch fresh chopped mint leaves
Hee Hee Garnish, recipe follows

Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons salt and the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Set aside.

In a medium saute pan, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic turns a light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and the reserved potato water to the pan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. Return the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta cubes and cook, over medium-low heat, until the fat from the meat is completely rendered, about 10 minutes. Once the pan has enough pancetta fat, add the cremini mushrooms and saute in the pancetta fat until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a few tablespoons of olive oil, grease a 12-inch round baking pan with 3 to 4-inch sides. Coat the pan with the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess crumbs. Set the dish aside.

Pass the potatoes through a food mill into a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup oil, eggs, cheese, mint, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Stir to combine well. Spoon 1/2 of the mashed potatoes into the prepared pan and, using a wooden spoon, smooth them evenly across the pan to form and even layer. Spoon the asparagus and then the mushrooms over the potatoes, using the spoon to smooth each into an even layer. Top the mushrooms with the remaining potatoes, using the spoon to spread them evenly. Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve either hot or at room temperature. Serve with Hee Hee Garnish.

Hee Hee Garnish:

4 crimini mushrooms, sliced paper thin
1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch chili flakes
Extra-virgin olive oil