Everything comes together deliciously

Welcome to the good life in Sonoma, where good food meets good wine meal after meal, as we found on recent visits.

At the Girl & the Fig restaurant in the town of Sonoma, Food editor Leslie Brenner flipped over the pappardelle with Sonoma rabbit ragu. “I had planned to have a very light lunch, but that sounded so good. With a glass of Russian River Valley Pinot, it was so wonderful, I polished it off. I particularly loved the combination of the rabbit with the slim, delicate carrots and the lovely fresh peas.”

The California Cook columnist Russ Parsons went to LaSalette, also in Sonoma, and ordered gambas cozidas, poached shrimp with spicy tomato and garlic sauce. “Most of the tables are outside under umbrellas, and on a sunny day, with a bottle of rose, it was the perfect appetizer,” he says. LaSalette specializes in Portuguese cooking with a slight twist of flavors from the Azores.

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Gambas cozidas (poached shrimp with spicy tomato and garlic sauce)

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Total time: 30 minutes plus chilling time

Servings: 4

Note: From LaSalette Restaurant in Sonoma. Head-on shrimp is available at 99 Ranch Markets.

Spicy tomato and garlic sauce

1/4 cup chili sauce or ketchup

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped

cilantro

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use more or less to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl, stir together the chili sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cilantro, cayenne pepper, salt and ground pepper to taste.

2. Cover tightly and refrigerate. This is best made in advance to allow the flavors to blend. (Makes one-third cup.)

Shrimp

1 quart fish stock

1 cup dry white wine

1 onion, cut in quarters

2 bay leaves

3 to 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 teaspoon red chile flakes

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons salt

24 large shrimp, preferably head-on and unpeeled

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Bring the stock, wine, onion, bay leaves, garlic, chile flakes, pepper and salt to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook at a fast simmer until they are bright orange and firm, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and chill thoroughly.

2. To serve, arrange the shrimp on a platter, with a bowl of the sauce in the center and lemon wedges arranged around the outside so that diners may peel and dip the shrimp.

Each serving: 80 calories; 7 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 3 grams fat; 0 saturated fat; 66 mg. cholesterol; 336 mg. sodium.

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Braised rabbit pappardelle with spring vegetables

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Total time: 1 hour, plus 2 hours, 30 minutes braising

Servings: 8

Note: From the Girl & the Fig in Sonoma. Fresh rabbit is available at Bristol Farms. Frozen veal stock is available at selected markets and specialty food shops.

1 fresh whole rabbit (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)

6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

16 peeled garlic cloves, divided

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup red wine (preferably

Syrah)

2 bay leaves

1 bunch fresh thyme

10 black peppercorns

5 cups veal stock or chicken stock

6 ounces diced ( 1/4 -inch) pancetta

3 bunches young carrots (about 30 small carrots), peeled and blanched

1/2 cup English peas (about 8 ounces unshelled), blanched

1/2 cup fava beans (about 8 ounces unshelled), peeled and blanched

1 pound pappardelle

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the rabbit into front and hind legs and saddle, or have the butcher do this. Reserve the trimmings and rib cage. Place the bones and trimmings on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Set aside.

2. Heat a heavy-bottomed Dutch-oven or similar ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Season the rabbit legs and saddle with 1 teaspoon salt and one-fourth teaspoon pepper. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and sear the rabbit on all sides until golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3. Keep the pot over the heat and add the chopped carrot, celery, onion, 4 cloves of garlic and tomatoes. Cook until the ingredients have caramelized, about 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Deglaze with the red wine. Add the bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, rabbit, roasted bones and trimmings and stock and bring to a simmer.

5. Cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook until the rabbit meat begins to pull away from the bones, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the pot from the oven, remove the lid and let stand until the rabbit is cool enough to handle. Remove the saddle and legs from the pot and pull the meat from the bones. Set aside.

6. Strain the cooking liquid and skim any fat off the top.

7. While the rabbit braises, wrap the remaining 12 peeled garlic cloves in foil and roast in the oven for 45 minutes.

8. In a small pan, saute the pancetta until slightly crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside. Blanch the carrots 2 minutes, peas 1 minute, fava beans 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

9. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pappardelle until just tender. Toss lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.

10. In a skillet large enough to hold all the ingredients, add the braising liquid, mustard, pancetta and rabbit. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.

11. Add the carrots, peas, fava beans, roasted garlic and pasta. Cook until heated through. Finish with butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide into 8 bowls and serve at once.

Each serving: 537 calories; 37 grams protein; 42 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 138 mg. cholesterol; 743 mg. sodium.