Light & Easy Pasta Bake

Very rarely do I make pasta at home. Margot is usually the one who does and that is maybe once per month. I never really developed an appreciation for it growing up and while I will order pasta when out at a good Italian restaurant, but I don’t often crave it and thus don’t make it at home. This makes Margot sad because she loves pasta, but she understands the issue; and there are many things she doesn’t regularly eat for exactly the same reason.

So it was with great surprise that I should want to make pasta and that I was going to scheme something up to use ingredients we had on hand to make something a little more than cooked pasta with sauce on top. My motivation was the open bottle of wine some new friends has left us.

What I ended up with contains most of what is in a typical lasagna but I used shells for the pasta. When everything was ready it was mixed together and spread into a baking pan and topped with parmesan cheese. It really was simple, and it turned out to be pretty light as well. Not a bad two-fer to get for a dish I don’t often make!

Jay’s Light & Easy Pasta Bake

1 lb ground turkey, browned & cooked through
1 box whole wheat shells, cooked according to package
1 white onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
8 oz light Ricotta cheese
½ jar spaghetti sauce
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, seperate (fresh grated or jar style)
1 Tbsp garlic paste
2 tsp frozen fresh oregano
2 tsp frozen fresh basil
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375.

Mix everything but the pasta and the last 2 Tbsp of the parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add the pasta and mix well. Pour into a baking dish and spread as one flat layer. Cover with the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake until golden brown on top.

I served this dish with some olive bread sprayed lightly with white truffle oil and a very nicely crafted Dolcetto wine made by some of our new winemaking friends. It really was a fantastic pairing, and I found that Dolcetto lives up to its reputation similar to that of Chianti for being an easy drinking and very food friendly wine.

Newsflash! I made pasta for a second time in the same week. You can only imagine how excited Margot was. My friend Wayne mine broke his collar bone skiing the same day as I made the first dish, and we made something a little different on Wednesday to take over for a visit. I saw a recipe for “Greek Mac and Cheese” at Kate’s Kitchen and remembered I had a wine from Santorini hanging around, so Greek dinner it was! We all loved the pasta, and Wayne & Meredith really appreciated not having to prepare dinner for one night. Wayne is getting around good, but he needs to try and heal up so his activities as an outdoor adventurer and musician are not permanently derailed from this mishap. I am going to review the wine in a separate post but head on over to Kate’s Kitchen for the recipe for “Greek Mac and Cheese”.

Cheers!

Jason

Provencal Tapenade

Brian at @MyFoodThoughts did Silent Sunday and it totally worked. I am doing Tight-Lipped Tuesdays, or at least this week.

Enjoy! --Jason

Provencal Tapenade
3/4 cup imported black olives, drained
4 anchovy filets
1 large garlic clove (or more to taste
2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp oil-packed tuna, drained
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp brandy
2 tsp Dijon mustard (see Dijon Mustards Rated)
1 tsp fresh thyme (see variations)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (best quality)

1.Combine all of the ingredients except olive oil in your food processor. Process until smooth.

2.With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream.

3.Taste and correct the seasoning. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the paste into a bowl and refrigerate, covered until you’re ready to serve.

Music & Wine

I read a blog post last week that caught my interest because it was about the fourth dimension of wine tasting (sight, smell, taste are the first three), sound. The author‘s take on the sound dimension had to do with closures, and specifically the sound made by a cork being extricated from a wine bottle. I personally don’t pay much attention to that occasion and from my sommelier training it is clear that learning how to uncork wine (and especially Champagne) with little to no sound is desired. The author DID present an idea that I can get behind, but I have another way to spin the sound dimension with wine. And that would be through music.

The obvious scenarios that come right to mind would be pairing music with a casual glass of wine and friends, or with a romantic meal. Both are situations where the overall experience can be more than the sum of its parts, and the right music could definitely be a contributing factor. But those aren’t the only ways I pair music and wine.

As a winemaker I often have stints in the “shop”, kitchen, basement, spare rooms, etc, where I am might be cleaning equipment, working with a batch of wine, cleaning bottles to be filled, running blending trials, doing tasting of my own or commercial wines or writing up my experiences to share with you. At those times my “wine” music is important in a whole different way. The right music infuses my body and soul with energy, provides imagery for me to explore as I work, and allows me to focus on the task at hand. I am quite certain that batches of wines I have made have been imbued with an essence of the music I was listening to when I did one thing or another with them.

Now if I just stopped here you would be left thinking, “that is all well and good, but why did I just waste time reading that?” And you would be right. I haven't yet provided any examples.

Wine and food pairing is all about the juxtaposition of aromas, flavors and textures between food and beverages to create experiences. So it is with music and wine pairing when you get down to thinking about it. Here are three experiences I have created as examples of this idea.

As I write this article I am listening to a CD entitled “Buddha Hookah Lounge”. This disc which is a collection of remixes designed for lounge and bar listening. You will have to go with this if you aren’t familiar the genre. I have a lot of it and it works really well in the casual drinking and romantic dinner pairings as well. One song in particular is a remix of the 80’s dance song “Let The Music Play” by Shannon. In the background of the remix are guitar riffs from Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones. What! No, seriously. Here is why this song worked for me while I wrote this. The Rolling Stones make me think of my childhood when my dad would play records out the back window while we played in the yard or worked in the garden. Those were simpler times and remembering that helped me be clear and concise, think simple, as I wrote. “Let The Music Play” was pretty peppy originally, but the remixed version has some real zip to it which drove me to think and type fast. I had an idea I wanted to get out and the music helped it flow. Combine those two facets and you get what you are reading.

Here is more classic example of pairing music and wine, actually homemade cider with friends. In 2009 I made 35 gallons of hard cider. In April of 2010 we had a cider party with friends to celebrate the release of the liquid gold. Rather than bottle some of it ahead of time I siphoned an entire 6 gallon carboy (glass jug) into a bucket with a spigot and let people serve themselves. Being able to walk up and fill a cup off the “tap” was so “delightfully trashy” to steal a phrase from fellow food blogger Janis. But it was so much fun! For the music we cranked up Kid Rock “All Summer Long”. That song is a look back to fun and freewheeling times through the recollections of the protagonist, and specifically of summertime. The mood that song set was perfect for the cider. It was early spring, still cold in New England, and the music and cider took us to that warm and fun-filled place we could all see on the horizon. We drank a lot of cider, and as the night grew long there were volumes of laughs to go around. I always think of cranking up Kid Rock now when I open a bottle of my cider.

I didn’t finish this article on the bus ride home a few days ago, and it is a lucky thing. Yesterday morning I set about to create a batch of plum wine using plums we had purchased and frozen last summer. For music I selected the disc “The Hopeful Machines” by BT. BT is an electronica legend known for his classical composer like focus on his creations which are high tech in their construction. “These Hopeful Machines” was presented as two tracks with slightly under 1 hour run-time each. The individual songs within those tracks were designed to be listened to together, are heavily textured and offer a diversity of styles within the electronic music space. As I sat down to pit 15 pounds of defrosting plums I very much appreciated the journey the music was taking me on. The track “Love Can Kill You" has thought the provoking lyrics of “love can kill you, or love can save us all.” As I sat their doing something I love, making wine, it made me realize the truth in the story about how I came to make my own wine. After my cancer treatment (in 2003) my wife asked me if I would like to pick up a hobby instead of working all the time. I choose making my own beer and wine. Her love for me and her desire for me to appreciate getting the chance to stick around in this world had saved me. I was miserable when I worked all the time, but I thought I loved it. With my hobby firmly integrated into my life now it is much more clear what I enjoy spending my time doing. I of course still work in IT during the day, but at night and on the weekends I eat, drink, make wine/cider/beer and write about my adventures. Way more fun!

I hope you enjoyed my stories about the sounds of wine (or cider & beer too!) that I experience on my adventures. How do you pair music in your life? Do you have music you like to listen to when you sit down and have a casual drink?

Cheers!

Jason

Vegetarian Red Beans & Rice

I’m not sure what prompted it but last week my wife said she wanted Red Beans & Rice. We’ve only eaten it a couple of times in 15 years so it was a pretty obscure request. No worries though, it sounds good and I can definitely pull that off.

I went looking for recipes to get some inspiration and quickly found a great vegetarian (eating lighter these days) red beans & recipe from the Sortachef blog. I adapted the recipe in three ways. I used chipotle and chili powder instead of straight up cayenne. Margot seems to be more sensitive to cayenne and I wanted her to be able to eat the dish at will. I added 1 tsp of liquid smoke to help offset the missing flavors that you would get in the traditional dish from sausage and/or other meats. I then added the juice of ½ of a lime. I am finding that a slight hit of acid in some dishes helps flavors express themselves.

Vegetarian Red Beans & Rice

2 cups dry Small Red Beans, soaked overnight
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 sticks celery with leaves, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups water
3 teaspoons of salt (reserve 1 tsp)
½ tsp of freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp of dry thyme
1 ½ tsp of oregano
½ tsp chipotle powder
½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp liquid smoke
Juice of ½ a lime
3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
8 ounces of tomato sauce
Cooked rice

Soak the beans overnight covered by 2 inches of water. Drain, rinse and pick out any stones, stems or rotted beans.

Heat the 4 Tbsp oil in a large dutch oven. Sauté the onion, celery and green pepper over medium-high, turning occasionally with a spatula. When the pepper has lightened in color and the onions are translucent remove the vegetables from the heat and drain off the excess oil. Wipe out the dutch oven and return the vegetables to it.

Add the beans and 6 cups of cold water to the sautéed veggies. Now add the salt (2 tsp), black pepper, oregano, thyme, chipotle, chili powder, liquid smoke, lime juice and garlic. Mix well.

Bake in the oven at 325°. Put bean pot on the center rack and bake for 2 ½ hours covered, stirring every half hour or so. After 2 ½ hours, add the tomato sauce and last 1 tsp of salt. Remove the lid from the bean pot. Increase the heat to 375° and cook for 2-3 hours, until beans are tender and the cooking liquid has thickened.

( All done and ready to eat! )

Make a pile of cooked rice. Place 2/3 to 1 cup of the red beans mixture on top of the rice. Enjoy with hot sauce if you like some heat!

( Slightly out of focus. Sorry. It was good nonetheless! )

We enjoyed this hearty, but lighter than the classic, dish with a homemade Belgian White beer and the newest episode of the FX cartoon series Archer. The beer has coriander and bitter orange peel in it. Those flavors together with the creamy wheat body of the beer really worked well with the beans and rice. The pairing with Archer is a different sort of pairing all together. Off-color jokes and sexual innuendo are always good for a laugh and made for great atmosphere to enjoy dinner and a beer to on a Friday night.

Cheers!

Jason

Provencal Beef Stew

( That will get ya thinking! )

We didn’t have any beef dishes while we were in France so when I was home for a week or so and yearning for the aromas and flavors from the trip, I went searching for a good recipe. I found a whole bunch of different recipes for Provencal style beef stews and as I often do I picked different aspects from several to pull together something new.

Provencal Beef Stew over Steamed Vegetables

2 1/2 lbs of stew beef
1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry red wine (Cotes du Rhone is perfect)
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 pound of diced tomatoes (frozen fresh from last summer), undrained
1 Tbsp. Herbes de Provence
1 lb potatoes, cut into ¾ inch cubes
4 large carrots, sliced
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 oz water
1/2 cup niçoise olives, pitted and cut in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 large yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
12 oz green beans, cleaned and trimmed

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour mixture. Lightly coat beef with remaining flour mixture.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown 1/2 of beef; remove from stockpot. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef. Place beef in a slow cooker that had been sprayed with cooking spray. Set the slow cooker on high.

3. Add onion and garlic to stockpot; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add wine; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until browned bits attached to stockpot are dissolved. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker. Stir in broth, tomatoes, Herbes de Provence and remaining flour mixture. Add the potatoes and carrots. Cook on high for 1 hour, reduce heat to low and cook for 6 hours.

4. Mix the corn starch into the water. Add to the stew. Add the olives and basil and mix the stew well; cook on high for another 30 minutes until the olives are heated through and the stew has thickened.

6. Steam the green beans, zucchini and yellow squash until tender.

7. Serve the stew over the steamed vegetables with crusty bread and the remainder of the wine used to make the strew.

( Fair herbs, you will soon be making me happy! )

The aromas in the house while the slow cooker did its thing were amazing. The Herbes de Provence blend you might find in the store will vary in the ingredients, including savory, rosemary, thyme, basil and lavender. I often have all of these on hand and will definitely experiment with different combinations in future Provencal dishes.

The wine I selected to use in this dish and then enjoy with it was the La Vielle Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rouge. As I noted in my post on the wines we enjoyed while in Provence (I had this wine on the Air France plane flight over), this wine has a wonderful nose and for the value price it is a great wine to have on hand.

( The final cut! It was so good. )

When paired with the stew and crusty bread the wine performed exceptionally. The influences of the garlic, onions and herbs flavored the beef wonderfully and the wine’s combination of fruit and earth added complexity to each bite. The steamed vegetables were cooked separately so with a bit of the stew sauce they retained a good deal of own flavors, which when paired with the wine was a lighter and fresher pairing.

Cheers!

Jason

Ancient Fire Wine Tastings Are Back!

( Brian has a great eye for a shot. )

It’s been a while since we had wine tasting at our place. There weren’t any particular reasons for that, it just kind of happened. This past Saturday we gathered a crew of new and veteran Ancient Fire tasters together to enjoy some good food, good wine and great conversation.

( Smiles are always a good sign! )

There were two themes with this tasting, snacks with cheese in them and blind tasting. The blind tasting was based around a mix of commercial and homemade wines and would offer everyone the opportunity to see how many wines they could classify correctly. I was interested in how well I would recognize my own wines against similar styles from commercial producers.

( Just waiting for us to dig in! )

The wine lineup consisted of the following:

• Ancient Fire 2010 Strawberry
• Ancient Fire 2008 Riesling/Gewurztraminer Blend
• Ancient Fire 2009 Petit Verdot
• Ancient Fire 2009 Chateau du Roi (Southern Rhone style blend)
• Ancient Fire 2010 Oaked Chardonnay
• Ancient Fire 2010 South African Chenin Blanc
• Isaaks of Salem 2010 Popp Road Raspberry Mead
• Rodney Strong 2008 Chalk Hill Chardonnay
• Chateau Beauchene 2008 Cotes du Rhone
• Columbia Winery 2007 Cellmaster’s Riesling

I was excited to have Brian from A Thought For Food join us for the tasting. His interest in my Jalapeno Dessert and Chocolate Raspberry Port wines resulted in us meeting up for drinks a while back. We both enjoyed the social time and agreed it shouldn’t be the last time. Both he and Eric made the trip up from Southie to party with us, and I am pretty sure a positive impression was mutual! The rest of the tasting crew, Ed, Jim, Amy, Brian, Wayne, Meredith, Richard, Missy, Melanie and Margot have all enjoyed a number of our wines before and always approach our tastings with curiosity and excitement.

We had just enough food (it seems so often we have way too much) and an excellent diversity to enjoy with the wines.

Rosemary Cheddar Straws (I made these, and will share the recipe later in the week)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Baked Camembert w/ Carmelized Onions & Sage

Mini Cheesecakes w/ Burgundy or Rum Orange glazes

Italian Skewers w/ 3 cheeses, tortellini, tomatoes and vinaigrette dressing

Make your own fruit skewers

The best pairing was the Chenin Blanc with the baked Camembert. That wine was a late addition after Wayne asked me about the Vouvray Margot reccomended he try. We had had it at Christmas and she loved it so much she was passing on a solid find. While not quite the same style, my South African Chenin is nice and soft with lemon flavors and just a hint of residual sugar. Up against the earthy cheese and sage affected onions, all were taken to a new level. The cheesecakes with the Strawberry wine were also a good match, but I felt the cheesecakes were too good on their own. The cheese straws were best for me with the reds, especially the Chateau du Roi. The rosemary and baked cheddar flavor weren't lost in the wine, which added a bit of spice to amp up the cheese flavor.

( Some bottles got hit harder than others. My reds poured well this time too. )

Margot bagged up the wines so that I wouldn’t know what was what. I did however know what was included so it wasn’t truly blind for me. I was able to guess 8 out of 10, with the two I swapped creating a good deal of curiosity as several others mixed up the same commercial and homemade selections. These two ended up being the Rhone blends. I thought for sure the drier, more acidic selection was my own, but it ended up being the Chateau Beauchene. Having spent the last week tasting Cotes du Rhone wines I was heartened to find that my own version was truer to those I had tasted from the source. I’d surely make that wine again because I definitely enjoy the style.

( One empty and one almost. Definitely a message! )

My strawberry wine is an easy giveaway, but my purpose for including it was to get feedback on the newest vintage which again underwent some recipe tweaking from the year before. The consensus is that I have truly nailed it and improved on it once again. Accomplishing this mission for my flagship wine is a very proud moment for me. Otherwise it was pretty much split as to how many folks could classify the wines as mine or from a commercial producer. My Riesling/Gewurztraminer Blend fooled several folks and based on the feedback should be on my “make” list for 2011.

My heavily oaked Chardonnay wasn’t a big hit, too smoky and too buttery, but when I asked how many people had drank that style in the 70’s and 80’s (we are all too young!) and explained that is was in vogue for a time, it helped with a little context. I also added that there will be some excellent summer BBQ parings, like turkey burgers and smoked turkey, most tasters agreed to revisit it and see how it goes. The Rodney Strong Chardonnay was also oaked, just not as much, and a few tasters compared it and felt that the difference was noticeable, but not extreme. I expect, and hope, my version will calm down a little bit in a few months.

( Richard was digging my Chateau du Roi and appears to be studying it. )

We had a second unfortunate experience with mead from Isaak’s of Salem. The bottle of Popp Road Raspberry poured like a champagne and after two hours of breathing it still poured the same way. There were no flavors in the mead, it was immensely dry and had some off aromas, something Margot likened to perfume or rubbing alcohol. Clearly something has gone wrong and the remedy offered in response to the first experience we had with the carbonation in the Sweet Tooth, let it decant for 30 minutes, was not successful here. I tasted this several months ago and was able to enjoy the raspberry flavor and subtle honeyed sweetness that was intended for this product. I was sad that I didn’t end up being able to share that with my friends.

As always the socialization and conversation was the most fun element to the tasting. Margot and I had the chance to share tales from France with the slideshow going on the computer. Being able to say you stood inside a building that is 1,000 years old, is pretty cool any day of the week!

Our next wine tasting on March 26th will be a fundraiser for our Relay For Life event. Margot and I will supply the food and wine as a thank you to our family and friends for supporting us. Guests are being asked to make a $20 donation, either by check or online, as admission to the tasting. I am also hoping to have folks join us on Twitter during the tasting, raising a glass in support of the fight against cancer.

I also have to thank Brian for taking several great photos (#'s 1,3,4 and 8 in this post) and applying a set of stunning effects to make the pictures look vintage. Be sure and check out his portfolio of photography at http://www.briansamuelsphotography.com/.

Cheers!

Jason

Harvest Apple Pancakes

Ahhhh, Sunday morning pancakes. I have become known for this occasion over time. Whether they are at home for just the two of us, served to overnight guests or with family and friends up in VT you can usually expect me to make pancakes on Sunday morning. And they are never just plain old pancakes!

A few weeks back a posted the recipe for Candied Bacon Mancakes and got a lot of humorous and curious feedback. This morning as I kicked around recipe ideas I went back to using beer in the pancakes, but what kind, and what other flavors should I add to them? I came up with Harvest Apple pancakes.

Harvest Apple Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick Lite
2 eggs
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp dark maple syrup
1 bottle Sam Adams Oktoberfest
1 large apple

Mix all ingredients except the apple, and only as much of the beer to get the right texture, together and set aside for 10 minutes. Peel and chop the apple into small bites. Incorporate into the batter.

Portion the pancakes on to a hot greased griddle in 1/3 cup-fulls. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

( Look at the piece of apple snugly nestled in there! )

The hints of spice and maple flavors with the slightly crunchy apple reminded me of pie in the autumn in New England. The malty, harvest essences to the beer provided just enough of a foundation, but didn’t make them taste of beer.

Cheers!

Jason

Do We Need an Excuse To Drink Red Wine?

The easy answer is no. As long as it is good, of course.
Last weekend I tried a couple of reds I hadn’t had before that were worthy of reviews. The Chianti was specifically selected to test the go-to pizza pairing for many sommeliers. We also paired the pizza up with our 2008 Montelpulciano. That particular wine ended up being very understated and simple, but not totally off the mark for the table versions of it that are commonly found in abundance in the central and southern Italy.

Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico 2007

I haven’t had many Chianti’s that wowed me. Most people I know would believe that to be a fool’s quest. I don’t buy it. I am sure that there are finer versions of Chianti to be had, and that they are produced with the kind of care that so many other revered styles are. The Antinori Peppoli was definitely one of the best ones I have had, but I still feel there is room to grow from here. I found the aroma to be pretty even between red fruits and oak/earth. The flavors of ripe red raspberries, vanilla and bitter dark chocolate were carried along a moderate to long finish. The tannins were pronounced but soft in nature, not creating a significant teeth cleansing sensation. The wine paired well with both a supreme pizza that contained several meats and vegetables, and a mushroom and onion version. The mushrooms were specifically accentuated up against the earthy, oak flavors in the wine. I’d drink this wine again, but I do consider it as a place to continue to search from.

Ancient Fire 2008 Montelpulciano

I have struggled to find a consistency in the fruit flavors in this wine. The nose is very light and while the color is good, taken together it is a pretty unremarkable wine. My lack of knowledge (of the grape and the typically outcome) at the time I made it prevented me from taking the choice to blend a little bit of Sangiovese and Merlot into it to add complexity. It is drinkable, but not exciting. It did do an admirable job with the pizza however. It handled both pizzas well, but didn’t work any magic on either; something appropriate when the folks eating and drinking weren’t really interested in being mindful of the pairings. I won’t ever make this exact wine to be sure, and when I want to make something Italian again, experimentation with Sangiovese and a Super-Tuscan style is most likely.

Chamard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

In 2010 Margot and some of her girlfriends visited Chamard Vineyards in Clinton, CT for a tasting of their wines. Having experienced CT wines previously Margot was prepared for their generous acidity and their distinctions from wines made elsewhere from the same grapes. Of all of the wines tasted Margot decided the Cabernet was the best. Her friend Julie agreed and I got the prize of a whole bottle to enjoy. I picked up aromas of raspberries and leafy greens in the nose. The flavors of plum and blackberry came with the expected dose of acidity and subtle wood influence. This was a very pleasing wine and raised my curiosity to try their other wines despite Margot insisting this was the very best one they tried.

Cheers!

Jason

Meyer Lemon Curd Cream & Strawberry Trifle

I hadn’t yet used my Meyer Lemon Curd I made earlier in the month. With friends coming over and needing to make a dessert Margot suggested we find something to make with it. I added that it should be easy to make and something we could do ahead of time. The winner? A Lemon Curd Cream & Strawberry Trifle.

We used the recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Café as a guide, which by the way was publishedoin my birthday last year. That’s always a good sign!!

Our twist consisted of using 100% local strawberries we picked and froze last June, store-bought pound cake and making them in individual servings using clear cocktail glasses.

Strawberry Sauce

3 cups thawed berries, leave behind free running juice
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Lemon Curd Cream
2 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 - 8 oz jar of homemade Meyer Lemon Curd

Both of the components above were prepared according to the original recipe. The pound cake was cut into cubes. The assembly was done using two rounds of a layer each of cream, cake and berry sauce, finally topped with cream.

When dessert came around these made for a great presentation and garnered rave reviews from our friends. Margot and I had tasted the lemon curd cream when we prepared them so we had some of idea of what to expect. A huge slam dunk!

Cheers!

Jason