30 July 2010

Summer Berries with Chilled Icewine Cream for My Cuisine du Terroir Challenge

Summer Berries (and Stone Fruit) with Chilled Icewine Cream

At last let's enjoy some dessert! If you have been following More Than Burnt Toast you will know that I have been creating personal challenges based on a theme to infuse new life into my own cooking adventures. I admit to being uninspired in my kitchen for many reasons...could it be the new job, the temptations of summer, the heat of summer? Whatever my reasoning every day food should be an adventure either with new ideas or experimenting with a new cuisine. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means something as simple as making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. With these personally imposed challenges I am finding my culinary skills to be rejuvenated and back on track. This is the perfect time of year to pump up my kitchen into high gear!



As my third personal challenge I created a menu from appetizer to dessert that highlights British Columbian cuisine and ultimately Okanagan cuisine. This recipe comes from a local winery. My Cuisine du Terroir Challenge reflects what our local producers have to offer in peak growing season. The most direct translation of the concept of terrior is “food of the earth”. Terroir is a French term used to describe the unique flavour imparted to food or drink by a region’s specific climate, soil, weather and growing conditions.



I chose “Cuisine du Terroir” as the concept for my latest challenge because to me it means food with a strong sense of place. It has been 15 years since we moved across the country from the province of Ontario to live here in the Okanagan Valley in what they refer to as "God's Country. I can't envision anywhere else as my home and have the cascading vineyards and orchards, turquoise lakes and majestic mountains running through my veins.



To start this challenge off I offered my own version of Lamb Sliders with Lemon-Mint Sauce for my Cuisine du Terroir menu. Next came the salad course with Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette. We highlighted the vivid red Sockeye salmon of British Columbia with Salmon in Vine Leaves with Wine Jus. What followed next was a simple presentation of Smashed Fingerling Potatoes with Olive Oil and Sea Salt. The "piece de resistance" and final temptation is dessert!!!!

This recipe was developed for Inniskillin Winery using their Riesling icewine. This intense, gorgeous nectar is made by leaving grapes on the vine through a frost, after which they are promptly picked and pressed. Water, in the form of ice granules, stays in the press and what goes into the fermenter is the sweet essence of grape. Among the dozens of types of dessert wines in the world, my absolute favourite is ice wine. The world's leading producer of ice wine is Canada, followed by Germany and then Austria. Because of the concentrated taste, ice wine is one of the most elegant and refined dessert wines. I often fill a Bernard Callebaut chocolate cup with ice wine which makes dessert as simple and delicious as it gets.

This time I went a step further to showcase our local fruits and berries by recreating an icewine infused dessert from Inniskillen winery chefs. For extra icewine flavour, I soaked the berries in additional icewine. Because the wine is so intense, a typical serving is just one ounce. Imagine a rich kaleidoscope of flavours, warm orange marmalade undercurrents with lime, orange peel, nectarine and intense dried apricot and honey flavours in every spoonful. Many of our local Okanagan wineries make their own signature variety of icewine including Rollingdale Winery. Optimal weather conditions can never be assured, so true ice wine is a real treat.  Enjoy this dessert which incorporates all that British Columbia has to offer.

**Summer Berries (and Stone Fruit) with Chilled Icewine Cream**
"Typically rich and unctuous, the buttery, baked nectarine, pear, orange and mineral flavours of the icewine can easily stand up to the cream and berries.".

3 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup icewine
½ cup whipping cream
3 cups mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
Fresh mint or lavender for garnish

In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and icewine until thickened. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk until it starts to cool. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the icewine mixture and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Place the berries into individual bowls or large wine glasses. Top each with a large spoonful of the icewine cream and garnish with fresh mint or lavender.

Makes 4 servings

Serve to applause and enjoy!!!


You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison. Best Blogger Tips

31 comments:

  1. You do live in a beautiful area of the world - and that is one beautiful dessert. I'd say you made a zabaglione with that fruit.

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  2. A fabulous dessert! So fresh and mouthwatering.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. Val...you certainly could call this the 'piece de resistance'...especially with such an amazing treat such as ice wine!
    My first time trying this unique liquor was in Niagara on the Lake...very pleasurable experience.
    Now, they've been making quite a bit of it in Quebec also. Excellent results.

    I absolutely will try this decadent cream that you blessed those fruits with ;o)

    Have a great weekend,
    Claudia

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  4. What a glorious interpretation of a zabaglione!! Now where can I find icewine?.....hmmmm
    xoxo Pattie

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  5. Ohhhh, FANTASTIC, Val! :-) I adore ice wine and my first ever sip was a Canadian brand. Delicious! :-) Your dessert is beautiful. :-) Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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  6. Zabaglione would work well for my next personal challenge:D

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  7. That wine sounds so complex and fantastic! I love that you used it as a jumping off point for this luscious parfait!

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  8. I am so enjoying your challenge! Tomorrow is farmers' market and I'm out for berries! I can't tell you how much I look forward to what you do next.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  9. What a fitting way to end your luscious meal! You've really done a wonderful job with your challenge. All of these recipes are so elegant and reflect your love of British Columbia. It is a beautiful place! I have never even heard of ice wine, but I will have to look for it. It sounds divine!

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  10. Vall your dessert is absolutely beautiful! huggs! gloria

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  11. I'm not sure which has me salivating more - the fruit (I love summer fruits) or the ice wine (I really love ice wine - something not made in France)
    Perfect ending!
    It looks like a gorgeous area that you live in...

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  12. I alaws zero in on the berries. I love the challenge - summer cooking to me is always about being simple and I do not fuss much. But then see that when your creative juices are flowing, you can still turn out beautiful dishes that are indeed exciting to eat. Kudos! And oh - your part of the world is splendid!

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  13. I have never heard of ice wine. I am going to search for it. The dessert sounds lovelyh.

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  14. I've always enjoyed drinking ice wine, and I am sure I would love it as much in desserts. This is a great recipe to reflect the wonderful terrior of Canada.

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  15. This is the perfect way to wrap up a culinary journey. The fresh summer fruits, with the ice wine and cream sound like a heavenly combo.

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  16. What a perfect way to end a wonderful meal. It really looks gorgeous and I can imagine how wonderful it must taste. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  17. I was intrigued by your icewine, not sure how it's called in French, probably a sweet dessert wine? That fruit combo looks so refreshing and delicious.

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  18. Good for you. I am so into the concept of terroir and eating from one's area using things grown with soil and not with chemicals so the food tastes like a place. The dessert looks amazing... can't wait to give a local spin to it when I make it!

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  19. Val,
    I love this new challenge you have created for yourself,very clever and inventive...and a fabulous idea to highlight local artisans ! Beautiful dessert in this one. I have never tried ice wine but am now in search of it !
    Sandy

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  20. icewine. this is a foreign ingredient to me, but my goodness, it makes for a lovely dessert!

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  21. That's heaven in a glass.

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  22. You live in such a gorgeous place! This is a great dessert for sitting outside and just enjoying the scenery. I think it'd also be a nice wedding dessert - maybe small servings in shot glasses and small spoons!

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  23. As a lover of dessert wine, I 'm embarassed to admit I don't know much about ice wine! (I'm curious if it's a local name and maybe we call it something else?) It sounds beautiful Val. Great idea to combine it with the fruits and cream!

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  24. That is just heavenly...what a fantastic dessert!

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  25. That looks delicious. It would have been perfect for my Cherry Berry party

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  26. From what I have read in Australia they call it Iced Riesling since they seem to make it from these grapes Peter.

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  27. What a gorgeous dessert Val. I'm so glad to learn more about Ice wine. Good friends (from Canada) brought us a bottle of Ice wine and said to save it for special occasion - it's supposed to be that good. Now I can't wait to try it.

    I love your fruit selection too. I can't seem to get enough fruit lately.
    Sam

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  28. I have a glut of ice wine and this dessert would out it to good use. I

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  29. I totally associate ice wine with your neck of the wood, even though we can get it here (which means I don't have to stock up when I'm there)

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  30. Looks spectacular (and oh my, you do live in a beautiful part of the world!!). I have only ever had German eiswein - would love to try the Canadian variety :)

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  31. I love iced wine and have saved this recipe to convert into a Thermomix recipe. I will let you know how it goes. What a great idea. I can taste it already. Truly. YUMMMMMM!!!
    :)
    Valerie

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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