Cornmeal Pound Cake, Lemon Mousse, Elderberry Syrup, Macerated Peaches, Apricots, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Flowering Mint, Cuban Oregano
For the cake I just followed a really simple recipe using course cornmeal for some added texture. After baking and cooling the cake I broke it into small pieces to plate.
The lemon mousse actually came together through a mess-up. I set out to make a lemon gel. I heated fresh-squeezed lemon juice, water, sugar and agar-agar in a sauce pot, stirring til the powder was totally dissolved. The problem was that the gel didn't set completely. It was more the texture of a loose jelly. So I whipped it with a little heavy cream and xanthum gum ( a thickening agent) which resulted in what I am calling a mousse for it's light airy texture.
All of the fruit was tossed in some raw organic sugar and left to macerate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
The elderberry syrup was made with equal parts berries, sugar and water heated to a simmer and held there for an hour. The berries were crushed and strained off.
I placed some flowering mint and Cuban oregano, also known as lime-cerveza oregano for it's flavor, on the plate to finish
Product:
Red Star Peaches - 3 Springs Fruit Farm
Blueberries - 3 Springs Fruit Farm
Strawberries - Beachwood Orchards
Apricots - Beachwood Orchards
Flowering Mint - Weaver's Way
Cuban Oregano - Weaver's Way