Recipes

Mixed Berry Trifle

Berries:

1 pint blueberries
1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut into thick slices
2 pint raspberries
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Lemon Cream:

1 quart whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (11-ounce) jar lemon curd
1 cup store bought pound cake, slices 1/2-inch thick

Place the berries into a large bowl and sprinkle with half of the lemon juice. Lightly toss.

Combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch and remaining lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook just until the berries begin to break down and give up their juices, about 3 minutes. Take the berries off the heat and let cool; the mixture should thicken up as is cools.

In a clean bowl, whip the cream with the sugar and the vanilla to soft peaks. Put the lemon curd into a second bowl and stir in a little of the whipped cream to loosen it. Then fold in the rest of the cream.

To assemble the trifle, spoon a layer of the lemon cream into a large glass bowl. Add a layer of pound cake, breaking the slices into pieces that fit. Then soak the cake with a layer of berries and their juices. Keep going to make 3 or 4 more layers, depending on the size of the bowl, finishing with a layer of lemon cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Duck Breast with Berry Sauce

6 large boneless duck breast fillets, skin on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken or duck stock
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cups berries: blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
2 tablespoons butter

Season the duck breast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown the duck breast, skin side first, then flip over, reduce heat and cook other side, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the duck breasts to a platter, reserving the juices in the pan. Work in batches, if necessary.

To make the sauce, add the balsamic vinegar and red wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half. Add the stock and reduce by half again, then add brown sugar, rosemary and berries and cook for 3 minutes. Strain into a bowl and whisk in the butter to finish. Place the duck breast on each plate and drizzle the sauce around.

Pork Loin with Apples

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (2-pound) boneless center cut pork loin, trimmed and tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 stalks celery, thickly, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 apples, such as Cortland or Rome peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large ovenproof skillet heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Season the pork loin all over generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat until golden brown on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate and set it aside.

Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, herb sprigs, and 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet. Stir until the vegetables are browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced apples, then push the mixture to the sides and set the pork loin in the middle of the skillet along with any collected juices on the plate. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the loin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 140 to 150 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes. (See Cook's Note.)

Transfer the pork a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil while you make the sauce. Arrange the apples and vegetables on a serving platter and set aside. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Return the skillet to a high heat and add the vinegar scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen up any browned bits. Reduce by half then add the cider and reduce by about half again. Pull the skillet from the heat and whisk in the mustard, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the strings from the roast and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces and arrange over the apple mixture. Drizzle some sauce over meat and serve the rest on the side.

Cook's Note: Pork cooked this way will be slightly pink. If desired, cook the pork to 160 degrees F, but be aware that this lean cut will not be as moist at the higher temperature.

Rustic Raspberry Tart

Crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons milk

Filling:

5 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
9 ounces raspberries
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Egg Wash:

1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon milk

Garnish:

2 tablespoons powdered confectioners' sugar

Crust:

In a large bowl mix flour and sugar. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk and mix gently until it can be shaped into a ball. Shape dough into a round ball and flatten, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Filling:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, and lemon zest. Add berries and roll them in mixture until coated.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out until 1/4-inch thick and roughly 12 inches round. Place on baking sheet.

Mound berries in center of dough, leaving 1 1/2 inches uncovered around the edge. Gently fold the dough up to meet the berries, and drizzle with melted butter.

Mix egg and milk. Brush dough with mixture.

Bake approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Let cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve warm or at room temperature.