iN Season: Strawberries & Peonies
Two of my favourite things just happen to make their seasonal debut together.
Perfect, ripe strawberries and big, fluffy peonies. Both are super aromatic and beautiful, and both herald the arrival of summer weather in the Okanagan.
Strawberries offer endless delicious uses. I love to chop them into salads with fresh spinach, (also in season!) local goat cheese and toasted almonds. In smoothies, they are a dream and freeze wonderfully well so make sure you load up. And they also make my favourite jam and are the star of many desserts.
This dessert covers all bases. It is gorgeous, delicious and happens to also be ideal for wine country because it features Rosé! Shared by Jennifer Turton-Molgat from Kelowna's The View Winery, make sure to schedule a wine shop visit to pick up the Pinotage Rosé to make the recipe and a bottle of her bubbles to celebrate it with.
Easy peasy and make ahead, this recipe is going to wow your company all season long.
Cheers! #roseallday
Nana’s Pinotage Rosé Jelly
Jennifer Turton-Molgat’s Nana always served her special Sherry Jelly with whipped cream at Christmas or New Years Eve. Jennifer explains, “Although we found the Sherry flavor somewhat potent as children, my brothers, sisters, cousins and I still relished the dessert. With the transition of our family orchard into grapevines and winemaking it seemed only natural to try using wine instead of sherry in Nana’s recipe. Pinotage Rosé is one of my personal favourites. Its vivid strawberry notes and mouth-watering acidity make a delicious, flavourful jelly.”
This is a make ahead dish.
Serves 6-8.
Ingredients:
1x 750ml bottle of a dry rosé wine (preferably The View’s Pinotage Rosé)
2 cups strawberries, sliced
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp gelatin powder (Knox brand conveniently comes in 2 Tbsp sized packages)
1 ½ cups berry sugar
To Serve:
½ litre whipping cream, whipped
Whole strawberries
Method:
Place the rosé wine and sliced strawberries in a bowl and allow to steep for half an hour. Strain the wine into a saucepan and keep the strawberries to one side.
Heat the wine until nearly boiling and add vanilla and then stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Remove from heat.
“Bloom” the gelatin powder by stirring approximately ¼ cup cold water into it and stirring until it has a thick, smooth paste consistency.
Add 1/3 of the hot wine to the gelatin paste and mix until the gelatin is evenly dissolved, and no lumps remain and then add this mixture back into the rest of the wine and whisk it in until dissolved.
Divide the sliced strawberries equally into 6 clear glass serving bowls or large stemless wine glasses and pour the wine/gelatin mixture over the top.
Allow jellies to set in the fridge overnight or at least for 3-4 hours.
Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before serving and top with whipped cream and a fresh strawberry garnish.
Pair with The View’s Pinotage Rosé
The View’s signature Pinotage grapes are the basis for all of their rosé wines.
This Rosé has won multiple gold awards nationally and been awarded Best Rosé at the Best of BC Wine Awards 2011. The only one of its kind in North America, it boasts intense aromas of strawberry and cotton candy followed by flavours of pink grapefruit and tart cranberry.
A dry, crisp finish and pleasing fruit notes add to its elegance. Pinotage Rosé pairs well with poultry, arugula, strawberry and walnut salad, Caprese salad or prosciutto and balsamic flatbread and makes great jelly!
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