Stew of Red Summer Fruit

By norsegal8

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 1/3 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup mellow dry white wine (such as Chenin Blanc or Gewurtztraminer)
• 1 cup creme de cassis
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 1 pound firm red Santa Rosa plums (about 10) pitted and cut into wedges
• 1 pound bing cherries, pitted
• 4 large basil sprigs, tied in a bundle with kitchen string
• 1 pound seedless grapes
• 1 pound blueberries
• 1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled, cut into wedges
• 1 pint sour cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

FOR THE FRUIT: Combine the pomegranate juice, rind, white wine, cassis, and strawberry jam in a stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil for about 1 minute. Add the plums, cherries and basil and bring to a strong boil for about 1 minute.

With a slotted spoon or a skimmer remove the fruit from the boiling liquid and put it in a bowl. Put the basil back in the cooking liquid and add the grapes. Return to a boil and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the grapes to the bowl and add the blueberries and strawberries to the sauce pan with the basil. Return the mixture to a boil just briefly, remove the fruit and add to the bowl.

Drain as much juice as you can from the fruit and return to the saucepan (you should have approximately 3 cups). Boil the juice to reduce it to 2 cups, and pour it on top of the fruit, with the basil. (The fruit can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated for several days; serve cool, not cold.)

FOR THE SAUCE: at serving time combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until just slightly liquid.

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of juice from the fruit onto each plate. Swirl about 1 tablespoon of the sauce in a design in the juice, using a spoon ot the point of a knife.
spoon the fruit into the center of the plates. Decorate with mint leaves.