Strawberry Fields Forever

So. It seems to be strawberry season. I got 2 punnets from Shaw's at $1.99 each. Truth be told, they didn't turn out to be as sweet as I had hoped. Maybe that's why they were so cheap. So what did I do with so many strawberries? Make strawberry dessert! Again, we invited some friends over for dessert, wine and chit chat, so I spent some part of Sunday making verrines.

Tonight was a night of great conversation. I was particularly inspired by our Indian friend, Balu. He is a trained physician and spent the past 25 years of his life living and working in the deep forests of south west India. When he first graduated as a physician, he was challenged by someone to work in a reservation area amongst the tribal people. There were no roads, no buildings, nothing. He took up the challenge and has not looked back since. These are the types of people that Alvin interfaces with daily in school. What an inspiration.

Peach, Vanilla Mousse and Strawberry Verrines:
Adapted from Helen Dujardin

Serves 4

For the peach puree:
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
1 cup (200g) peaches, peeled and pitted diced small
1 1/2 tablespoon juice and zest of a lime (or to taste)
2 tablespoons sugar

For the vanilla mousse:
1/2 tablespoon gelatin
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the strawberry topping:
1/2 teaspoon gelatin
2 teaspoons water
3/4 cup (115g) fresh strawberries, halved
1 tablespoon of sugar (or to taste)

Prepare the peach puree layer:
Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and reserve. Process the peach dices with the lime juice and zest and the sugar until completely processed. Heat the mixture in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Add the gelatin and stir until it is completely melted. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Divide evenly among 4 glasses. Refrigerate until set.

Prepare the peach mousse:
Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and reserve. Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan set over medium heat and heat until it bubbles. Watch carefully because the cream will quickly rise to the top of the saucepan. Add the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. Divide evenly among the glasses. Refrigerate until set.

Prepare the strawberry puree:
Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and reserve. In the bowl of a food processor puree the strawberries with the sugar until completely smooth. Heat that mixture in a small saucepan set over medium high heat and cook until it bubbles. Stir in the gelatin and stir until it dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Divide it on top of the peach mousse and refrigerate until set.