Thirteen years ago this May, I wrote my very first Some Kinda Good column for the Statesboro Herald. I never imagined that more than a decade later I would still be sharing my kitchen adventures with you here in Discovering Bulloch.
As I celebrate this personal milestone, our nation is also preparing for a monumental one: America’s 250th birthday. Across the country — and right here at home — milestones are often marked and favorite memories often made in the best way we know how: gathered with family and friends around good food.
In honor of America’s 250th birthday, I wanted to create a dessert that captures that festive, patriotic spirit.
As the April air warms and May days grow longer, local berry patches begin to come alive. This dessert is truly a celebration of the season on a plate. Grilling the pound cake adds a subtle smokiness and a light crunch that pairs beautifully with velvety Chantilly cream and the bright, tart flavor of homemade strawberry coulis. The heat of the grill caramelizes the sugars in the cake, creating a texture that stands up beautifully to the cool cream. The result is a dish that feels like a South Georgia porch swing on a Sunday afternoon — familiar, sweet and timeless.
As we celebrate 250 years of our nation and 13 years of Some Kinda Good, it is worth remembering that the best recipes are the ones shared with the people we love.
Happy Birthday, America — and thank you, Bulloch County, for letting me be a part of your table all these years.
Grilled Pound Cake with Chantilly Cream and Strawberry Coulis
Serves 4–6
INGREDIENTS
- Store-bought sour cream pound cake loaf, cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1 pound strawberries, divided
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- ½ cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Fresh mint, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Macerate the fruit. Cut half of the strawberries into slices. In a medium bowl, mix together the sliced strawberries, the blueberries and ¼ cup sugar, and set aside. Allow the ingredients to marry for at least 15 minutes.
Prepare the strawberry coulis. Hull and quarter the remaining strawberries, and combine them with ¼ cup sugar and the lemon juice in a stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened and the berries break down. Transfer to a blender and puree. When cooled, strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
Grill the pound cake. Set a grill pan coated with olive oil to medium heat. Brush the pound cake slices with olive oil on each side and grill them, rotating 90 degrees every 30 seconds to achieve crosshatch grill marks. Flip the cake slices and grill on the opposite side for one minute, then remove from the heat.
Prepare the Chantilly cream. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of sugar until stiff peaks form, about five minutes.
Plate the dessert. Place the strawberry coulis sauce on a plate, then top it with two grilled pound cake slices. Drizzle the macerated berries and juices onto the cake, and dollop with Chantilly cream. Garnish with fresh mint.
