Rosemary Lemon Sherbet, Basil Pound Cake, Candied Pine Nuts, and Passion Fruit

METHOD:

For the Rosemary Lemon Sherbet:
Combine all ingredients into sauce pot and bring to rolling boil. Turn off heat and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or until desired flavor has been reached. Strain and chill.

For the Basil Purée:
Blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds and transfer to water bath. Puree the basil and 6 tablespoons of water until a thin, smooth puree has been achieved. Reserve.

For the Basil Pound Cake:
Preheat the oven to 325°F and butter and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time until a cohesive batter is achieved. Add 80 grams of the basil purée into the creamed butter and sugar mixture and cream. The batter will “break” into small pieces. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the batter, mixing until combined. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Cool and keep in airtight container.

For the Candied Pine Nuts:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine the simple syrup, water, and pine nuts in a saucepot over a medium heat and boil for 10 minutes. Strain the nuts and spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, Bake the nuts until they turn golden and are toasted. Store them in an airtight container.

To Assemble and Serve:
Roughly tear chunks of the pound cake and plate them, surrounding a quenelle of sherbet. Sprinkle with candies pine nuts and poppy seeds. Plate passion fruit aroma.