Cool Spring Strawberry Soup with "shortcake" swizzle and poppy seed crème fraiche

3 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and 1 pint same reserved.
1 cup high quality strawberry jam
1 cup red wine (grenache is good for this)
orange peel stuck with three cloves
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolve in Chambord liqueur

Simmer first five ingredients gently until they cook down into liquid form. Thicken with cornstarch. Cool and puree. Puree the one pint of strawberries reserved and add to cooled soup. (this adds a fresh strawberry flavor back to the base) Strain all though a chinois. Makes 6 servings.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tbs poppy seeds
1 cup unsalted butter
1.5 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temp (very important!)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk, room temp

Heat oven 350 degrees. Butter and flour metal loaf pan. Mix flour, bake powder, poppy and salt. Cream butter and with paddle attachment on a mixer. Add eggs one a time, slowly. Add zest and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients on low speed. Do not over mix or your cake will be chewy and dry! Bake in loaf pan about 1 hour and twenty minute-until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool and dice into large pieces-thresh carefully on decorative skewers and use as garnish-swizzle for strawberry soup-serve the soup in a large martini glass.