I was once in California at the height of their strawberry season. Like so many things in California, the berries seemed larger than life. Even though purchased at a roadside store, they were unmistakably local—not picked in order to ripen on the way to their ultimate destination, no white core supporting their sexy scarlet exterior: just glistening, scarlet, fully ripe (and by New England standards) huge berries, whose juice stained our hands and dripped into our laps. They were gorgeous.
There is a certain perfection to a sun-warmed, freshly picked, ripe strawberry. Even the aroma in a strawberry field is enough to make me swoon. In fact, it’s amazing that when we pick them in the height of the season, that any ever make it back to the kitchen. While there are tons of great recipes out there, ripe strawberries need little embellishment. So I offer recipes for those for us who feel compelled to share the bounty—and create dishes that let their natural flavor, texture, and aroma shine through.
Some of the earliest settlers to the New England colonies found acres of strawberry fields when they landed. As with many things in New England, the season maybe short, but all things come to those who wait. A typical late June or 4th of July festival might well feature strawberries as the main attraction. Strawberry ice cream, strawberry shortcake, strawberry pies, strawberries dipped in sour cream and brown sugar, drizzled with an aged balsamic—all in the delicious lineup. Below is a slightly adapted recipe from one of my favorite home chefs, Martha Greenlaw, mother of famous swordboat captain Linda Greenlaw. This appeared in their first cookbook Recipes from a Very Small Island. Look for an interview with Linda in the upcoming issue of Northeast FLAVOR. Linda and Martha’s newest cookbook, The Maine Summer’s Cookbook: Recipes for Delicious Sun-Filled Days (Studio, hardcover, 224 pages) will be in stores at the end of this month.
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pint of fresh, ripe strawberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups homemade or packaged instant vanilla pudding
- One 3- ounce package of cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 (two and one half cups) half inches of homemade or store bought pound cake
- 1/3 cup framboise or sweet sherry (optional)
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
METHOD
1. Reserve 3 or 4 of the best-looking berries for garnish. Hull and slice enough of the remaining berries to measure 2 cups. Set aside.
2. Transfer the remaining berries to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add the sugar and process to a puree.
3. With an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle blade, beat together the pudding and cream cheese until well blended.
4. Arrange the sliced strawberries around the sides of a clear straight-sided glass bowl or trifle dish.
5. Spread half of the cake cubes over the bottom of the dish. Add sherry or framboise if desired. Pour half the pureed berries over the cake and top with half the pudding mixture. Repeat to layer the cake, berries, and pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Before serving, top with whipped cream and reserved berries for garnish.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy this Summer berry? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
