Food Fare: Sweeten your summer with strawberries at Thursday's Strawberry Shortcake Festival
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Loading... - Claire Lavigne
- 09 Jun 2022
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Surely there was something missing here, and it's time to give the sweet side some attention. Perhaps because strawberries are so good fresh out of the container, mixed with yogurt or ice cream, sliced on on top of cereal or granola, nestled into a salad or crudite plate, slathered with clotted cream at the Wimbledon Tennis Club or simply lightly rinsed and popped directly in your mouth, I just hadn’t gotten around to doing more with them. It was definitely time to explore some cookbooks, food magazines and blogs to give the berry its due.
The Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Vanilla Jam with Cardamom was just that, easy. Equal parts of rhubarb and strawberries are chopped up and stewed with water, lemon and cardamom spice, requiring only occasional stirring. While the recipe calls for mashing the fruit to the desired consistency, I found that mine stewed down to a nice texture all on its own. Personally I didn’t find that the cardamom flavor came through as well as I’d hoped (although that pleased my wife), so if you’re a cardamom fan you might want to add a bit more. Spread on top of a toasted muffin with melted butter it was perfect for afternoon tea and it will store well in the refrigerator for a few weeks or in the freezer until needed.
And finally there is a Strawberry Infused Vinegar. Strawberries, plus or minus herbs (I used basil and bee balm, but there are many other combinations possible) are steeped in warm vinegar and left to infuse for up to two weeks. Once infused, strain out the strawberries and herbs, simmer the liquid for 10 minutes and re-bottle; pop it into the fridge until needed. Sprinkle it over fruit or veggies, make it into a vinaigrette or use it in any other place where you might want a sweet vinegar.
Strawberry Shortcake Festival
There are, of course, many other ways to use strawberries in your cooked dishes but you don’t have to cook them all. The Strawberry Shortcake Festival is coming up, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. June 9 at Switchyard Park Pavilion. It’s a chance to enjoy the fresh berry all while supporting a good cause — the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington. Maybe I’ll see you there. And if you have a recipe idea for me to explore in a future column, send your ideas along to The Herald-Times.
Creamy Strawberry Semifreddo
Source: by Rosemary Molloy, An Italian in my Kitchen
Semifreddo:
1 1/2 cups cream whole/whipping or heavy (at least 30% fat)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (whole)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Strawberry Sauce #1:
1/3 cup sugar (see note)
10 1/2 ounces fresh strawberries, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Note: If the strawberries are not very sweet then add 1-2 tablespoons extra.
Strawberry Sauce #2 Topping
7 ounces fresh strawberries, chopped
2-3 tablespoons powdered/icing sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1. Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with plastic
Strawberry Sauce #1
2. In a small pot add the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice bring to a boil, squishing with a potato masher, cook 3-5 minutes stirring constantly, remove to a clean bowl and let cool, then refrigerate until cold. (I placed mine in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.)
Semifreddo
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the cream until stiff, fold in the yogurt and vanilla then gently fold in the cold strawberry sauce. Pour into the prepared loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and let freeze at least 4-5 hours. Read More...
