The Mountain Kitchen: Strawberries Steal the Show

When those little red gems begin to show up at farmers markets and grocery stores, our mouths start to water for shortcake, jams, pies, and savory recipes such as salads. My first memory of strawberries was a scented storybook my mother bought for me when I was about 5: “Little Bunny Follows His Nose” (Golden Press, 1971). I can still smell the strawberry jam scratch-and-sniff patch in a wooden spoon, made by Mama Mouse. The aroma of these berries evokes joy and memories for lots of folks.

Thankfully, there are endless strawberry recipes for fans of this juicy fruit. Our very own Michele Smith, designer of The Groundhog, creator of Botanical Blues, and all-around wonderful human, made this cobbler for Mothers Day recently, and it’s a great way to celebrate spring’s favorite berry.

Strawberry Cobbler

(Serves 10-12)

• 1 pound fresh strawberries, quartered
• 1 stick butter
• 1½ cups flour
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup of sugar until they’re evenly coated. The sugar helps draw out the juices from the berries, creating a syrupy sauce. Set aside.
3. Cut butter into slices, and add to a 9×13” casserole dish. Place in the oven until butter is melted.
4. While butter is melting, whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Pour mixture into the dish with the melted butter. Do not stir.
6. Add the strawberries with juices evenly on top of the mixture.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Serve hot with ice cream or whipped topping.

Strawberries can play a part in more than desserts. Their flavor complements all manner of salad dressing ingredients, from poppy seeds to mint to honey to wine. This recipe is one you can play with, adjusting the amounts in the dressing to your own taste.

Strawberry Salad with Honey-Shallot Vinaigrette

Strawberry Salad with Honey-Shallot Vinaigrette

(Serves 4)

Salad

• 12 oz. mixed salad greens, such as Romaine or butter lettuce, roughly torn
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 6 oz. firm feta cheese, sliced thick

Dressing

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Arrange salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar, and shake. Or whisk in a small bowl. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad, and serve.

Fantastic Strawberry Fudge

(Serves 24)

It’s always fun when you stumble upon a really delicious recipe. I had some freeze-dried strawberries from a cake recipe, my basic fudge recipe, and a hankering to depart from chocolate or peanut butter fudge.

• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 9 oz. evaporated milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 (12 oz.) package white chocolate chips
• 1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
• ¼ cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed into fine powder (Walmart sells them)
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate or cranberry juice (for color)
• 1 tablespoon strawberry extract

1. Butter a 9×13” pan, and set aside.
2. In a large heavy pot, bring sugar, butter, milk, and salt to a boil, stirring often. Boil until a candy thermometer registers soft ball stage.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in white chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, strawberries, fruit juice, and extract. Stir until chips are melted.
4. Pour into buttered dish, and cool before cutting.