From shortcake to soup, strawberries are scrumptious

I thought I’d had my fill of strawberries, enjoying them each morning since they came into season last month. But, the crimson beauties continue to appear, lined up to seduce us at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market as well as the local grocery stores. Unlike the pallid, pale berries seen in the off-season, these are deep red in color, with flesh as bright on the inside as the outside.

Native to both the northern and southern hemispheres, strawberries enjoy a wide range of growing conditions, from mountain peaks to seaside woodlands. Described in medical writings as long ago as 1000 AD, the berry became popular in Europe during the early 1800s. According to food historians, the name of the fruit could have derived from a number of aspects.

First, commercial growers often used straw to mulch the plant over the winter, and in London, children would collect the berries onto pieces of straw and sell them as “straws of berries.” Their Latin name, Fragra, translates to fragrant, which is an excellent description of the aroma from a basket of fresh berries. The Narragansett Native Americans called them “wuttahimneash” or “heart berry,” a reference to their shape.

Strawberries are unlike most berries because of how their tiny seeds appear. The small brownish or whitish specks that cover the exterior of the fruit are actually individual fruits, botanically known as achenes, each containing a single seed. One strawberry may be covered with hundreds of seeds. Due to hybridization, if you attempt to grow strawberries from the seeds on the berries themselves, you may not get a plant that exactly resembles the parent.

Because of their delicate nature, strawberries don’t last very long once they’ve been plucked from the vine. And, the riper they are, the quicker they will turn to mush once you have them in your kitchen. When you get home, place them in a colander and rinse with water. Spread them in a single layer on a piece of paper towel, removing any with damage or bruising.

Trim off the leafy tops and you’re ready to make them into the fruity center of a strawberry shortcake. They are delicious sliced onto cereal or stirred into yogurt. If you have any that are beginning to soften too much, use them for the strawberry quick bread in the photo or a refreshing chilled soup. It’s easy to assemble, so you can make it the night before to serve for a light lunch, a creamy companion to fruit salad or a pretty garnish for grilled chicken breasts.

For the quick bread recipe, I found most versions called for vegetable oil, while I have always preferred creaming together butter and sugar. I tried them both and found that butter offered a brighter berry flavor and tender crumb. In addition to the flavor difference, I found the texture of the oil-based recipe was much drier, with an almost overbaked crust.

While the recipe here calls for almond extract, you can substitute vanilla if that’s your preference. I used buttermilk because it was in my refrigerator, but whole milk works just as well. If you have a sweet tooth, consider stirring together a strawberry glaze to top the loaf. And, if you see white strawberries, they are a hybrid known as “pineberries,” developed in Japan.

Strawberry Quick Bread

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the inside of a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk, egg and almond extract, mixing to combine thoroughly. Add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Toss the diced strawberries with the 1 T flour to coat. Gently fold berries into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing the bread to a serving plate. Yield: 8 servings.

Strawberry Soup

Trim and discard the leafy tops from the berries; purée  in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Stir in the wine, honey and nutmeg; then whisk in yogurt and sour cream. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. To serve, ladle soup into 4 chilled bowls and drizzle a half-teaspoon of Balsamic vinegar on the top; garnish with mint sprigs.