Recipes celebrate Memorial Day

Saturday is the first day of a three-day weekend and marks the unofficial start of the summer season. While Memorial Day may offer a break from our busy jobs or an excuse to fire up the grill, the origins of the holiday are far more noble. Originally called Decoration Day for the custom of placing flowers on the graves of soldiers (a practice thousands of years old), Memorial Day in this country began after the Civil War.

In 1868, Maj. Gen. John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic (a Union veterans association) declared May 30 as the date to observe Decoration Day. He encouraged people across the country to place flowers on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers who had died during the war. Urban legend holds the date was chosen to ensure an abundant supply of flowers would be in bloom.

In 1971, Memorial Day was formally created by an act of Congress as the day to honor everyone who had died while in service to the United States. The exact date varies from year to year, with the last Monday in May scheduled for the official observance. While the president places a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, community groups throughout the country will hold parades and services.

And, once the flags have been furled and the last notes of “Taps” drift into the breeze, we’ll unpack our picnics and fire up our barbecue grills. At our house, we’ve tried a number of different menus on Memorial Day, from burgers to fried chicken to grilled sausage. The only constant on the table is a red-white-and-blue dessert.

I have a tendency to forget how high the temperatures can be at the end of May (perhaps even this year, despite the weeks of chilly rain). Several of my ice cream desserts proved too sloppy to serve in their original form, and some of my baked goodies made the kitchen feel like a furnace.

This year, we’re going to take a few shortcuts with dessert and assemble tarts like those in the photo. Instead of baking biscuits or puff pastry shells for shortcakes and without even considering an angel food cake, we went with off-the-shelf sponge cake rounds (which Lloyd's in Lewes keeps in the freezer section to maintain freshness).

As for the creamy filling options, there were a number of multi-step custards that we ignored in favor of Kozy Shack pudding. The ready-to-serve packaging and creamy texture gave us what we needed without standing in front of a hot stove stirring and stirring while juggling a thermometer trying to avoid a boil-over.

The boxes of local strawberries did not disappoint: plump, juicy berries with bright, sweet flavor. They were too large to leave whole, so after we hulled them, we sliced the berries and arranged them on top. The sprig of mint offers a hint of the berries’ former green cap.

Since the Bennett Orchards blueberries aren’t ready yet, we purchased some that had been grown in Georgia. They were fine, just not quite as fresh and succulent as we’ll have when the local crop arrives. But, we did assemble a traditional red, white and blue dessert for Memorial Day with very little fuss.

I’ve included instructions for making this simple version, as well as recipes for stovetop custard and a homemade sponge cake which can provide the canvas for a patriotic arrangement of berries. Happy Memorial Day!

Simple Berry Tarts

6 sponge cake rounds
3 4-oz pudding cups
1/2 C sliced strawberries
1/2 C blueberries
6 mint sprigs

Place the pastry rounds on a serving platter. Fill each with half a container of pudding. Arrange berries in a decorative fashion. Garnish with mint sprigs. Yield: 6 servings.

Sponge Cake

1 C cake flour
pinch salt
6 eggs, separated
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour the inside of two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Sift the flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Place the egg yolks and 1/2 C sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until yellow and thick, scraping down the bowl occasionally, about 3 minutes; set aside.

Place the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl. With scrupulously clean beaters, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/2 C sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture one-third at a time. Sprinkle about one-fourth of the flour mixture over the egg mixture, gently fold in. Repeat until all the flour has been incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, smoothing the top surface. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Place cakes on a wire rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pans and remove the cakes. Cool another 45 minutes on the wire racks.

Stovetop Custard

3 egg yolks
3 C mik
1/2 C sugar
1/3 C cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla

Beat egg yolks in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in milk, mixing until blended; set aside. In a large, heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add a small bit of milk and stir to make a smooth paste. Add the rest of the milk gradually, whisking until blended.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and reaches a boil. Boil for 1 minute, continually stirring. Remove pan from stove and immediately place in an ice bath to stop heating. Stir in vanilla and cover with plastic wrap, directly pressing plastic onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.


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