Strawberry

This is an ideal ice cream for early summer, when strawberries are at their peak of flavor.

Season: May to August. After a dismal result with my strawberry jam at the 2007 Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Show, I decided to get my act together and work out a recipe that i could rely on to get me that much-coveted first prize next time. My kitchen soon took on the appearance of a strawberry jam factory, with coded batches piled just about everywhere. I thought I’d nearly made the grade on batch three, but the tweaking for batch four caused mayhem in the jam pan. However, batch five seemed to come alive from the moment the lemon juice was added, and I knew it was going to be just right – bright in color, with some soft whole fruit and, of course, that wonderful, intense strawberry taste. Strawberries are low in pectin. Using sugar with added pectin helps to attain a lovely set and a flavor that isn’t too sickly sweet. Use freshly picked, dry fruit – not too big, or they’ll blow to bits when the jam is bubbling away. However, if you’re using very small fruit, make sure they’re not too hard and seedy.

Any sun-kissed berries will work atop the cream cheese filling in these mini chocolate cheesecake cookies.

It has become a tradition in my house that I make everyone’s favorite dessert on his or her birthday. Garth’s favorite is German Chocolate Cake, Taylor’s is Banana Pudding, and so on. When it came time for my friend Joe’s birthday, his wife, Kim, let me know that his favorite was cheesecake. “No problem,” I said, as I started thinking about that awesome cheesecake in a box I was going to make (I have to admit that it’s my favorite). “He loves the old-style New York cheesecake,” she explained. Umm … no problem? But I was committed, so I did what I always do: call my family for help. Beth hooked me up with several cheesecake recipes, and this is the one I like best. It made me a big hit on Joe’s birthday.

It is hard to imagine how the flavor of fresh-picked Jewel strawberries could possibly be improved. But with traditional balsamic vinegar, the gorgeous, sweet-tart, syrupy vinegar made from local grapes in Modena, Italy, it is ridiculously easy to make the strawberry taste burst out in an incredible way. If you can, use Jewel strawberries.

Local rhubarb season overlaps with strawberry season in the Finger Lakes, and that’s enough to fire both the imagination and the grill at Stonecat Café. Culinary wizard Scott Signori slathers this unique sauce over Peter McDonald’s pasture-raised chicken and suggests washing it down with Ithaca Nut Brown Ale.

The combination of strawberry and rhubarb is a classic for good reason: the juicy-sweet strawberries are perfectly balanced by the tart rhubarb. Our version features a crumb crust on top, which works well with a very juicy fruit filling such as this one; a traditional pie crust topping would get soggy. The crumb also provides crunchy textural contrast to the soft fruit inside.

Compared to cheesecake made primarily with cream cheese, this rendition of the American classic is notably light. We make it with Cowgirl Creamery (opposite page) fromage blanc, which is lower in fat than cream cheese, plus ricotta and mascarpone to enhance the texture. A thin layer of Cowgirl Creamery crème fraîche blankets the top. The result is an easy, elegant, lemony dessert to serve in slender slices with a fruit accompaniment, such as sugared berries, a raspberry sauce, or the strawberry-rhubarb compote suggested here.

Alexis and Eric Koefoed operate Soul Food Farm (see page 173) in a rural area of Solano County, Napa’s neighbor. The eggs from their pasture-raised chickens are so superior to conventional eggs that they inspired a cooking class at the winery. For the class dessert, Brian created this variation on floating island, a retro French dessert that deserves to come back into fashion. The “islands” are poached meringues that, in the original version, float on vanilla custard—a superb way to showcase first-rate eggs. The unusual caramel sauce flavored with Cakebread Cellars rosé is Brian’s addition.

Fresh strawberries add an element of tartness to the simple Vanilla Cake. The thin layers of strawberry jam inside the cake further enhance that flavor. At Tribeca Treats we typically offer this cake only when strawberries are at the height of flavor, making it a mouthwatering cake for a summer birthday celebration.

This is one of my favorite recipes for summer entertaining, and it works well for both casual and more formal events. These desserts can be set out on a tray at a backyard barbecue or passed with champagne at a swankier affair. The cookies are baked in a mini muffin pan in order to give them the shape of a small tartlet crust. Topping them with fresh whipped cream and macerated strawberries (strawberries that have been softened by soaking them in liquid) makes them a more unique option than traditional cookies, but they require minimal extra effort. Balsamic vinegar is a classic pairing with strawberries because the particularly sweet vinegar balances the sweet-tart flavor in the berries and brings out a more intense berry flavor.

This refreshing dessert is inspired by sgroppino, an Italian specialty. Prosecco is an authentic choice, but feel free to use any type of sparkling wine, or even champagne.

A far cry from anything in a bottle, this intensely flavored syrup tastes great over waffles, pancakes, and even ice cream. You can use one type of berry or a combination of berries.

THERE IS NO BETTER BOUNTY OF NORTHWEST SUMMERS than local berries. Strawberries arrive first, followed in rapid succession by raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cherries. (Cherries are technically a stone fruit, but to locals they are the grand marshal in our parade of summer berries.) Try any of these fruits in this easy parfait. Sliced peaches and nectarines are a welcome addition; whatever fruit is at its peak in the market will be your best choice. The addition of simple syrup enhances the natural sweetness of the fruit and adds a beautiful gloss. You can make the syrup ahead and refrigerate it in a sealed container for a week. This is a simple, elegant dessert—perfect for a relaxed summer evening.

THIS IS A FAMILY FAVORITE. We use a scone-like shortbread with a kick of orange zest as the base and Beecher’s Blank Slate cheese, which contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the strawberries and the rich, buttery flavor of the shortcake. Any tart fresh cheese, such as fromage blanc, will work, or leave out the cheese and use 1 1/2 cups heavy cream.

MORE RHUBARB IS GROWN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST than in any other region of the country, meaning you’ll often see rhubarb on dessert menus in local restaurants from April through September. Although rhubarb is technically a vegetable, its tart flavor lends itself to being treated like a fruit. Adding sugar and cooking the thick stalks softens the flavor. Strawberries and rhubarb are a classic combination, and they’re even better accented with a little orange zest. These bars are a perfect portable dessert for lunchboxes and picnic baskets.

This is only one example of the many summer fruit compotes that turn combinations of fruit into delectable desserts. All the fruits of summer—plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries, figs—can be cut up and soaked together in their own juices with a little sugar and lemon juice. Summer fruit compotes are delicious by themselves; on pancakes or waffles; with almond cake or angel food cake or a plate of cookies; or with ice cream, whipped cream, or sherbet.

Ice cream is universally loved—and homemade ice cream right off the dasher is the most desirable ice cream of all. There are basically two versions. The first is simply sweetened and flavored cream, frozen. The second is a frozen custard made with sweetened cream and egg yolks, which produces a richer, smoother ice cream. They both have their charms, although I lean towards the frozen custard kind. Ice cream can be made with all cream or a mixture of cream and half-and-half or milk. Flavors tend to be more pronounced in ice cream when it is lightened with half-and-half or milk. Heat the cream to dissolve the sugar (or honey). At this point the cream can be infused with other flavorings, such as vanilla bean, coffee beans, herbs, or finely chopped toasted nuts. Let the flavorings infuse for about 20 minutes, then strain them out, and chill the liquid. Fruit purées and extracts are added after the mixture has cooled. Such solid flavorings as chopped fruit, nuts, or grated chocolate are best stirred in after the ice cream has been frozen; added earlier, they impede the freezing process. To make a custard-based ice cream, strain the warm cream, mix with egg yolks, and cook until thick. Chill well before freezing. Ice cream can be frozen in a shallow pan or tray but it will have a much smoother texture if frozen in a machine. The constantly moving paddle, or dasher, breaks up the ice crystals and works a small amount of air into the mix as it freezes. There are a variety of ice cream machines on the market. The traditional machines consist of a wooden bucket that holds a metal canister, which can be surrounded by crushed ice and rock salt. The salt lowers the freezing temperature of the ice, making the ice cream freeze more quickly. The canister is fitted with a dasher that is operated by a hand crank or an electric motor. For best results, chill the dasher and canister before adding the ice cream. There are a number of smaller machines that consist of a double-walled canister that is filled with a liquid coolant. The canister is placed in the freezer until the coolant is frozen solid. When ready, it is filled with the mix and fitted with its motor, which turns a scraping arm. The double-insulated canisters are a bit more convenient but take a while to freeze. If you have the space, store the canister in the freezer so it is ready to go whenever you need it. The mix should be very cold before it is added or it may thaw out the canister before the mix has had a chance to freeze. Only fill the canisters about two-thirds full: the mix will expand as it freezes. Ice-cream machines will freeze ice cream in about 30 to 35 minutes. When just frozen, ice cream is still soft enough that you can stir in such solid flavorings as nuts or candied fruit. The small canister machines have a large hole in the lids for just this purpose. Traditional freezers need to be stopped and opened up. Serve the ice cream right away, or chill it for a few hours to harden further. In a traditional machine you can leave the ice cream in its ice-packed canister right in its bucket (add more ice to cover the top), but don’t leave it in the insulated canister-type machine, which won’t be cold enough to harden the ice cream. Instead, transfer the soft ice cream to a chilled container and put it in the freezer. Pack the ice cream tightly to discourage the formation of any ice crystals. Ice cream will maintain its full flavor for up to a week, but it will lose its sublime texture. When it has frozen quite hard, take the ice cream out of the freezer for a few minutes before serving, for easier scooping.

My mom made a variation of this dessert from the time I was a little girl. I’m not exactly sure where she got the recipe, but I know it came from one of my aunts in Guadalajara. You just need to know that my uncle Ernesto would drive from his house in San Diego across the border into Tijuana to go to my mom’s house when she announced she was making strawberry pie. It’s not traditional or very Mexican, especially in its original form. She used to use a store-bought graham-cracker pie crust (which you are free to use), but I have concocted a much tastier crust using the traditional Maria cracker and piloncillo (unrefined solid cane sugar, usually found in the shape of small truncated cones). What I absolutely left alone is the filling—a fluffy, creamy, perfectly sweet filling that I could eat an entire bowl of if given a spoon. The amounts given will also work with a 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom if you don’t want to make individual tartlets.

Here’s a strawberry dessert that not only is delicious and intriguing but also can compete with plain fruit in lightness. Strawberries are sugared to juice them up a bit, then drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with a pinch of black pepper. The result is so elegant that you’ll find it in great restaurants from here to Emilia-Romagna, the home of balsamic vinegar. It’s an ideal dessert after a heavy meal. Serve, if you like, with a few crisp cookies or a slice of pound, sponge, or angel food cake. This will not hold for any length of time; you can sugar the berries an hour or two before you want to serve them, but no longer.