Drying Strawberries

Drying fruit at home is easy and rewarding, and the end product is invariably excellent. Among all the strawberries we put into the freezer at this time of year, we always make sure to dry a load or two as well. We enjoy them in our oatmeal all winter long. (Other good local fruit candidates for drying are peaches and apples and pears. Tomatoes are easy and good too, if you like "sun-dried" tomatoes.)

Wash and hull the strawberries and cut off any bad spots. Try to choose berries of approximately similar size, to the extent possible - this will help them dry more evenly. Cut small and medium berries in half lenthwise; larger specimens can be cut into thirds or even quarters if very big.

Spread the berries on the dehydrator trays. You can crowd them in pretty close so long as they are not actually on top of each other; they will shrink considerably as they dry.

In my dehydrator, I find it takes around 10-14 hours to dry strawberries. I start checking after 10 hours and remove any that are fully dried. I check about every hour or so. You can do this on a weekend, or if you are home in the morning, start them overnight so they are ready for you to begin checking on them in the morning.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Streusel Top

I still have a few packages of strawberries in the freezer from last year. I figure we'll use them up just about in time to start picking fresh ones next month. Meanwhile, they go great with the rhubarb that is ready for harvest in my garden now. If you don't have strawberries, you can make a straight rhubarb pie that is also delicious - just be sure to add more sugar unless you like a rather tart pie. Either way, this is excellent with good quality vanilla ice cream.

If you are using frozen fruit, let it thaw entirely and then drain off the excess liquid if you want to avoid having an extremely juicy pie; you may wish to add another cup or so of fruit if you are doing this as it will be denser in volume.

1 9-inch pie shell
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose or white whole wheat flour
Dash of cinnamon
7 cups combined strawberries and rhubarb cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
Dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Shape the crust in a pie pan and prick all over with a fork, then stash it in the freezer while you prepare the topping and filling.

Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut the butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon together until well combined and crumbly. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the fruit, sugar, cornstarch and salt and stir until well combined.

Take the pie shell out of the freezer. Place the fruit mixture into it, evening it out, and then top with the streusel topping.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the crust is nicely brown and the pie is thoroughly bubbly. Let cool before serving.

Makes one 9-inch pie in a relatively deep dish.

Sweet Rhubarb Quick Bread

I always save some strawberries in the freezer for this time of year, when the rhubarb is ready to pick but the strawberries aren't. But rhubarb is great on its own, too. Make this recipe as written, or, if you like, substitute some strawberries (mash partly first).

Rhubarb in the garden

3/4 lb rhubarb stems, stringed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Place the rhubarb in a microwave proof bowl with a small splash of water and cover with plastic wrap or a plate. Steam on High for 1 minute, stir, then cook for another 1 minute and stir again. The rhubarb should be quite soft and will exude a good bit of liquid. If needed, steam for another 30-60 seconds. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and stir.

Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil in a large bowl and stir well. Stir in the rhubarb with its liquid. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Makes 1 loaf.

Frozen Yogurt with Summer Fruit - Master Recipe

I'll start this off by saying up front that you need an ice cream maker to make this, an item I realize lots of people don't have. But we acquired one a couple months ago and I have really been enjoying making our own ice creams and frozen yogurts using local ingredients. Fresh local cream - not ultrapasteurized - has so much more delicious flavor than you get in the kind from the store that will keep for weeks and weeks on the shelf.  And when you combine that with local berries or other fruits, well...

I've found I can make really excellent frozen yogurt as well, which is a bit more healthful of an option than the ice cream.  I make my own yogurt with local milk, but you can always use Sidehill Farm yogurt or any commercial variety. However, if you use a sweetened flavor - anything other than plain - you can cut back the sugar in this recipe to almost nothing.

You can use pretty much any soft fruit in this recipe, but if you use apricots, peaches, etc. I suggest peeling them first.  Raspberries are truly sublime here.

This recipe is intended for a 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker. In general, follow the instructions that came with your machine. Have the bowl solidly frozen ahead of time.

2 1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped/mashed summer fruit
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or so.

Put the ice cream maker together with the frozen bowl and turn it on.  Pour in the yogurt mixture. Let the maker work for 15-20 minutes, until the frozen yogurt becomes too thick for the paddle to keep stirring it. It will have roughly the consistency of softserve.  Serve immediately or place it in a tupperware container and freeze.

To serve the yogurt after it has been in the freezer for several hours, let it thaw on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften up.

Serves 4-6.

Strawberry Balsamic Pizza with Arugula, Feta, and Basil

Paired with salty and tangy ingredients, strawberries do savory as well as sweet.  Substitute goat cheese for the feta if you like.

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 14-inch pizza crust (whole wheat is good here)
Olive oil
2-3 oz shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 cups chopped arugula
3 oz crumbled feta
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Combine the strawberries and vinegar in a bowl and toss to coat thoroughly. Toss a few more times while you prepare the rest of the pizza.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the mozzarella over the oiled crust, then top with arugula.  Using your fingers or a slotted spoon, remove strawberries from the vinegar and scatter them over the pizza (discard any remaining vinegar or use it to make salad dressing). Top with feta and a grind or two of black pepper.

Bake the pizza for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is done and the cheese begins to brown.  When you remove it from the oven, top with the basil and serve.

Serves 3-4.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

I guess this is sort of a cross between Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp and Strawberry Shortcake.  Another delicious variation on a theme.  Under no circumstances should you skip the whipped cream.  The cobbler topping is the cream biscuits recipe from Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food, and it's the best I've had.

6-7 cups combined whole strawberries and rhubarb in 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold butter, in small pieces
1 pint heavy cream
1-2 Tbsp confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter an 8x8-inch baking dish.

Combine the strawberries and rhubarb in a mixing bowl with 1/2 cup white sugar and 2 Tbsp flour and toss well to coat.  Set aside while you make the dough for the topping.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or two knives until it is peas-sized or smaller.  Add 3/4 cup cream and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together.  If it's too dry, add more cream a little drizzle at a time until you can form the dough into a rough ball in your hands.  Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and press it out with your hands until it is a size that will more or less cover the baking dish.

Pour the fruit into the baking dish and place the dough over it (it should be contained within the dish, not hang over).  Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and golden brown, and the fruit is bubbling.  Let cool on a rack.

While the cobbler bakes, whip the rest of the cream with the confectioners sugar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve the cobbler warm or room temperature with a generous helping of whipped cream on top.

Serves 6-8.

Fresh Strawberry Mint Sauce

Use this as a topping for grilled or broiled chicken, pork, or white fish. It's sweet and tangy all at once (unless your berries are extra super sweet, you'll need a little sugar or it won't quite taste right). If you like, experiment with different herbs: in place of the mint, try cilantro or basil.

1 cup minced fresh strawberries
1/2 tsp lime juice (or to taste)
2 tsp minced fresh mint (or to taste)
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, ideally at least an hour before serving so the flavor can meld. Refrigerate if not serving within an hour.

Makes about 1 cup, enough to serve 4.

Strawberries, Strawberries, Strawberries

It's mid-June and that means it's the height of strawberry season. This morning we went over to Upinngil Farm and picked about 19 pounds. My husband and son picked another 9 pounds or so earlier this week. At the moment I've got strawberries in the freezer, strawberries in the dehydrator, and strawberries and rhubarb simmering on the stove to make jam. Mmmm.

To freeze whole strawberries, wash them well, then hull them and cut out any bad spots. If you have time, freeze them on trays for several hours, then package them in freezer bags (I use quart size). Otherwise, just put them straight into bags and freeze. The advantage of tray freezing is that it keeps them separate so you can take out just a few at a time instead of having to thaw the whole package. If you just put them straight into bags they will stick together.

I use a home dehydrator to dry strawberries, as I do for tomatoes, peaches, apples, and pears. Wash and hull the berries, then slice in half and arrange them on the trays. Dry until there is no moisture left in them; they will be somewhere between leathery and crisp. Store in an airtight container. They'll keep even longer if you store them in the freezer. I like to stir them into my oatmeal in the winter.

Strawberry season is short, especially the u-pick season, so if you haven't gotten out there yet, you should do it in the next week or you'll risk missing out.

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad

A delightfully sweet and savory combination. Use flavorful greens - arugula is good, or a salad mix that includes things like mustard greens and sorrel along with the lettuce.

You can make this as a tossed salad, or compose individual servings with the strawberries, goat cheese, and optional nuts on a bed of greens.

Toss or compose in quantities that please you:

Arugula or mixed salad greens
Sliced or quartered strawberries
Crumbled goat cheese
Lightly toasted walnuts or pecans

Top with a balsamic vinaigrette (equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil; add salt and pepper and perhaps a little dried basil if you like).

Strawberry Picking

Check out CISA's list of farms selling strawberries, including u-pick, here. My family's personal favorite, Upinngil Farm in Gill, is opening for u-pick tomorrow, June 4. We'll be going away for a week and a half starting the middle of next week, so we need to get our strawberries picked and processed before then, lest we miss most of the season! Picking your own is a great way to get strawberries in bulk for a reasonable price. We'll be freezing loads of them and drying a bunch as well - I tried that last year and we loved having the dried berries in our oatmeal during the winter, for the brief time that they lasted.

Strawberries!!

The first strawberries of the season were at the farmers market this morning. Yippee! We had some with brunch and they were excellent, as local strawberries almost always are--soft, sweet, and bursting with flavor. If it's not too hot tomorrow, I'll pick up some local cream and make strawberry shortcake.

I have posted an array of strawberry recipes here over the last year. Click here to see everything tagged with "strawberries". (Or type into the search box at the top left of the page.)

Last Week for Apex Apples

It's the last week of April and that means it's the last week to buy apples from Apex Orchards in Shelburne. We stocked up last week on Braeburns and Empires and now have two refrigerator drawers full of apples to last us another few weeks. We have found that these long-stored apples are still in pretty great shape as long as you keep them refrigerated after getting them home--but kept out in the fruit bowl, they go downhill pretty quickly.

Once the apples are gone, we'll be into the spring fruit gap as we wait for strawberry season to begin in June. As I write this, it is cool, gray, and rainy outside, making June seem very far away - but really it's only a few weeks. Soon we will be picking strawberries in the hot sun!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce

Mmm, first rhubarb of the season! Straight from our garden. Strawberries from the freezer, picked last summer at Upinngil Farm - I always save a couple bags for early spring when the rhubarb is ready but fresh strawberries are still two months away.

I made this sauce to go over homemade cheesecake, and it was excellent. It would also be great over vanilla ice cream. Not to mention pancakes, waffles, or French toast!

2 cups whole strawberries (frozen is fine)
2 cups chopped rhubarb (strings removed if desired)
1/3 cup sugar

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan with a small splash of water. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, then simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and puree if desired, then cool. Serve at room temperature.

Make about 1 1/2 cups.

Blueberry-Strawberry Sauce

We had friends over for brunch this morning and I made this sauce to go with baked French toast. Superb! The berries were all frozen - blueberries from The Benson Place and strawberries from Upinngil Farm.

3 cups frozen blueberries
3 cups frozen strawberries
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
Up to 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Combine all ingredients in a wide-bottomed pan (such as a Dutch oven). Add a splash of water and simmer over low-medium heat until the berries soften and the sauce thickens to desired consistency (30-60 minutes).

Serve with French toast, pancakes or waffles, or over ice cream.

Thanksgiving Pie Ideas

Pie for Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family, especially on my husband's side. Not only does there need to be plenty for the big day, with family sticking around all weekend, there needs to be plenty of leftovers! Apple and pumpkin are non-negotiable necessities and not to be messed with, but we always do at least a couple other kinds as well and there is always room for a little creativity. Peach, blueberry, and cherry are all frequent additions to the table. Last year I made a triple cranberry meringue pie (I think I found the recipe on the New York Times website), which was quite tasty but involved too many steps to make again for a holiday where food prep time is at a premium. Here are some other ideas to jazz things up without straying too far from tradition:

1. For apple pie, add a handful of cranberries
2. For pumpkin pie, add minced candied ginger or substitute maple syrup for some or all of the sugar
3. For peach pie, add some minced fresh or candied ginger
4. For peach, cherry, or berry pies, top with streusel topping instead of pastry crust
5. Mix apple and pear in a pie, or apple, pear, and poached quince
6. Mix different berries in one pie (e.g. blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry)
7. For berry, cherry, or peach pie, add a teaspoon of almond or hazelnut extract to the pastry dough
8. Combine peaches with blueberries or blackberries

And, of course, don't forget to have plenty of Snow's or Bart's ice cream on hand for the a la mode part. Vanilla is classic, of course, but we have found that Snow's ginger goes really well with most fruit pies - skeptical relatives have been converted!

Summer Smoothies

I love fruit smoothies for a cool, refreshing snack on a hot summer day--or as a healthful dessert. This time of year, they are also an excellent way to use fruit that is a bit past its prime or otherwise not ideal for eating out of hand. The addition of a little frozen fruit adds more flavor as well as coldness. But you can toss in some ice cubes if you're working with just fresh fruit. I also like to add some yogurt to round out the flavor and texture and add a little more substance. These go over great with my almost-two-year-old, too.

Here's one we've been making recently:

2 ripe peaches, quartered and pitted
1/2 - 1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup yogurt (we use Sidehill Farm whole milk maple)

Blend in the blender until smooth. Serves 2-3.

Of course, the combinations are limited only by your imagination and the fruit you have on hand.

Oh-So-Easy Strawberry Sorbet

The fresh strawberry season is just about over, but if you socked some away in the freezer you can continue to enjoy them. The basic idea here is from Mark Bittman.

2 pints frozen strawberries
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
Water as needed (optional)

Let the strawberries thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, then process in the food processor until smooth. Add sugar and, if desired, water (for a softer consistency). When smooth, either serve immediately or transfer to a sealed container in the freezer. If you put it in the freezer, run it through the food processor again before serving.

Serves 4.

Variations: You can add all sorts of things to the basic recipe. Some options:
1. a few drops (up to 1/8 tsp) orange extract
2. up to 1/2 tsp almond extract
3. a splash of triple sec or rum
4. juice instead of water
5. a little grated fresh ginger

Drying Strawberries

On Saturday we took advantage of the fact that it wasn't raining (for once!) and went back to Upinngil Farm to pick some more strawberries. This time my plan was to dry them. Back home, I washed and hulled them, then sliced them in half. The biggest ones I sliced in quarters. Then I lined them up on the trays of my dehydrator and dried them for 15 hours or so (I usually do this mostly overnight). It has not been ideal drying weather and if strawberry season was not so short I would have waited in hopes of a drier day, and run the dehydrator outside. That's what I'll do later in the summer with the tomatoes and peaches.

The strawberries came out great, and I'm looking forward to enjoying them in my winter oatmeal. Home-dried fruit can be stored in sealed containers on a shelf, but for longer life it is best to keep it in the freezer until you are ready to open a container. For this reason, it is also best to store it in more smaller containers (I use ball jars) rather than fewer larger containers.

Fresh picked berries

The deyhdrator (Nesco Snackmaster - 400 watts - 7 trays)

Berries partially dried - you have to check them periodically to take out any that are done before the rest.

A sample of the finished product.

More Strawberry Ideas

More things to do with fresh strawberries:

1. Make crepes. Fill with sliced strawberries.
2. Slice and serve with pancakes. Toss with sugar first for more "sauce". Or cook down into chunky syrup.
3. Slice and add to tossed salad. Especially good with a little salty cheese like feta and a balsamic or red wine vinaigrette.
4. Soak in red wine. Add a cinnamon stick if you like. Serve for dessert.
5. Pair with goat cheese for an appetizer or dessert.

And one more idea for frozen berries: They make excellent ice cubes for punch, lemonade, or sangria.

Strawberry Shortcake

The shortcake part of this recipe comes from Alice Waters, in The Art of Simple Food. They are basic cream biscuits with a little sugar added. By all means make strawberry shortcake from scratch, with local cream. The difference is flavor is phenomenal. If you like, you can substitute a tablespoon or so of liqueur for the extract in the whipped cream.

4-5 cups strawberries, more if you want to be generous
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold butter, in small pieces
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp confectioners sugar

Hull and slice the strawberries. Toss with 1/4 cup sugar and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 Tbsp sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until it is the size of peas or smaller. Pour in 3/4 cup cream and mix with a fork until the dough just hold together. If it's too dry, add more cream a tiny bit at a time. Form the dough into a rough ball with your hands. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll out to 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 6-8 pieces.

Bake the shortcakes for 17 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool on a rack.

Combine the remaining cream, vanilla or almond extract, and confectioners sugar. Using and electric mixer, beat until the cream holds soft peaks.

To serve, slice the shortcakes in half. Top one half with strawberries and whipped cream and cover with the other half.

Serves 6-8.