Summer's Sweet Treats

I love berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, ollalliberries, you name it and if it ends in "berries" I like it. (Well, except for gooseberries, that is. Dad liked gooseberry pie, but it made my mouth pucker too much as a kid and put me off gooseberries for life.)

I have wonderful memories of berries. Once when The Husband and I went camping, we chanced upon a campground that had a wild blackberry patch just down the road from it. Once we figured out how to get around the "bee issue", we made a feast out of it. Our fingers, lips, tongue, and teeth were so stained by berry juice, that it was a wonder that we didn't turn heads as we walked back into camp. However, once we got a good look at our fellow campers the reason became obvious. It look like we were all from the same family, and that family's most notable trait was dark fingers, lips, tongues, and teeth.

I once was in Maine during blueberry season. I was visiting the love of my life (well, at least, the love of my life as the visit started before he became a real jerk and lost the title). The saving grace of that trip was the blueberry chutney I found. Slap a little of that on a plain bagel with cream cheese. Ahhhhhhhhhh, heaven!

Berries are probably one of the reasons why I love summer so much. Fresh berries are so abundant now. This is especially true of strawberries. And especially in my area. Just about an hour from here you can find all sorts of truck farms growing strawberries.

I happened upon one when I was in Turlock on business. It was late in the season and, as I drove out of town, there was a little fruit stand. As I passed, I noted that there was one lonely flat of strawberries sitting on the counter. It was about 5 p.m. on a Thursday. I was in a hurry to get home (about 3 hours away) because I had to pack. We were going to visit our friends in the mountains that weekend. But, as I drove out of town, my altruism got the better of me. I figured that those poor people at the fruit stand would have to stay until they sold that last flat and here it was almost 5 p.m. and how many others would be going out of Turlock on a Thursday. So, I flipped a "U-ey" and went back. Oh, my! These were the freshest, ripest strawberries I had every seen. They were just bursting with juice. I paid $5 for the whole flat, plopped them in the back seat of the car, and took off. I wasn't a mile down the road before the aroma of strawberries had me reaching over the seat for a nibble, then another, and another, and another, until I had to pull off to the side and put them in the trunk before I OD'd.

When I got home I made a big bag of strawberries for shortcake to take with us. Unfortunately, that only took care of about 1/3 of the flat. I knew that these wouldn't last, even in the fridge, until Monday they were so ripe. So, at 10:00pm I commenced to turn the remainder into jam. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so kind hearted.

Well, here are some "berry-good" recipes to help you enjoy nature's abundance.

Strawberry Orange Jam
Makes 6 half-pints.

4 pints strawberries
zest of 1 orange
5 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Wash the strawberries thoroughly. Cut off tops and slice into small pieces. Mash with a potato masher or a pastry cutter. Place in a large heavy bottom pot. Add the zest of the orange, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook somewhere between a boil and a heavy simmer until mixture is translucent and about jam thick (about 30 to 45 minutes). Be sure to stir mixture frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom. When mixture reaches the desired, skim off foam and quickly ladle into hot sterilized half-pint jars. Leave 1/4 inch of air space at the top of each jar. Seal jars according to manufacturer's recommendations.

Strawberries for Shortcakes
Serves 6.

3 pints strawberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup Grand Marnier

Wash the strawberries thoroughly. Trim off stems. Slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Place in a zip-lock bag. Add sugar and Grand Marnier. Expel air from bag and zip it locked. Gently squeeze the bag to mix strawberries, sugar, and Grand Marnier. Refrigerate overnight. To serve, spoon over shortcakes and top with whip cream.

Shortcakes for Strawberries
Makes 15.

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter -- softened
2 eggs - beaten separately
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
zest of 2 lemons -- finely chopped
1 teaspoon nutmeg

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Thoroughly mix dry ingredients, excluding nutmeg. Cut butter into pieces and cut into dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Blend in lemon zest and nutmeg. Gradually mix in 1 egg and buttermilk. Turn dough out onto a floured board. Flour the top. Knead very briefly with hands. Cut off pieces of dough about the size of an egg. Flatten by hand to about 1/2 inch thick. Place on buttered and floured baking sheet. Brush top of scones with 2nd beaten egg. Bake 10 to 15 minutes in 400 degree oven.