Strawberries are primed for spring recipes
Citrus fruits and apples are satisfying through the winter, but when those first fragrant, bright red strawberries arrive in the produce department and at farmers markets, you know spring has arrived.
I’ve always loved strawberries, but I hadn’t really thought of them as heralding the start of a new fruit year until I talked with chef Linton Hopkins.
“To me, the strawberry is one of those icons of seasonality, a celebration of coming out of the cold,” said Hopkins, executive chef of Restaurant Eugene and a finalist for the 2010 best chef Southeast award from the James Beard Foundation.
He’s made his reputation providing Atlantans with an ever-changing menu showcasing produce from local farms. The first time I met Hopkins, it was in the fall and he had just received a wicker basket of muscadines and was preparing to make preserves in the restaurant kitchen.
Hopkins told me that he grew up watching his mother making jam, but didn’t really get into it until he and wife Gina had children of their own.
“Strawberry preserves were the first thing we did. We bought the strawberries, found a recipe, and we’ve never looked back,” he said. Sugar and a little lemon juice turned that $40 flat of organic strawberries into enough strawberry preserves for a year.
For Hopkins, every jar of preserves is a treasure.
“This is cooking from the heart, and I love the idea of that kind of fundamental cooking, where you’re making each element, not assembling a dish of other people’s prepared items,” he said.
I asked Hopkins for some ideas for strawberries that would take us beyond strawberry shortcake and strawberry-spinach salad. He came up with three unexpected combinations.
His Strawberry-Fennel Preserves pay homage to the changing of the seasons, combining winter fennel with spring’s first berries. Fennel is a favorite ingredient now, although he didn’t like it growing up.
“Now I crave it: fennel, fennel seeds, pollen,” he said. The fennel adds a complexity to the rich sweetness of the preserves, which work just as well as an accompaniment to a slice of pie as they do on a slice of breakfast toast.
Hopkins’ recipe for Roasted Strawberries is simplicity itself, but the kind of simplicity that calls for the best ingredients. Strawberries, just heated through, are sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar. That’s it.
“They make a great meze — an accompaniment to olives, roasted almonds and a glass of rose wine,” Hopkins said. Or what about pairing them with spring goat cheeses, made from the first milk of the year when the goats are just moving from winter hay to spring grass feeding?
“That’s a natural combination,” he said.
Or put them in a little piece of plain tart dough and bake them so they melt into the crust. “Heaven,” he said.
His third suggestion? A salad of shrimp, strawberries and country ham, moistened with basil pesto and a citrus vinaigrette, another combination of winter and spring flavors.
“Think of prosciutto and melon. This has that same combination of sweet fruit and salty ham. Then add the sweetness of fresh Georgia shrimp,” he said. And an instant classic is born.
As simple as these dishes are, Hopkins can see his way to a more complicated preparation of strawberries as well. His pastry chef, Kathryn Wharton, has reimagined strawberry shortcake as a molded dessert of pecan streusel, sponge cake, white balsamic strawberry gelee and sweet cream mousse, garnished with basil oil, strawberry syrup and micro basil. It’ll be on the menu at Restaurant Eugene as long as the strawberries hold out.
Event preview
Linton Hopkins cooking demo with strawberries
10 a.m. Saturday, April 24. Free. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 404-365-1078, www.peachtreeroad farmersmarket.com.
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Recipes
Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene gave us three nontraditional ways to serve strawberries. If you’re wondering how to serve the roasted strawberries, for example, check the story for Hopkins’ suggestions.
Roasted Strawberries With Black Pepper and Aged Balsamico
Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 4
Linton Hopkins emphasizes that this recipe is only worth making if the ingredients are pristine. “Strawberries out of season, preground black pepper and cheap industrial balsamic would compromise the dish,” he said.
16 large strawberries, washed and hulled
Freshly ground black pepper
Aged balsamic vinegar
Goat cheese, optional
Wood sorrel, optional
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, arrange strawberries. Roast until juices begin to run and color darkens, about 8 minutes. Immediately arrange on plates and sprinkle with just a light dusting of black pepper and a few drops of balsamic vinegar. May be served with goat cheese or wood sorrel.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Linton Hopkins
Per serving: 18 calories (percent of calories from fat, 9), trace protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, trace fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 1 milligram sodium.
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Strawberry Fennel Preserves
Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Makes: 1 pint
A large pot is essential when making preserves.
The sugary mixture will expand and foam, so you need a pot that’s about four times the volume of the uncooked mixture. A candy thermometer is also essential when preparing a recipe like this that doesn’t use pectin.
1 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 pound strawberries, washed and hulled, sliced, if desired
1/2 pound fennel, cut into 2-by-1/4-inch pieces
In a large saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Bring slowly to a boil and dissolve sugar. Wash down sides of pan with water to help prevent crystallization. Add strawberries and bring to a boil, then add fennel. Clip candy thermometer to side of pot. Cook mixture over high heat, watching carefully and stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches 221 degrees. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and pour into jars. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 1 month. Process in a water bath if longer storage is desired.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Linton Hopkins
Per 2 tablespoons: 123 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), 1 gram protein, 31 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, trace fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 16 milligrams sodium.
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Strawberry, Country Ham and Georgia Shrimp Salad With Basil Pesto, Serrano Chile and Citrus Vinaigrette
Hands on: 15 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Serves: 4
Chef Linton Hopkins recommends making this with wild-caught Georgia shrimp, which are just coming into season. The amount of salt in the recipe is not a mistake. He suggests that shrimp have their brief cooking time in water as salty as sea water. The country ham slices should be as thinly cut as those for prosciutto. Specialty markets such as Sawicki’s in Decatur or Star Provisions on Howell Mill Road may be able to slice these for you. Prosciutto-style slices are also available by mail order or you may substitute prosciutto.
1/2 cup salt
1 lemon, cut in half
6 black peppercorns
12 large shrimp
4 thin slices smoked country ham
8 medium strawberries, thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, seeds removed, cut into thin rounds
Citrus Vinaigrette (see recipe)
Basil Pesto (see recipe)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced chives
In a large saucepan, add salt, lemon and peppercorns to 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and add shrimp. Return water to a boil, then turn off heat. Let shrimp rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Peel, leaving the tails on, and set aside.
While water is coming to a boil, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ham slices on parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 5 minutes. Check frequently as these can burn easily. Set aside.
When ready to serve, toss shrimp with sliced strawberries and arrange on plate. Garnish with ham crisps and serrano chile slices. Dress with 1 tablespoon Citrus Vinaigrette and 1 tablespoon Basil Pesto. Season with sea salt and pepper and garnish with chives.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Linton Hopkins
Per serving: 247 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 24 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 14 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 144 milligrams cholesterol, 2,362 milligrams sodium.
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Eugene’s Citrus Vinaigrette
Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Makes: 1 cup
1 orange
2 lemons, divided
Juice of 1 grapefruit
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Cut the colored peel off the orange and 1 lemon. Reserve fruit. Cut peel into thin matchsticks. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart water to a boil. Drop in orange peel and boil for 30 seconds. Strain out peel and set aside. Add lemon peel and boil for 30 seconds. Drain and set aside.
Juice reserved orange. In a small saucepan, combine orange peel, orange juice, grapefruit juice and granulated sugar. Over low heat, reduce mixture by two-thirds, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Juice both lemons. In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in oil, then add reduced orange juice and zest. The recipe can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated.
When ready to serve, stir in reserved lemon peel and parsley.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Linton Hopkins
Per 2 tablespoons: 103 calories (percent of calories from fat, 86), 1 gram protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 10 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 16 milligrams sodium.
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Basil Pesto
Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Makes: 1 cup
This recipe includes two tips for preserving the color and flavor of your pesto: Blanch the basil and don’t overprocess the mixture.
2 tablespoons salt
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Sea salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Prepare a large bowl of ice water. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add salt. Submerge basil leaves in boiling water for 3 seconds, then transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain immediately and squeeze out water.
In a blender, process olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and pinch of salt until smooth. Add basil and puree just briefly to mix. Remove to small bowl and fold in Parmesan cheese.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Linton Hopkins
Per 2 tablespoons: 111 calories (percent of calories from fat, 90), 2 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 11 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 449 milligrams sodium.
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Strawberry Pound Cake With Drizzle Frosting
Hands on: 15 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Serves: 16
This cake won first place in the 2002 Strawberry Festival for Jean Jackson of The Strawberry Patch in Reynolds, Ga. It’s a traditional pound cake which is best made in a plain tube pan rather than a highly fluted Bundt pan. It makes a gracious amount of batter and if you feel there’s any danger it will overflow your tube pan, bake one cup of the batter separately in a cupcake pan or small loaf pan.
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
3 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 cup diced strawberries, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch tube pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 10 ounces (21/2 sticks) butter and granulated sugar until beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time and then remove bowl from mixer. Stir in 3/4 cup diced strawberries.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk. Spoon into prepared tube pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
In a small bowl, combine 2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter, powdered sugar and remaining diced strawberries. Add tablespoons of milk until frosting is desired consistency. Drizzle over cake.
Adapted from a recipe provided by the Georgia Strawberry Festival.
Per serving: 458 calories (percent of calories from fat, 37), 5 grams protein, 68 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 19 grams fat (11 grams saturated), 113 milligrams cholesterol, 87 milligrams sodium.
