a story on strawberries and strawberry cake

There is something quite nice about being raised a country gal. 

While there are many reasons as to why I adore local cities, and quite possibly, why I should relocate to within Philadelphia, I can't bring myself to actually pack up from the 'burbs. There is something reassuring about passing many, many local pastures and farmlands day after day, being close to my homegrown producers who provide exceptional lineups of fresh vegetables, fruits, honey, grass-fed beef, raw milk and much more.


This bring me to my initial reason of publishing this post: gardening. My family always had a large plot of land, which boasted with a hefty planting space packed with sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchinis, carrots, green beans, potatoes, etc. Excitingly for me, a strip of our summer-time garden was dedicated to planting strawberries, making the act of strawberry picking my favorite past time of the year.


Of course, I rarely made it inside with these speckled rubies and instead, sat dirtying my behind, as I sat cozily within the garden gorging on every ripe strawberry I laid my eyes on. Really, I had little to do with the garden other than the strawberry-associated aspects of it, and the rest of my family (I think?) was okay with this.


Sadly, I can't say that now I have my own strawberry picking plot, but each late May/early June, I still horde my fair share of this gem of a fruit, trying to craft the newest baked good that best highlights this seasonal favorite.


This year? I decided to opt for a simple, sophisticated strawberry cake, prepared in a shallow springform pan and adapted from Martha Stewart, as seen on Two Peas and Their Pod.

Strawberry Cake
Cook Time: 50-55 minutes

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top of cake

How-To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease springform pan. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a medium bow; set aside. 

Cream butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix until well-combined.

Gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Arrange strawberry slices on top of batter. Sprinkle raw sugar over berries.

Bake cake 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool in pan. 

Serve. If storing, keep cake at room temperature, for up to two days.

cheers to my twenty-fifth year

Holy guacamole, I have now trekked twenty-four whole years of life!

This weekend I celebrated ringing in my twenty-fifth year, and said so long to my youngster years. As an intense lover of all-beef and artisan-crafted beers, what better to celebrate my birth than gorge on all of the finer things in life.

My madre, who so marvelously concocted a strawberry cheesecake for her only daughter, via my grandmother's gorgeous recipe,  scored sweet teeth points for crafting one of my most favored desserts.

Brian O'Reilly, brewmaster of Sly Fox Brewery, allowed me to experience his new concoctions, the Standard Porter and the Brotherly Suds ESB, as part of Phoenixville's "Meet the Brewers" Pub Crawl, and I could have not picked a better day to sample some now highly rated slurps.

And, although not a crazy-fan of Emeril, I did desire to sample his stacked 'wiches of Burgers and More, located at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem. Of course, my bacon-and-bleu burger-fused birthday happened to fall on the same day that the BAM-man was present locally, due to a nearby food and wine show, and who happened to be floating throughout the beefy kitchen during my delicious dinner? Mr. Lagasse, of course! 

french vanilla swirled with organic strawberries

After a never-ending week both draining physically and emotionally, a Friday evening spent replicating tendencies of a heroic hermit seemed best suited for tired ole' me. Yet, as much as I enjoy a solo date, what sparked this particular weekend night was a surprise pop-in from my dear organic free spirited comrade. And, who doesn't get by better with a little help from her friends?

The Garden Harlot decided to swing by a local and organic strawberry picking patch, at Oley Valley Organics, and sweetly selected a generous container of the season's juiciest for yours truly. 

A fresh heap of seeded reds grown locally can boost the spirits of any slighted jaded female, and to perfectly repay my kind friend, I decided to craft a sugary ice blend and share its fine wealth. 

Making use of my beloved KitchenAid attachment pumped with tons of local ingredients, including heavy cream from Seven Stars Farm, I prepared a rich blend of french vanilla ice cream. 

As appropriate variety for me to prepare as one of my premiere ice cream batches, due to having french vanilla blends in my freezer my entire upbringing, this creamy ice is lovable and a perfect companion with fresh berries.

French Vanilla with Strawberries

make 16 servings, each 1/2 cup

(Note: This recipe is prepared in conjunction with using a KitchenAid maker attachment. Other makers may vary the process.)

2 1/2 cups half-and-half

8 eggs yolks

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

4 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat half-and-half until very hot but not boiling, stirring often. Remove from heat, set aside.

Place egg yolks and sugar in mixer bowl. Mix for about 30 seconds or until well-blended and slightly thick. Gradually add half-and-half, mix until blended. Return half-and-half mix to medium saucepan; cook over medium heat until small bubbles form around edges and is steamy. Do not boil. Transfer to large bowl, stir in whipping cream, vanilla and salt. Cover and chill for no less than 8 hours. 

Once chilled, assemble maker and turn to 'Stir'. Pour mixture into freezer bowl and continue stirring it for 15-20 minutes. During the last 3-5 minutes of freezing, add two cups of fresh strawberries. When creamy ice has matched your desired consistency, transfer finished ice cream into serving dishes, or freeze in an airtight container. When serving, top with fresh berries.

And, if you too want to experience the local valley's pretty lil' things, you better hop over to their organic farmland fast! Picking hours are held Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. But, they suggest, you call in advance (484-336-9980) because the pickings are popular in our local lands.

spring's sweetest treasure, as seen saving the earth

 

The simple steps that one can do to encourage environmentally-friendly practices almost appear like a no-brainer to any earth dweller who is eager to make an impact. A flick of a switch or a constant habit of recycling are easy additions to your day that can eventually create drastic changes. Better yet, if you skip the plastic at grocery stores and instead sling a reusable bag by your side, Mother Nature's pleased grin just grew miles wide.

Lucky for me, an advocate for going green, my dear island friend (us seen below, with our matching LO-VE tattoos) surprised me with a snail mail treasure today, as an early birthday gift. As seen above, this radiant waste-less bag is adorable and compact, and easy to pop into your purse when you're someone like me, always on the go.

The petite pouch, shaped like a hand-sized strawberry when in minimal form, unravels to a decent-sized tote that easily replaces the use of 3 plastic bags, making your shopping trip that much more brighter.

Also, I have to note that as much as I love apples, hence blog name, strawberries were all the rage was I was a rowdy youngin'. Until age 15, my birthday cake had to be plopped with a hefty portion of spring's sweetest treasure, and thanks to my lovely mama, my celebratory baked goods boosted brightly in the tiny-seeded reds.

my favorite silver fox's layered strawberry surprise

Being that I am the go-to baker in the family, more so, the appointed baker of my immediate relations, requests for baked goods for family celebrations and picnics are regularly penciled in my planner. However, they also are an exciting source that upping my creative cake-baking juices.

My grandmother, for her July birthday, requested a "white" cake. Now, this is coming from the lady who taught me how to craft the best red velvet cake in the world (no lie) and also, allowed me to sample the best of PA Dutch cooking for my so-far-lived life--a white cake just seemed too ordinary. But, you can't deny a simple request from a elder and, my simple spin on a white cake resulted in delectable layers of vanilla sponge smothered with cream cheese frosting and the season's best, syrupy strawberries.

And, not to brag, but I think she ate more than just one humorous sweet slice.

Silver Fox Strawberry Surprise
One Two-Layer Cake

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup veggie shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk (or soy)
2/3 cups unbeaten egg whites (about 4 eggs)
fresh strawberries (about 2 1/2 cups sliced)

Sift all dry ingredients together. Add 1/2 cup shortening, 2/3 cup milk and vanilla, and beat for two minutes. Add remaining 1/3 cup of milk and egg whites, and beat for another two minutes. Bake in two round layer pans, 8 inch x 1 1/2 inch, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool cake completely before assembling.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 stick margarine (1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix above ingredients until creamy; do not melt the margarine. Once cake is at room temperature, spread generously on the top of each round. Add an overall-covering of strawberries on each layer of icing. Then, plop one layer on top of the other, and chill for about 15 minutes to set the frosting.