Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Nature’s treat for spring’s savory dishes
By Jackie Burrell
Contra Costa Times
Who cares about the unpredictability of March weather when the most gloriously plump strawberries have begun appearing in markets, bearing reassurance that spring really is here?
You might say we’re in a state of utter denial. We prefer to think of it as endless optimism, inspired by Bay Area chefs and cookbook authors, and fueled by thoughts of strawberry-lemon tarts, strawberry-orange muffins and strawberry cr ®me fra Æche ice cream. The very word strawberry delights Jodi Liano, who wrote the fruit-centric half of the “Williams-Sonoma Cooking From the Farmers’ Market” cookbook (Weldon Owen, 272 pp., $34.95), while co-authors Tasha De Serio and Jennifer Maiser worked on the veggies.
“It’s that first taste of spring,” Liano says. “Everyone’s a little fried on the apple-and-pear diet we’ve been eating for too many months. It’s such a pleasant respite.”
These early berries hail from the considerably sunnier fields south of here, in Santa Maria and its environs — the Bay Area’s berries should be arriving soon, weather permitting. But no matter what the provenance, the trick to picking a beautiful berry, Liano says, lies in its aroma.
“It’s such a good clue,” Liano says. “Pick a really fresh basket at the farmers market, versus the plastic clamshell. When it’s deep red all the way through to the center, it’s so amazing.”
The San Francisco cookbook author, Tante Marie instructor and former Food Network food stylist uses strawberries in savory dishes, as well as those that are sweet. But the recipe she has been making “in obscene batches” is a strawberry cr ®me fra Æche ice cream, a marriage of two wonderful ideas.
“The cr ®me fra Æche adds that little bit of tang,” she says. “It’s rich, but not too sweet. You still get all the fragrance, but it respects the integrity of the fruit and still gives you something different.”
Liano just whipped up a batch of compote using these early berries and rhubarb, too, with an old-fashioned recipe she learned from her grandmother. It’s marvelous served on its own, or as a topping for a creamy rice pudding. But judging by the rate — and hour — at which Liano’s compote supply has been depleted, she suspects it makes a great midnight snack, too.
Former Bon Appetit magazine editor Kristine Kidd and Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams use strawberries in all sorts of ways. Their cookbook collaboration, “Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home” (Weldon Owen, 640 pp., $34.95), includes strawberry parfait, Romanoffs and panna cotta for the dessert-loving crowd. But you’ll be hard-pressed to decide whether their pairing of a silky lemon curd and fresh strawberries in a simple tart should be framed in a museum or enjoyed at the table. The thing is, quite frankly, gorgeous.
And they urge berry enthusiasts to bring strawberries to the breakfast table, too, in the form of orange-laced muffins with fresh strawberries and strawberry jam. The sour cream in the batter keeps the muffins moist and slightly tangy. Home bakers who like to think outside the berry basket can experiment with fruit and jam flavors, too, swapping peach, apricot, raspberry or blackberry for the vivid red strawberry.
But strawberries are perfect savory dining companions, too.
“I put them in salad, which is delicious,” Liano says. “Look for berries that are a little more firm — ripe. But not soft.”
Otherwise, she says, “They bleed, for lack of a better word.”
Slice the berries in half or leave small ones whole. Then toss them in at the last minute, when you add the dressing, so the flavors and textures stay fresh and distinct.
“With berries that are so sweet, I like something peppery, like arugula, and toasted almonds,” she says. “Crispy almonds, crunchy greens and soft berries. A very simple vinaigrette with a touch of balsamic vinegar — strawberries and balsamic are beautiful together. Maybe a little bit of shallots, and crumble a mild goat cheese in there. That’s a delicious combination.”
Or, of course, you could just lean over the sink and taste those berries in their glorious natural state. Let the juices run down your chin, and dream of spring.