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Strawberry Mascarpone Tarts with Port Glaze

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Port Glaze

Strawberry Season

“Abra came in with shining eyes and a red nose from the frosty wind, and she brought such pleasure that Lee giggled softly when he saw her. Where are the tarts? She demanded.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Late spring and early summer is my favorite time of the year. When the harvest of local berries begins I can’t seem to get enough. Strawberries are the first. I eat them freshly picked and tucked into salads, but desserts with fresh berries are the best. I am not referring to the lackluster strawberries from the grocery or big box stores. These strawberries can be found almost year round. The grocery store berries are a variety grown to have a long shelf life and stay fresh after they are shipped cross country. (They also get a blast of MAP gas to lengthen shelf life.) I patiently wait for sweet strawberries that are picked when ripe and juicy. They are uniformly red! These berries must be eaten right away, the day they are picked is best. These sweet strawberries can be found at a local farm stand, farmers market or as part of a CSA. I’m fortunate that The Farm just outside Salinas grows some of the best organic berries. At least once a week during strawberry season you’ll find me there buying strawberries. READ MORE . . .

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Buttermilk Shortcake with Strawberries and Mint

Buttermilk Shortcake with Strawberries and Mint

The First Fruit of Spring

“There were others who prophesied, with rays shining on their foreheads, about the sometime ditches that would carry water all over the valley—who knows? maybe in our lifetime—or deep wells with steam engines to pump the water up out of the guts of the world. Can you imagine? Just think what this land would raise with plenty of water! Why, it will be a frigging garden!”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

In California, spring came early. It rained like crazy in December and we were hopeful that the drought would ease. Instead we have had an early spring with so many days of sunshine I have almost forgotten about the coastal fog. I got an email notice from our local farm stand, The Farm, saying the strawberry harvest began early this year and flats of berries were available before the farm stand opens in late April. I was so excited at the thought of sweet, organic strawberries that I had to have some. Driving home, the scent of the first fruit of spring was overpowering. I easily devoured an entire basket that afternoon. The next morning we had some with our breakfast. I made these shortcakes and then as quickly as they arrived, the first fruit of spring was gone. READ MORE . . .

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Purple Bell Peppers

Stuffed purple bell peppers

Summer Sunshine

“Late in the summer Lee came in off the street, carrying his big market basket.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The best summer cooking revolves around as much glorious fresh sweet corn as possible. Piled high with summer vegetables our dinner salads have been graced with the addition of corn barely cooked in butter. A scoop of fragrant corn melts into the salad greens and no dressing is needed to compete with the blast of summer sunshine that adorns our dinner plates. There have been no complaints regarding my interpretation of salad for dinner. But if you must add dressing to your salad, a vinaigrette with a very light touch of vinegar leaves the sweet corn plenty of room to shine. READ MORE . . .

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberries and rhubarb

An early spring dessert

“On a spring morning when with late-surviving dew the young grass bristled under the sun, when the warmth crept into the ground and pushed yellow dandelions up, Cathy’s mother finished hanging the washed clothes on the line.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

A crisp is a fine dessert. It could also be called a crumble. It is an enticing excuse to enjoy seasonal fruit and easy to prepare. Any seasonal fruit can be substituted in this recipe, peaches, plums, apricots, berries and in the fall apples. Rhubarb and the first strawberries are both in season now and perfect for this satisfying sweet taste of spring. READ MORE . . .