Farmers' markets are back!...
...and strawberries with cornmeal shortcakes and maple whipped cream
They’re back, baby! It’s market season! And around here, it is an event.
Our farmers’ markets run from May through October, and come that first Saturday in May, the people are ready!
We come out in droves, rain or shine. Like we haven’t been anywhere all winter or spring. There are kids in strollers and dogs on leashes. I’ve even seen dogs in strollers and kids on leashes…
There are people dressed to the nines, and some still in their pajamas, hunting the “good bagels” and coffee truck. There are those taking a leisurely stroll around the square and the old pros who bee-line for the popular booths before the lines get long or they sell out. (I fall into “old pro” first to get what I really want before taking another loop to see what I missed.)
Many Saturdays, I take my bike over to dad’s and we ride the mile down Main Street to the square. It feels European and fun and like the proper way to go “marketing”. Actually, when I got dad the basket for his bike, the only requirement was that it be big enough to hold a cantelope!
I am in for all the farmers’ market hype, and I can’t wait to dig in to simple, seasonal cooking. I already have a long list going - beatiful baby lettuces and microgreens in salads, juicy tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of salt, roasted eggplants and grilled zucchini with a drizzle of balsamic. And bright, sweet strawberries in the strawberry shortcake recipe below.
This week’s Strawberries and Cornmeal Shortcakes with Maple Whipped Cream showcases simple ingredients. The mix of flour and cornmeal in the shortcake biscuit makes for a wonderful texture, and the turbinado sugar on top gives the slightest bit of crunch. Paired with fresh strawberries in the height of their season and whipped cream sweetened only with maple syrup, it’s the perfect early summer end to a meal.
So, grab your kids and strollers and dogs and leashes (or vice versa) and head to your local farmers’ market for something fresh and inspiring. Or, at least some good people watching…like the girl and her dad trying to strap a cantelope into a bike basket.
MONDAY - Creamy Beef and Shells
I know, you’re thinking “didn’t she just have that on another meal plan like two weeks ago?” Yup. Sure did. But, like I’ve said before, there is nothing wrong with repeating favorites to make meal planning easier. Also, I’ll have a late afternoon helping a group of Girl Scouts earn their cooking badge (so excited!), and I have an extra beef and shells in the freezer, and the boys can put it in the oven if I’m not home in time. No brainer.
TUESDAY - Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
Skin-on chicken breasts will stay nice and juicy as they cook alongside some yukon gold potatoes. (Any seasonings or marinades will work, and usually about 25-30 minutes at 425 will do it.) I have a half a bag of brussels left from last week, so I may toss those on there also.
WEDNESDAY - French Bread Pizzas and Salad
Throwing it back to my college days when we used to get these in the freezer section of the store and heat them in our dorm room microwave! Actually, I saw them mentioned somewhere else and thought it sounded like fun! And a great way to use up some leftover pizza sauce and pepperonis…
THURSDAY - Pasta with a white bolognese
This is one that I am *this close* to having the recipe finalized for. A light, white bolognese made with ground pork, white wine, parmesan, and a big handful of herbs is tossed with a small pasta (we use orecchiette). I have some frozen green beans on hand, but I might get even lazier than that and just do some bread for swiping around the bowl.
FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!
After our trip last weekend (where the Kiddo did awesome at the archery nationals competition!), we’re back to our regularly scheduled easy Friday night in.
SATURDAY - Dinner at YaYa’s (the in-laws!)
The weather is looking good, and I wonder if I bring the groceries, will she grill us steaks? I could go for that. (I know you read this, what do you say??)
SUNDAY - TBD
Our usual Sunday dinner at Dad’s is on hold while he’s out of town. He’s back in Germany doing another bike ride! Without me! (And I’m a wee bit jealous. Sigh.) So, we may just stay in for a family game night with snack plates for dinner. I have everything we need to make a big batch of sheet pan nachos…
LUNCHES for this week -
My social media feeds seem to be full of “chickpea this and chickpea that” right now, and I’m here for it. I think I’ll make a batch of my Chickpea Coconut Curry for the week to have over rice or quinoa.
EXTRAS for this week
We went to a great little breakfast place in Louisville, Big Bad Breakfast, and the menu was full of things we all wanted to try. I got the Steel Cut Oatmeal with brown sugar and fresh strawberries, and it was so good! Now that we’re back at home, I’ve been recreating it for breakfast. I do a bowl of my make ahead steel cut oatmeal, a little pat of good butter, a sprinkle of brown sugar, and fresh strawberries and blueberries. But, now I’ve run through the oatmeal I keep in the freezer, so I’ll need to make another batch!
Strawberries and Cornmeal Shortcakes with Maple Whipped Cream
Makes 9-12 shortcakes, depending on cut size.
Shortcakes
· 1 ½ cups all-purpose Flour
· ½ cup Plain Cornmeal
· 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 1 Tablespoons Baking Powder
· 12 tablespoons Butter (1 ½ sticks), cold and cubed
· 2 Eggs
· ½ cup cold Buttermilk
· 1-2 tablespoons Heavy Cream, for brushing
· 1 tablespoon Turbinado (or raw) Sugar for sprinkling
Strawberries
· 1 pint fresh Strawberries, hulled and quartered (or halved if small)
· 2 tablespoons White Sugar
Maple Whipped Cream
· 1 ½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
· 2 tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Toss the cold butter with the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture looks crumbly, with a few of the butter pieces the size of large peas. (This can also be done with a food processor; dump it into a large bowl before moving on.) Take those larger butter pieces and squish them flat with your fingers, and then toss them back in. Push the flour/butter mixture to the edges of your bowl to make a hole in the center.
In a medium bowl or measuring cup whisk together the 2 eggs and buttermilk until smooth. Pour this mixture into the well in your flour bowl. Use a spoon or spatula to gradually mix the buttermilk and eggs into the flour/butter. Mix carefully, just until no dry ingredients are visible. The dough may be sticky.
Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a large rectangle. Fold one-third of the dough over to the middle, the fold the other one-third over on top (like you are folding a letter). Press gently on the folded dough then fold the rectangle in half to make a square shape. Pat the dough into a square between 7-inches and 8-inches long per side.
Use a 2 ½ - inch biscuit cutter to cut rounds, re-rolling the dough scraps once to cut one or two more (or use a sharp knife to just cut the square into 9 equal pieces).
Place the cut shortcakes onto the parchment lined baking sheet, brush each with heavy cream and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Freeze the shortcakes for several hours or overnight. Frozen shortcakes can be stored in a zip top bag or other freezer safe container up to 3 months.
To Bake – Preheat oven 400, move rack to position in upper third.
Place the shortcakes (sugar side up) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until light golden brown on top. Check at 15 minutes, and rotate pan if your oven doesn’t brown evenly (like mine!).
Cool to room temperature, split the shortcakes open, and serve with strawberries and maple whipped cream (see below). These are best on the day they are baked but will keep tightly covered at room temperature for a couple of days.
For the strawberries –
While your shortcakes are baking, combine cut strawberries and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Mix well and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Stir one more time before serving.
For the maple whipped cream –
Make just before serving. In another medium sized bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream and maple syrup. Using a handheld mixer, start on low speed until mixture is bubbly, then increase to medium speed. Mix for just another 2 minutes or so, until soft peaks form. If you would like the cream a little firmer, continue to mix for a few more seconds.
(Alternately, you can whisk by hand, but it will take longer. You can also use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, but it may whip faster, watch it carefully so as not to overwhip and end up with butter!)
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)
Steaks it is! Will you bring the strawberries and shortcake? Yum!