Fresh Strawberry sorbet.  Made without an ice cream maker.

 

Strawberry knob farms plants are loaded with berries.  They were all very ripe and had to go in the freezer or have something done with them right away. There was no let them sit around to ripen option with this  bunch of berries. It was more of a race with the fruit flies. This strawberry sorbet was definitely the winner!

 

In a pan add water,

 

and sugar.

 

bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, without stirring Then let cool.

 

chop up the strawberries in a blender, food processor or your vintage 1980s vitamix.

 

It’s ok to leave some chunks.

 

juice of 1 or 2 lemons.

 

Pour into a pan the strawberries,

 

syrup,

 

and lemon juice.

You could mix this in a bowl but I just didn’t want to wash another bowl so I mixed it in the pan.

 

Place in the freezer for an hour or so until partially frozen.

 

After about 2 hours pull it out and stir/scrape it. Then return to the freezer.

 

Do this a couple of times.

 

Scoop into dishes and serve or store in the freezer for later.

 

 

Fresh Freezer Strawberry Sorbet

Modified ever so slightly From King Arthur Flour

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 -4 cups strawberries
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the water and sugar in a. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, without stirring. Remove the syrup from the heat,  and let cool.

Chop up the strawberries in a blender, food processor or vitamix. blend until fairly smooth, but not puréed.

Pour into a shallow pan; an 8" x 13" pan the strawberry mixture, syrup and lemon juice, mix in pan with a spatula or something.

Place the pan in the freezer. There's no need to cover it.

After 2 hours, use a fork to stir it around, bringing the frozen edges into the center. Return to the freezer.

Continue to stir every hour or so, until the sorbet is nearly as firm as you like. Place in a bowl, cover, and return to the freezer.

Sorbet should be ready to serve about 4 to 6 hours after you first put it into the freezer. Waiting a couple of hours beyond that will solidify it beyond scoopable. To serve beyond that window, allow sorbet to soften slightly at room temperature; this will only take about 10 minutes. Scoop into dishes and serve.

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I saw a picture of this in Good Housekeeping and had to make it.

 

chop up some chilled unsalted butter, or use salted butter that wasn’t all that chilled like I did. But work quickly so the butter doesn’t get too soft.

 

Cut the butter into flour, sugar and pinch of salt until the butter pieces are tha size of small peas.

 

Add some vanilla

 

and ice water by tablespoons so you don’t put too much water in. Use a fork, spatula, hand to gather the dough together. I use a combination of all the above.

 

Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or more.

 

Roll the dough out and find a plate the size that will fit on your baking sheet as a guide to trim a circle.

 

With your fingers bend the edges in and out to make fluted edges. Then pop into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes or so while the oven heats.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until edges  start to get golden brown.

 

Mince some candied ginger. Do not laugh at my cutting board! It broke in half and works just fine for small things.

 

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and ginger.

 

When the crust has cooled spread a layer on. 1/4”, 3/8” or so.

 

Arrange strawberry halves, larger ones on the outside stand them up, stem end down at an angle on the cream cheese mixture.

 

If the berry halves are too big, trim them a little.

 

Serve immediately. Or make ahead, but not too far ahead or the berries will be sad.

 

Any scrap crust you have  make into mini tarts.

 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart

adapted from Good Housekeeping’s Strawberry cream cheese tart recipe

Ingredients

 The crust

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cups sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons ice water

combine flour, salt, and 1/3 cup sugar. Add butter and cut into flour mixture until butter pieces are the size of small peas. Add vanilla, then ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gather together with a spatula. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

On  floured surface roll dough into 8or 9-inch round. Using a plate as guide, and with sharp knife, cut  round from dough; discard trimmings. Reroll trimmings and make mini tarts.

Transfer rounds, to cookie sheet. Press one index finger against outside edge of dough round; with index finger and thumb of other hand, push dough around fingertip toward center to form a flute. Repeat around edge to make a decorative border. Refrigerate or freeze, on cookie sheet, about 10 minutes to firm dough slightly.Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Bake dough 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cool crust completely on cookie sheet on wire rack, about 20 minutes.

The cream cheese topping

• 3 tablespoon(s) confectioners’ sugar,
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 1/2 pounds strawberries, each berry cut lengthwise in half

When crust is cool, in medium bowl,  mix cream cheese, sour cream, crystallized ginger, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until blended. Spread cream cheese mixture on crust. Arrange strawberries, wide ends down, in concentric circles in cream cheese mixture to cover.

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Strawberry time is one of my favorite times of year.

 

It seems to have come even earlier this year.

In a few days I think berry picking will be even better at Strawberry Knob farms.

 

I’m now thinking of things to make with strawberries.

 

Maybe a different variation of tart…

More later, I’ve got to go wash berries.

 

This morning I was looking through pictures on my computer and found these photos. This happens to me more oftener than I like to think, I take photos and have every intention to post them and then I get busy with something that absolutely needs to get done and the photos get forgotten.

 

I like fun easy recipes like dipping strawberries in chocolate.

 

It’s the kind of thing that if you mess it up

and they don’t come out perfect

 

people will forgive you and eat them anyway.

 

Forgiving is a good thing.

 

Forgiving people for not doing things perfectly all the time is a very good thing.

 

Chocolate covered Strawberries

Ingredients

• 5 ounces chocolate
• 1 pint fresh strawberries with leaves

Directions

    In a bowl, or in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, cook chocolate until melted. Stir until chocolate is smooth. Holding by the stem, dip each one in chocolate. Place on waxed paper and chill in refrigerator until hardened.

 

I like smoothies. I especially like smoothies in the summer. Often they are more along the lines of desert and are kind of similar because I keep putting the same ingredients in.

I was inspired to make some different smoothies from Real Simple.

 

 

I started by chopping up some fresh ginger.

 

I put water in

 

 

Next I poured in the oats to let them soak a bit but not the whole 15 min I’m not that patient.

 

 

I used super natural yogurt, I’m sure there’s some meaning to that but I really can’t tell you what.

 

 

 

I cut the strawberries in half so they blend a little quicker.

 

 

Pour in the Maple syrup and blend with ice.

 

Now it’s time to see what it tastes like.

I kind of missed the glass there. Things are closer than they look when I’m taking the picture.

 

 

The oats were a little gritty but not bad. I couldn’t taste the ginger. I’ll have to put more next time.

I had the rest the next day and the oats had softened and were much better.

 

Gingery Berry and Oat Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup ice
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

Directions

1. Place the oats and ½ cup water in a blender.
2. Let soak until the oats have softened, about 15 minutes.
3. Add the berries, yogurt, ice, syrup, and ginger.
4. Blend until smooth and frothy.