51 and still hot

Mom recently came home from the Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet with two big boxes of freshly picked strawberries. That always starts the mad scramble for what to do with all of those strawberries before they start to rot. Mostly we just eat big mounds of them straight (no sugar required)—the fresh strawberries are so much better than the insipid imported ones sold in grocery stores the rest of the year. But Cassie loves her some Strawberry Shortcakes, and Mom too (gluten be damned), so that's always a good option, especially since the strawberries don't have to be perfect to make the topping.

It was nice to make a treat for Mom, who's been suffering from some eye issues lately. Today she made her third trip to a doctor, this time a UVA ophthalmologist. The waiting room was super crowded, but that didn't stop some guy from trying to get Mom to go to lunch with him, much to the amusement of all the bystanders. I was surprised to get this text from Mom while I was at work: "Omg. Some dude just tried to pick me up in the waiting room!" To which I could only text back: "That's because you're hot!" And she is, even with goopy eyes, no makeup, and her glasses on. You've still got it, baby!

Cream Biscuits

Both recipes adapted from The Art of Simple Food (2007) by Alice Waters

1½ cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons (17 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ cup (180 grams) heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon

    1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers, or cut it in with a pastry blender, until the pieces are the size of small peas.
    3. Pour the ¾ cup heavy cream over the flour mixture and combine gently with a fork just until everything comes together. Knead the dough lightly a couple of times in the bowl, then turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ¾-inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 squares.
    4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet, and brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream. Bake until cooked through and golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with butter or jam, or allow to cool for Strawberry Shortcakes.

Strawberry Shortcakes

Cream Biscuits are a little easier, but I think Buttermilk Biscuits are better.

4 cups (~ two 1-pint baskets) freshly picked strawberries
¼ cup (50 grams) sugar, plus 1 tablespoon (12 grams)
1 cup (240 grams) heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain yogurt, for tangier whipped cream (optional)
6 Cream Biscuits or Buttermilk Biscuits
confectioners’ sugar, for serving (optional)

    1. Wash the strawberries gently, then hull them and slice them about 1-centimeter thick.
    2. Place one quarter of the strawberries in a medium bowl, and mash them with a potato masher. Or puree the strawberries with a hand blender or food processor, then place the puree in a medium bowl. Stir in the rest of the sliced strawberries and the ¼ cup sugar, and let sit for 15 minutes.
    3. In a large bowl, combine the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, vanilla, and yogurt, if using. Whip together, by hand or with a mixer, until the cream just holds a soft peak.
    4. Cut the biscuits in half. Place the bottoms on serving plates. Spoon some of the strawberry mixture over the bottoms, then a dollop of whipped cream on top of the strawberries. Top with the other halves of the biscuits. Serve sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.