TasteFood

Red White and Blueberries: Strawberry and Blueberry Shortcakes

A celebration of summer and independence are two good reasons to throw a party, and the fourth of July is perfectly timed to take advantage of the season's fresh berries. Fireworks and barbecues are de rigueur as skies and grills light up across America. With a nod to the colors of the American flag, this traditional dessert is fresh and festive, making use of an abundance of summer berries while stirring up nostalgic memories of easy summer living.
 

Strawberry and Blueberry Shortcakes
Serves 6

For the biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1 cup buttermilk

For the berries:
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
12 ounces blueberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the whipped cream:
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the biscuits:
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Sift the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Mix in the butter with fingertips until dough resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until sticky dough forms. Drop dough in mounds on ungreased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.

Prepare the fruit:
While the biscuits bake, combine strawberries, blueberries, sugar, mint, lemon juice and zest in a bowl. Toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes (can be prepared 2 hours ahead.)

For the whipped cream:
Beat cream in a bowl of electric mixer until traces of the beater appear. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until soft peaks form, taking care not to overbeat. 
 
To assemble shortcakes, cut each biscuit in half and arrange bottom half on individual serving plates. Spoon berries with juices over; top with whipped cream. Arrange biscuit top over cream. 

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

 Strawberry Cream Parfaits with Black Pepper and Balsamic Syrup

Strawberry Rhubarb Soup

Chocolate Brownies

Gravlax and Christmas

 

The Danish Christmas season would not be complete without many Christmas Lunches.  Christmas Lunch is the ubiquitous term for a multi-coursed feast punctuated by multiple toasts with schnaps, beer and wine.  The season for these festive lunches spans the weeks of advent to several days following Christmas day.  "Lunch" is actually a misnomer, since these smorgasbords can take place either during the day or evening.  

A traditional Danish Christmas Lunch begins with a fish course, followed by meat, cheese and dessert. To me, the fish course sums up the beauty of nordic cuisine: Fresh, minimalist and refined. Herring, fjord shrimp and salmon are served open-faced on various breads (smørrebrød) with garnishes. There are many herring preparations: marinated with dill, folded in curried cream, spiced with wine and cloves. Every family has their own recipe which they think is best.  Fjord shrimp are another Nordic delicacy: tiny shrimp the size of a fingernail, painstakingly peeled and artfully arranged in a towering piles on soft white french bread, and crowned with a dollop of creme fraiche and a squeeze of lemon.

My favorite fish is Gravlax.  It's preparation and presentation are the essence of Nordic cuisine in simplicity and taste. Salmon is cured over days until it is meltingly soft with a clean taste of the sea. It's edges are flecked with pepper and dill and tinged with salt, adding a restrained flavor that doesn't overpower the fish.  

 
Every Christmas I make my own Gravlax which we enjoy on Christmas day or New Years Eve.  It's very easy to prepare.  Pay attention to the quality of the fish:  It must be very fresh with a good consistency, not too mushy and preferably an Atlantic fish, such as Loch Duart Salmon.   To serve, fold a slice of Gravlax on toasted brioche bread.  Squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice and smear a spoonful of Honey Dill Mustard  on the fish.  Garnish with a dill sprig. 

Gravlax
 
Gravlax (gravlaks in Danish and Norwegian or gravad lax in Swedish) literally means salmon in a grave or hole.  During the middle ages fisherman would salt salmon and let it ferment by burying it in a hole above high-tide line. Nowadays (unelss you wish to connect with your inner-viking) it's not necessary to bury salmon in sand, but, rather in salt and sugar and let it sit in the refrigerator.  The salmon will cure over several days, during which the salt and sugar will turn into liquid, creating a brine. 

Serves a party 

One side of salmon, about 3 lbs. (1.5 kg.), with skin, pin bones removed
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
10 oz. (350 g.) sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup fresh dill sprigs
1/4 cup Akavit or vodka

Finely grind peppercorns with a mortar and pestle.  Mix pepper, salt, and sugars together in a medium bowl.   Rub fish all over with salt mixture.  Line a long baking pan or dish with plastic wrap.  Place half the dill sprigs over plastic wrap.  Arrange salmon, skin-side down on dill.  Sprinkle Akavit over salmon. Top with remaining dill.  Cover with additional plastic wrap, sealing the fish.  Place a heavy pan or tray on fish.  Weigh down pan with cans or bottles.  Refrigerate for 3 days.  

To serve, remove fish from refrigerate.  Remove plastic wrap.  Pour off collected juices and wipe off excess brine and dill.  Slice diagonally from one corner of the salmon towards the center of the fillet. Serve with french bread or toasted brioche.  Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and Honey Dill Mustard. 

Honey Dill Mustard
 
1/4 cup honey mustard
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup chopped dill sprigs
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify.  Stir in dill, pepper and salt. 

 

Easy Holiday Party Food: Smoked Trout Mousse Canapées

This is another figurative little black dress in the holiday recipe department. Smoked Trout Mousse Canapées are the perfect addition to your repertoire of go-to recipes for easy entertaining.  They are effortless to make, delcious to eat and elegant to serve.  The results are addictively good:  Salty, smoky trout lightened with cream cheese and brightened with fresh lemon juice. Toasted almonds and fresh dill add final crunchy freshness and tip these hors d'oervres into the sublime category. Just like a little black dress, this recipe is classic, popular and unfailingly dependable during the festive party season.
 

 
 

Smoked Trout Mousse

The ingredients keep well in the refrigerator, so they can be purchased in advance and kept on hand for an upcoming party dish or unexpected holiday visitors.  

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 oz. (250 g.) smoked trout (or bluefish), skin and any bones removed
4 oz. (125 g. ) cream cheese, room temperature
1 small onion, grated with juices
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup coarsely ground toasted almonds
thinly sliced pumpernickel squares or sliced baguette
 
Garnish:
Dill sprigs
Fresh lemon slices, quartered

Combine all the ingredients except the almonds in bowl of food processor.  Process until consistency is light and smooth. (If too thick, add additional lemon juice.) Transfer to serving bowl.  Sprinkle with toasted almonds.  Serve with thinly sliced pumpernickel squares or sliced baguette.  Garnish with additional almonds, lemon slice and dill sprigs.  

You might like these other easy entertaining recipes:

Mini-Dried Fruit and Nut Cakes

This weekend we will decorate and light our Christmas tree.  In true Scandinavian fashion, our tree has live candles placed on it.  Traditionally, the candles are first lit on Christmas eve (julaften) when Father Christmas surreptitiously arrives during the evening feast and places gifts under the tree.  We like to buck tradition, however, and light our candles at least once before the eve.  I know, I know, it's not how-things-are-done, but we just can't contain ourselves.  The tree is just so beautiful all lit up with glowing candles, and we like to share that experience with our friends. 

While we decorate our tree we will prepare gløgg and aebleskivers and some other holiday cakes.  Some friends will come by, and at the end of the afternoon, when dusk sets in, we will light the candles. While we watch the candles burn down, we'll enjoy a glass of gløgg along with some sweet treats like these Mini-Dried Fruit an Nut Cakes.

These cakes are lighter and fresher than the traditional Christmas fruitcake. They are studded with dried apricots, raisins and cherries which add a natural combination of sweetness and tartness.  I like to make them bite-sized, so there is plenty of room for other treats, and even the wariest fruitcake-eater may be encouraged to have a go at them.

 

Mini-Dried Fruit and Nut Cakes

You can mix the dried fruit to your taste.  I like the combination of tart apricots with sweet raisins.
 
Makes approx. 24

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground all-spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 egg
Grated zest of 2 oranges
1/4 cup brandy or rum
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup yellow raisins

Preheat oven to 325 F. (170 C.)  Line a miniature muffin tin with paper liners.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, all-spice and ginger in a bowl.  Stir to combine well.
Beat butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add molasses and egg and mix well.  Mix in orange zest. Add flour in thirds, alternating with the brandy.  Stir in nuts and fruit.  Spoon batter into muffin cups.  Bake in oven until cakes spring back to the touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer tin to rack to cool completely.  Remove cakes.  
Cakes can be made up to one week in advance.  Cover and refrigerate until use. Serve at room temperature. 

You might enjoy these other treats with a glass of gløgg:

Apple Brandy Cake with Caramel Sauce

Russian Teacake Cookies (Snowballs) 

 

Chocolate Oblivion Cookies

Or try these delicious fruitcake variations from the Foodblogs:
Dundee Fruitcake from What's for Lunch Honey 
Panforte di Sienna from Andrea Meyers
Apricot Cashew Fruitcake from Ward Street Bistro
Russian Fruit Cake from Cafe Chocolada

  

Showcasing Strawberries: Strawberry Napoleon

The thing about seasonal food, is you have to eat it while you can.  Again and again.  Those sweet, succulent strawberries?  In a month or two, they will be gone; their star will have waned, and the fresher, more juicy, more yellow nectarines or petite raspberries will take center stage.  Those clean, crisp asparagus spears?  They will be bumped aside by a Provençal-style invasion of summer vegetables whose sauces and salads will pointedly exclude the upright astringent asparagus.  The obscure, frizzy coils of fiddleheads that we're finally managing to get to know?  Never mind; it's time to tackle another dark horse of a vegetable, and let the idea of an edible fern fade to a fuzzy dream.

All fruits and vegetables reign supreme at the markets during their seasonal heyday, and while they last, they are the life of the party.  But too much of a good thing can become tiresome - especially after the tenth consecutive serving. This is where our duty as chefs comes in.  It is up to us, like gracious hosts, to showcase our seasonal gifts, highlighting their qualities in appealing and flattering ways, so that they always look and taste good.

This is my somewhat metaphorical attempt to explain yet another recipe featuring strawberries.  In fact, not only does this recipe feature strawberries, it also calls for many similar ingredients in my post Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Parfaits.  The difference is the addition of phyllo dough, and a little dramatic elevation in the stacked presentation.  The outcome is another entirely different dessert, elegant yet simple, delicious to eat and very pretty to look at.

Strawberry Napoleons
Serves 10-12

1 package frozen phyllo sheets, defrosted overnight in refrigerator
1/4 cup (60 g.) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (115 g.) granulated/caster sugar

8 oz. (250 g.) mascarpone cheese
1 cup (250 ml.) heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 lb. (500 g.) strawberries, hulled, sliced lengthwise no more than 1/4" thick, plus 6 large strawberries, stems intact, halved lengthwise.

Additional confectioners sugar for dusting

Prepare Phyllo Squares:
Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)  Line 2 rectangular baking sheets with parchment paper. 
Unroll phyllo dough.  Place one sheet on work surface. (Cover remaining dough with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel to prevent drying.)
Lightly brush phyllo sheet with butter.  Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.  Place second phyllo sheet on buttered phyllo dough.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Repeat with 2 more sheets. 
With a sharp chef's knife cut stacked phyllo sheets into 12 squares (4 across the sheets' long side x 3 across the short side).  With a spatula, transfer the squares to prepared baking sheets.  Bake in oven until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on racks. 
Repeat this process 2 more times, so you will have a total of 36 squares. If you are serving 10 there will be a few extra squares which can be used as back up if there is breakage.
(Phyllo squares can be prepared one day in advance.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Separate layers of phyllo dough with parchement paper.)

Prepare filling:
Beat mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  (Cream can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance.  Cover and refrigerate until use.)

Assemble Napoleons:
Arrange one phyllo square on plate or platter.  Spread one tablespoon cream over.  Arrange 2-3 strawberry slices in one layer over cream.  Top strawberries with 1-2 teaspoons cream.  Place another phyllo square on top, pressing gently.  Spread one tablespoon cream over.  Arrange 2-3 strawberry slices in one layer over cream.  Top strawberries with 1-2 teaspoons cream.  Place third phyllo square on top, pressing gently.  Place one teaspoon cream in center of phyllo square.  Place one strawberry half, cut-side down, on cream.  Dust lightly with confectioners sugar and serve.