Cooks Corner

THE NEW TOWN PRESS presents: The Cook's Corner Featured Article by Jean Redstone

June officially starts the summer season and this year, how about a resolution to go the extra it takes to use South Jersey’s wonderful – and inexpensive, compared to imported – produce.

The first fruits, those sparkling, flavorful, sweet and tangy berries, come out now and usually I go out and buy all I can find as soon as I see them on the roadstands. I over-buy, actually, but berries are amazingly easy to freeze for later – to defrost for cereal or a session of jam making, for pies or syrups or pancakes – yes. Overboard. That’s where I go with local berries.

Try the following simple recipes for summer sumptuousness, good for family or festivities, and take advantage of South Jersey’s first bounty.

COLD BERRY SOUP

3 quarts of fresh berries (choose one) red or black raspberries, blueberries, strawberries OR 3 pkgs of frozen berries

2 C heavy cream OR half and half

juice of one lemon OR use equivalent of bottled lemon juice

sugar and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, for example) to taste

If using fresh fruit, wash and remove stems. Place berries in a blender and process until smooth. Add lemon and cream and mix until well blended. If you wish, you can squeeze the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds, but generally these fruit seeds are not a problem. Chill for several hours and stir just before serving, adding sugar and/or spices at this time. Garnish with almond whipped cream or with sour cream and sprinkle more spice on top. Makes about 4 servings.

NOTE: If you know you like your berries mixed, it’s perfectly fine to use more than one kind – both red and black raspberries, for example. Most recipes call for the single berry soup to better savor the taste of that fruit.

ALMOND WHIPPED CREAM
In bowl or blender, whip 1cup heavy cream with 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of almond extract until cream is fluffy and stands in peaks. You can use more (or less) sugar and almond as you wish

EASY BERRY SHORTCAKE

1package shortcake sponge rounds, available at the supermarket usually near the fresh fruit

1pint (2 C) fresh or frozen berries (thawed)

1C 100% apple or peach juice (orange juice is too tart)

2 tsp. lemon juice

sugar

whipped cream or ice cream

Wash and de-stem fresh fruit. Cut up large fruit into pieces. In a bowl, place fruit and fruit juice. Stir in lemon juice so all fruit is moistened with it (keeps fruit from browning.) Sprinkle lightly with sugar and set aside, stirring now and then. Make whipped cream (see above recipe), either almond, vanilla or plain.

Fruit and whipped cream can be stored in refrigerator several hours. To serve, take 4 shortcake buns and cover the indentation with the fruit, using the juice as well. (Stir fruit before spooning on top. Add sugar or spices as desired.) Reserve a half cup for garnish. Top fruit with whipped cream or ice cream. Garnish with reserved fruit. Makes 4 desserts.

NOTE: For a more adult taste, soak the berries in half a cup of a sweet, fruity liqueur such as grenadine, triple sec, Cointreau or even Southern Comfort instead of apple or peach juice. Reduce or eliminate the sugar.

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE PUNCH

1 pint each fresh strawberries and blueberries (or frozen fruit, thawed, but fresh has more – er – punch.)

1 quart white grape juice

1 quart or liter strawberry or ginger ale soda

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Wash and stem fruit and process in a blender until pulpy. (Reserve some fresh fruit for garnish.) Place fruit with its juice into a punch bowl. Add grape juice and stir in. Add soda just before serving for freshest zing. Place ice cream in a bowl that is nestled in ice. To serve, stir the punch with a ladle and ladle into glasses. Put a small scoop or two of ice cream (like a melon scoop) in each glass and top with fresh fruit pieces. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

NOTE: Adult parties – substitute a quart of liquor for the grape juice. Dry or brut champagne is festive but use it instead of the soda, not the grape juice. Pale rum works well with fruit tastes as might a dry blanc de blanc. Experiment.

If you send a recipe, please include a phone number should there be any questions about it. We might use the recipes in a future column or post them on our website.

Email your creations to:
cookscorner@newtownpress.com or newtownpress@comcast.net

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Cooks Corner
The New Town Press
421 Stone Meeting House Rd.,
Woolwich Twp., NJ 08085

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THANKS for SHARING!