From the Earthly Delights article in the May 2017 issue.

Farmers’ Market Strawberry Shortcake
Serves 6

For the strawberries

  • 1 pound (3 cups) strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
  1. Take one cup of the strawberries and crush them in a small bowl using a fork or potato masher.
  2. Slice the remaining strawberries and mix them in with the crushed berries. Taste the strawberries for sweetness. If they’re not as sweet as you’d like and there’s not a lot of juice, mix in the honey.

 

For the cakes

  • 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup goat milk
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 tablespoon butter, softened
  1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a fork or whisk.
  2. Beat the egg yolk and whisk in the goat milk and honey.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until you have a nice doughy batter.
  4. Butter six slots of a muffin pan and divide the batter equally.
  5. Bake about 15 minutes in a preheated 400° oven until muffins rise and tops are browned. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out dry and clean.

 

For the spread

  • 1 5-ounce container chèvre
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  1. Allow the cheese to reach room temperature. Stir in the honey and mix until evenly distributed and the chèvre has a creamier consistency.

 

To assemble

  1. Cut the cakes in half, placing each bottom in a shallow bowl.
  2. Divide the strawberry mixture evenly and place it on top of and around each bottom.
  3. Put a dollop of the chèvre onto the berries, and top with the other half of the cake.