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)
- Take one cup of the strawberries and crush them in a small bowl using a fork or potato masher.
- 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
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a fork or whisk.
- Beat the egg yolk and whisk in the goat milk and honey.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until you have a nice doughy batter.
- Butter six slots of a muffin pan and divide the batter equally.
- 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
- 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
- Cut the cakes in half, placing each bottom in a shallow bowl.
- Divide the strawberry mixture evenly and place it on top of and around each bottom.
- Put a dollop of the chèvre onto the berries, and top with the other half of the cake.