Shortage of Strawberry Shortcake

Photography skillz. I don't have them.

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I haven't found a GREAT version of Strawberry Shortcake in any restaurant since eating Howley's strange version in West Palm Beach, FL a year ago. They served up a pint of sliced strawberries and freshly-made whipped cream on two huge buttermilk biscuits, and yes, it was phenomenal. Since then, I've always had to make my own, which usually didn't end well.

Case in point: I forced a foodie friend of mine to make me a quick strawberry shortcake a couple of weeks ago, the result which is pictured above. It's a terrible photograph, but you get the idea. We used those little pre-made cakes found next to the strawberries in most grocery stores, and just cooked half a pint of strawberries with a bit of sugar. She pressed the mix through a sieve and poured it over the rest of the berries. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't a proud moment in baking history, either.

I'm rather close to embarking on an epic pilgrimage across the South to find "The Best Strawberry Shortcake in the Land" this summer. Partly for the love of the shortcake, and partly for penance.

In the meantime, I've made myself feel better about already breaking my Spring resolution (you know, try to stick to seasonal produce) with this little gem:

(1) The term "artificial flavor" or "artificial flavoring" means anysubstance, the function of which is to impart flavor, which is notderived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetablejuice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plantmaterial, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentationproducts thereof. Artificial flavor includes the substances listed in172.515(b) and 182.60 of this chapter except where these are derivedfrom natural sources

This is for those who consume McD's strawberry milkshakes, or Fruit Roll-ups, or strawberry-flavored candies. Have fun with those artificial flavors, 'k?

Spring Resolution

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One of the perks of living in Ohio is that the seasons change. I am experiencing my first intermittent bouts of Spring, and what I've seen so far is so lovely that I'm inspired to change my eating habits.

With that, I resolved to increase my intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. What's more, I've resolved to purchase mostly seasonal, organic, and locally-grown foods whenever possible (and take part in as many gastronomic festivals northeast Ohio can throw at me!).

April is when Spring starts to slowly threaten Ohio. The temperature hovers around 40 to 50 degrees, it snows a few times, and every plant and tree lets its flowers free.

With all those visual delights surrounding me, I wondered: What delights might be in store for a seeker of fresh, seasonal produce?

Asparagus and rhubarb, apparently, according to OurOhio.org.

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I'm skipping the rhubarb.

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The site gets "technical" and breaks down fruits and vegetables' "seasonality" by month.

It seems like I should have decided to go "local and seasonal" around July, as that's when most of the good stuff is ripe and ready. Raspberries won't be perfect until late June - but the sweet flavor of a perfectly ripe berry is something wonderful to look forward to, at least. Being a good sport, however, I went out and bought a pound of thick asparagus spears.

Asparagus is more versatile than you might think, as the people of Sierra de Yeguas (in Andalucia, Spain) already know. They celebrate their Spring asparagus harvest with a festival, preparing asparagus tortilla and asparagus paella, along with my favorite asparagus dish: sautéed asparagus topped with poached egg.

I didn't remember to buy eggs, so I improvised and pan-roasted some asparagus with salt, black pepper, chili powder, and chopped parsley, drizzled with a mix of olive oil and lemon juice. I tossed in a few portabella mushrooms (because I had them) and let everything soak up the flavors quite nicely.

It wasn't much, but it was a tasty start to a year of exploring fresh, local produce!