Summertime Lovin’ with Strawberries

One thought has absolutely preoccupied my mind this month. It’s my three-year anniversary with my boyfriend Steve. Now let me defend myself when I say that for me, a college student, three years is an awfully long time. And I am…simply overjoyed. With that said, I will begin my tale.

For me, nothing idealizes summer, sweetness and love quite like the strawberry. Evidently, I am not the only one who feels this way. The ancient Greeks were fascinated with these delectable little rubies, and their potential aphrodisiac power. Aphrodisiacs were first sought out as a remedy for various sexual anxieties including fears, performance, as well as a need to increase fertility.

According to legend, when Adonis died, Venus wept uncontrollably. The tears rolled down her cheek and dropped to the earth, turning into heart-shaped strawberries.

The legend also states that if one were to find a double strawberry, split it in half and give it to a member of the opposite sex, they will fall in love with each other.

My mind was set. I would make a quick trip to the Co-op, purchase some Stahlbush Island Farm strawberries, and make two sweet dishes for the one I love.

My first dessert was Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp; however, I ended up altering the recipe, whose primary ingredient was rhubarb instead of strawberries. From the very beginning I knew this was going to be an interesting experiment. I found myself torn between Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jeckle wanted to follow the recipe. Mr. Hyde inevitably wanted to deviate. Ultimately, Dr. Jeckle succumbed to my evil half.

The crisp was amazing. I’m not even ashamed to say how proud I was to alter the recipe to my likings (i.e. extra strawberry and extra cinnamon). The dish was the sweetest combination of crispy oatmeal on the outside, and soft strawberries on the in. Success.

My boyfriend Steve is an ice cream fanatic. So naturally, I felt compelled to make homemade Strawberry Ice Cream. The greatest part about the recipe I chose was that it didn’t require an ice cream maker. A simple freezer would suffice. I must admit I’ve heard horror stories about working with whipping cream and I was a bit nervous. My greatest advice would be: follow the directions! I assumed a “chilled-pan” was some snooty chef lingo, but no. A chilled pan is essential with cream.

The ice cream took a long time to completely freeze over, but believe me the results are worth it. The dish was so delicately sweet Steve’s mouth watered. In our opinion, the ice cream tasted far better than some store-bought brands, which taste almost gritty due to added sugars.

All in all, the desert and my anniversary were great. Steve was so impressed with my suaveness in the kitchen he said he’d keep me around for a while longer. I pinched him on the cheek and said, “It’s your turn to learn. And then I’ll decide if I want to keep you around.”

1 ½ cups sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup butter
1 cup oatmeal
4 cups strawberries
1 ½ cups rhubarb

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange strawberries and rhubarb in an ungreased square baking dish and sprinkle with salt. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix in margarine until mixture is crumbly, sprinkle over strawberries and rhubarb. Bake until topping is golden brown and rhubarb is tender. Approximately 40-50 minutes.

Strawberry Ice Cream

1 cup milk
1 pint strawberries
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chilled whipping cream

Mix milk, sugar, salt and egg yolks in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until bubbles appear around the edge. Cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla. Pour into shallow tray. Freeze until mixture is mushy and partially frozen, approximately 30-60 minutes. Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl until soft peaks form.  Mash 1 pint of strawberries with ½ cup sugar; stir into mild mixture after adding cream.  Spoon partially frozen mixture into another chilled bowl; beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into two shallow trays, cover to prevent crystals from forming. Freeze, stirring frequently during first hours, until firm, approximately 3-4 hours.

Sources:
www.gourmetsleuth.com/aphrodis_foods.htm
www.italiansrus.com/food/strawberries.htm

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