It's Strawberry Time!

There's a stretch of Highway 70 where farmstands abound, perfect for scouting summer peaches, September walnuts, and mandarins in winter and spring. Currently, there's fabulous asparagus, fava beans, and kiwi fruit- 10 for $1. It was on the 70 outside Oroville that I tasted my first great strawberry of the season.

When strawberries are good- as in luscious- I become greedy and buy them by the flat or half-flat, gobbling up a pint on the trip home, where they're put to use: ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, shortcake. Crowning a tart. In panna cotta or preserves or layered with spongecake. In a pink bowl with sugar and creme fraiche. Piled atop whipped cream and rose meringues.

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Strawberries with Rose Meringues

This might be my favorite way to eat strawberries. Be prepared for conversation to stop when you serve them!

4 egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

pinch of salt

3/4 c sugar

1/2 - 1 tsp rose water, or to taste

Strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered, tossed with sugar to taste

Heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks with vanilla and sugar to taste

Strawberry sauce (pureed strawberries mixed with sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste. strain if desired)

Sugared rose petals (optional, but lovely!)

To make meringue: Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Make sure that your hands, mixing bowl, and mixer's whip attachment are very clean and your egg whites contain not a speck of yolk  (any trace of fat will prevent your meringue from happening).

Pour the whites into a mixing bowl, place over a pot of hot water, and swirl with your hand until they're a degree or two above room temperature. Remove from heat.

With an electric mixer, briefly whip the whites on medium speed until they're frothy, then add the salt and cream of tartar. Whip until the whites begin to hold soft peaks, turn speed to med-hi, and immediately begin to gradually add the sugar. Add the rosewater, turn machine to high and whip until meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks.

Drop meringue into six or so equal spoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheet. With the back of a spoon, create an indentation, forming a nest that will  later hold the berries.

Place meringues in oven for 1 1/2 hours, turn off oven, and let sit in oven for another hour or so, until crisp throughout (if you prefer a softer meringue, bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/4 hour, or until the outsides are crisp and the interior marshmallow-y). Do not allow meringues to brown. Cool to room temperature and store in an air-tight container until ready to serve.

To serve: Drizzle plates with a generous amount of strawberry sauce. Place meringues on plates, fill with whipped cream, pile on the juicy strawberries, add another dollop of whipped cream. Top with a sugared rose petal and serve to your very lucky guests!

Comments

[Patty]

Oh Yum! Baby Miss R would love that too. Strawberries are her favorite. BTW I can't wait to see you!

[Madeleine]

Can't wait for stawberry season to come to CT--still about six weeks away. My favorite is strawberry shortcake made with real biscuits and fresh whipped cream. Delicious.

[Jessica]

YUM!! This sounds truly marvelous. I'm going to definitely make this soon. Perhaps for my mother, for mother's day.

[peabody]

Rose meringues? What an excellent idea! It just gives it that something extra.

[Anita]

Rose and strawberry together sound divine!

[Ann]

I love a good strawberry shortcake with wippedcream.And biscuits made from bisquick pancake mix.I can eat it for all three meals.I allso love a good blueberry pie.We grow strawberris in are yard but they didnot do to well.We have a blueberry bush that is doing well.We allso have a peach tree and a cherry tree in our yard.Ann