Spring is in full bloom and summer will be here before we know it. Now is the time to use up any fruits and vegetables you froze last summer so there’s room for this year’s goodies.
My kids love berries so about half my deep freezer was devoted to organic strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. We spent the winter enjoying them in homemade frozen yogurt, cakes and pies, but last night I decided to try something different: mousse.
This recipe is one of my childhood favorites, a specialty of my grandmother who spent many hours watching Julia Child and many more hours teaching me my way around the kitchen. Make it with fresh or frozen strawberries, but remember to buy organic because strawberries tend to soak up pesticide and you don’t want that with your dessert. To serve, spoon into espresso cups or small glass bowls; a small portion is all you need given all the cream.
Strawberry Mousse
10 ounces frozen strawberries or 1/2 pint fresh
3-ounce package strawberry gelatin
A few tablespoons sugar
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
Clean the strawberries if using fresh, and crush them. Sweeten with a few tablespoons of sugar and set aside. If there’s any juice, drain it and pour it into a measuring cup. Fill with water to reach 3/4 cup. Pour liquid into a small pan and bring to a boil, then add gelatin, stirring to dissolve. Remove from heat and cool. Meanwhile, whip cream into stiff peaks. When gelatin mixture is cool, stir into strawberries, then fold in cream. Pour into a medium glass bowl and refrigerate for several hours.
Long before I started eating local or seasonal or organic, I celebrated the arrival of fall with this recipe for Fresh Apple Cake. Apples are in stores year-round, but even then I knew that the only time to make this old-fashioned cake is when apples are just off the tree, like they are now.
