WS #30: Honey-balsamic glazed fruit cup

I love my fruits. Tropical fruits, exotic fruits, fruits of the forest; poached, baked in pies, stuffed in crepes, preserved in jars, blended in smoothies, flambeed with rum, tossed in salads, love them all! But not as much as I love them raw and pure. Straight from the tree, or bush, or from wherever it is your favorite fruit is grown.

I recall reading somewhere that when Mother Nature can no longer contain her joy, she bursts forth in flowers. If that's the case, then she must unleash her love with fruits!

And while I love to grab a nice ripe peach or mango and sink my teeth into the flesh letting the juices dribble down my chin and and arms, I also like chopping them up into a fruit salad (in this case I used strawberries, mangos and bananas), tossing them with a honey-balsamic dressing for a luscious treat. But when I'm feeling decadent, I'll ditch the dressing for some condensed milk. Yum! :)

Note: Proportion of glaze is about 1/2 cup honey to 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar.

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Simple strawberry trifle

I am a huge Friends fanatic, one of those that owns all 10 seasons on dvd, has watched each episode at least 4x so far and has never recovered from the show's end. It still elicits big belly laughs from me and I don't think the humor could ever get old, at least not for me. As much as I've watched the show though, I such at games like Friends Trivia and Scene It Friends edition (both of which I've played with my own bunch of goofy friends who are not unlike the characters of the show in their own way) because I have a horrible memory for details. But I can run full scenes in my head on demand.

One such scene, one of my favorites, is the one where Rachel - who is seriously lacking in the domestic skills department - attempts to make an English Trifle for Thanksgiving. When it's time for dessert, she proudly presents the trifle and when asked what it is, she answers (and I'm paraphrasing here): "It's a trifle, see it's got all these layers - ladyfingers, then jam, and custard, and raspberries, and more ladyfingers, then beef sauteed with peas and onions, and more custard...". The rest try desperately to hide the horror from showing in their faces. They soon discover that some of the pages in the recipe book Rachel used are stuck together, and half the English Trifle recipe merged with half of a Shepherd's Pie.

But that's not the best part. The gang didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling her she messed up, seeing that she had worked so hard on it. So they force themselves to eat it and pretend to like it. When Rachel leaves the room, Ross groans saying that it tastes like feet. Joey, on the other hand, is scarfing it down and announces that he likes it, "What's not to like? Custard? Good. Jam? Good. Meat? Gooooood!"

Heehee. I love it! And I love trifles. Joey's right. What's not to like? Custard, jam, fruits, all good! So because I still had half a bag of broas (ladyfingers) from a recent trip to Bohol I decided to pair them up with the strawberries I bought. This time though I kept it simple and just used sweetened cream and leftover strawberries from some jam I made. It's so easy, not even Rachel could screw this one up. And even if she did, we'd forgive her because we all have a little Rachel in us. That sweet, thoughtful friend with only the best intentions who messes up once in a while but is loved no less for it. :)

Simple Strawberry Trifle

250 grams fresh strawberries
4 pcs ladyfingers or broas (you may also use pound cake)
3 tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup whipped cream
1 tbsp condensed milk (optional)

Slice the strawberries into thirds and sprinkle with about 1 tbsp sugar. Mix thoroughly and set it aside for about 20 minutes to sweeten.

Whip the cream until it soft peaks form then add 2 tbsps sugar. Whip again to combine. You may also choose to add a spoon of condensed milk into the mixture. If you do add it, lessen the sugar to 1 tbsp. or your cream will be overly sweet. Most of the sweetness will come from the strawberries and the jam.

You can arrange the layers in a trifle bowl if you're making a large batch. But because I was only making for 3, I used my Irish coffee mugs to make individual servings. Start with a layer of broken-up ladyfingers. (If using pound cake, use a small round cookie cutter to shape the layers). Spoon some jam on top of the ladyfingers then assemble the sliced strawberries on top. Add the sweetened cream then repeat the layers. Refrigerate the cups (or trifle bowl) overnight to set and allow the flavors to mingle.

Not only is this super easy to make and great for hot summer days when the mere thought of turning on the oven causes you to break out in a sweat, but it's delicious. Just ask Mr. Spoonman from the photo, he looks mighty happy! :)

I'm off in a few hours and headed for the beach with family and friends so I'd like to wish you all a Happy Easter in advance. See you next week!

Nothing like homemade strawberry jam

I'm a fruit freak. There aren't many fruits I don't like. There's nothing quite like eating a fresh fruit in its purest form, sinking your teeth into the flesh (into the skin too in many cases) and feeling it's juices trickle down your chin and arms as the flavors burst in your mouth, sending your tastebuds into overdrive. But I love fruits in all it's other forms too - fruit juices, fruit shakes, fruits in pies, cobblers, candies, cakes, preserves, chocolate; fruits in my cereal, with my yogurt, on my salads, even dried fruits, I think you get the picture. :)

Second only to (Philippine) mangoes, strawberries are at the top of my list of favorite fruits. It's funny how the sight of strawberries never fails to cheer me up regardless of what kind of day I'm having. What's not to love? They're pretty to look at, these heart-shaped little red gems, they're incredibly sweet and delicious and pack a flavorful punch with each bite, they're fat free (!) and are high in fiber and Vitamin C (even more than a citrus fruit), rich in anti-oxidants, and they're easy to eat and prepare-no peeling or seeding required, and they're so versatile.

As an aside, did you know there's an entire museum dedicated to this fruit in Belgium?

Now when I'm confronted with a bowl- or basketful of strawberries, my brain begins to reel with a swirl of possibilities. As was the case when I bought home 5 kgs of the fruit from Baguio. Actually now 2 1/2 kgs, because I sent half to my sister.

Do I mash it milk and sugar like I'd always done as a child? Should I dunk it in Nutella, mmm? Or pour melted chocolate all over it then dip in cream? Or maybe fire up the blender and make some strawberry-yogurt smoothies? I could save some to use on my cereal and muesli too. Am I feeling brave enough to attempt the strawberry trifle I've often dreamed of making? Whatever I decided to do with them, I needed to do it fast! I had to make the most of every piece because they weren't going to last much longer.

And what better way to preserve the flavor of these sweet strawberries than to make jam? So make jam I did. I heaved off the shelf the tome that is The Gourmet Cookbook and found two recipes. One for a quick and easy version, and the other which required longer stove top time which is what I eventually went with.

I halved the recipe and followed the instructions, marvelling the entire time at how simple and easy it was. As I stirred and skimmed, the sweet intoxicating fragrance of the strawberries only intensified as the sugar melted into thickening red oblivion. The result was a brilliant red jam with the perfect amount of lumps and a flavor so amazing, I swore I'd never settle for store-bought strawberry jam again. My folks loved it, and so did a couple of friends I each gave a small jar to.

Again I wonder, why have I never made my own jam before?

Strawberry Jam

adopted from The Gourmet Cookbook

Makes 2 medium-sized jars.

1 kg fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

1 ¾ cups sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

Sterilize jars and lids by boiling them in hot water for about 10 minutes.

Chill a plate for testing later. Using a potato masher, crush strawberries lightly. Transfer to a heavy bottomed pot and add the sugar. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stir and skim off foam frequently for 10 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and cook at a slow boil, skimming and stirring frequently until jam tests done.

Begin testing at 20 minutes; remove pot from heat while testing. Drop a spoonful of jam onto a chilled plate and refrigerate for 1 minute, then tilt plate. Jam should remain in a soft mound and run slightly.

Drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel for 1 minute, then invert and ladle jam into jars. Leave about ¼ inch space at the top. Let jam stand for at least 1 day to allow the flavors to develop. (If jam won't be consumed immediately, seal and process the jars properly.) Keep refrigerated.

That's it! :)

Here are some helpful tips I gathered from the same book:

When picking strawberries, choose fresh and fragrant ones with an even color; without a white or green 'shoulder', an indication that they aren't ripe. Discard any moldy berries, but those that are merely soft, wrinkled or bruised can be used.

Store berries in a single layer on a baking sheet, or in a shallow baking dish lined with paper towels in your refrigerator.

Don't wash them until you're ready to use them, and leave their green caps on until you've dried them so the don't get waterlogged. Because of their high water content, strawberries can't be frozen as successfully as cherries or blueberries.

Homemade guava jam, here I come! :)