pretty portraits
So, if I were in California, I know exactly what I’d be doing. (has anyone notice how many people now begin their sentences with “So”? or is it just me?) I’d be trundling up and down the state, camera and basket in hand. I’d be chowing down on the fresh Strawberries – their season being underway since early March – as well as all of the delightful produce already in market there — don’t get me started! While we are just beginning to get all excited about a THAW and maybe a ramp or two, the left coast is looking at us and wondering what the heck is taking them so long. Well, we won’t go into their real problems right now – let’s just move on………
Right now there are some excellent California Strawberries in the market here, organic ones. I love to indulge in these up until the time when ours will first begin to ripen.
For some unknown reason, I always have little food puns and metaphors swimming around in my head. The other day I was thinking about what other uses of the word Spring I could come up with. Spring Cleaning? Um no! Spring Forward, Springing Up,? Done that already. Spring Has Sprung? Not ready to move that far ahead…….
Spring Rolls popped in and has been tossing about, much like a towel in the dryer. I decided to try to make a sweet version. Wouldn’t that be cute, I said to myself. Today I’m trying a batch with those lovely organic strawberries and some blueberries, too! Because they won’t bake that long, I decided to cook the filling first.
MIXED BERRY SPRING ROLLS
one recipe pie crust, well chilled (I’ve been using the one from Chow.com) or, of course you can use a store-bought one if you are in a hurry)
one recipe mixed berry filling as follows:
Mixed Berry Filling –
1 16 oz container organic strawberries (the organic Driscoll’s strawberries are great right now, cut into small (1/2″ pieces)
one half pint container blueberries, organic if possible
zest of 1/2 navel orange
1 squirt fresh lemon juice scant
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp tapioca scant
couple of drops almond extract
In a low wide pan, combine the berries, sugar, zest, and lemon juice and warm over medium heat. Let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the berries are softened. Remove from heat and strain. Move contents into a small bowl and sprinkle with the tapioca and almond extract. Mix. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, roll the well-chilled pie dough out to as thin as you can get it (thinner than a regular pie crust). Cut the dough into 4″ squares with a pizza cutter. Turn the square on the diagonal. Place 1 generous tablespoon of the fruit in the bottom corner. Roll the tip over, tuck the two sides in, roll over, dot top corner and sides with egg wash, and finish rolling. Place each spring roll on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash. Pierce 3 tiny slits on top of each roll with the tip of a very sharp knife. Sprinkle with muscavado sugar and bake for 20 minutes or until well browned and crunchy-looking. Remove from oven. Cool.
* next time, for a variation, I will roll these in butter and cinnamon sugar after they are baked
The trick with these is, as in all Spring Rolls, to get the paper, or dough to seal in the filling – so you don’t wind up with a big oozing mess on your hands. Today, mine did just that – but I don’t think anyone will mind if they have oozy-gooey fresh strawberry and blueberry filling oozing out of these!
Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired. Of course, you can repeat this recipe with any pie filling you choose. Try moving through the season now with what looks best in the Farmer’s Market. 🙂 Enjoy!
a lovely little goodie!
and as for the scraps, a purse pocket pie!