Yesterday I had to board a plane back to NJ from Montecito. It was tough. What made it more palatable though, was to bring a few goodies back with me. I chose a pint of fresh-picked strawberries from the Montecito Farmer’s Market and a small handful of fresh lilacs.
I only spent about an hour at the Farmer’s Market in Montecito on Friday morning but I got my money’s worth. I met some really nice people including a woman who runs a charity for injured animals, the lilac lady and her son who so nicely gifted me a small bouquet when I told her I had to leave and couldn’t buy a who bundle, and the nice lady who offered me samples of her fresh from Oxnard strawberries. I bought a pint for $4.00 and transported them all the way back to NJ. in my carry-on.
Everyone knows that California is the largest producer of strawberries in the U.S. While we are waiting for our own local berries, these are the best – but, only if you can find ones that are fresh-picked and ripe and juicy. Too often berries at the grocery store are hard and tasteless. Your best bet is to smell them deeply. They should have a strong fragrance that just hits you. If they don’t smell ripe, pass them by.
As you are driving up toward PCH and Santa Barbara, you’ll pass right through the center of Oxnard where they grow these strawberries on miles and miles of fields for as far as the eye can see and right on the side of the road. It’s really an amazing site. It makes you want to get right out of your car and join in the picking.
That little pint of berries traveled all the way but did take some bumps and bruises. But, I still didn’t want them to go to waste. I decided to make a fresh strawberry mousse but considering the berries didn’t look good, I decided to cook them down a bit into a nice little compote. Here is the recipe I wound up with. The strawberry flavor was still fresh-picked and there’s a hint of thyme and a touch of softness from the Grand Marnier.
FRESH-PICK’D STRAWBERRY MOUSSE WITH THYME AND GRAND MARNIER – adapted from Marie de Broglie (www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/strawberry-mousse-mousse-de-fraises-recipe.html
1 pint fresh-picked, from the farm, ripe strawberries, cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 heaping tblsp sugar
generous squeeze fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 tsp grand marnier
4 large sprigs fresh thyme
juice of 1 lemon
1 envelope Knox Gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup heavy cream
1 tblsp grand marnier
4 tblsp sugar
extra strawberries for garnish
ice bath
In a medium saucepan, heat the strawberries, 2 tblsp sugar, the generous squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of grand marnier to a simmer. Add the thyme sprigs and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the berries soften and the mixture resembles a jammy texture. Taste for sweetness. If it is too tart for you add a bit more sugar, a little at a time.
In a small saucepan sprinkle the gelatin into the lemon juice. Stir. Pour the boiling water over and stir again until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Remove the thyme sprigs from the jam. Pour the gelatin mixture into the strawberry jam and stir to blend. Place the saucepan into a large ice bath and let it chill until thickened, about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream and the tablespoon of grand marnier until stiff but not over beaten. Transfer the strawberry mixture to a large bowl. Fold in the beaten cream with a rubber spatula.
Transfer to a mold if desired or, cover and chill in a serving bowl. Chill for 3 hours. Serve with fresh snipped strawberries and a lovely tuile or cookie.
Enjoy!