HOW DID MEMORIAL DAY BEGIN?......FOLLOWED BY STRAWBERRIES; Recipes and Tips

ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY….

 

One of the main “ingredients” of Memorial Day Weekend is to know what you will serve at  your barbecue or picnic, and here I give you a couple of recipes for two  festive desserts which I can attest will be well-liked.

But before we get to the recipes I would like to start with remembering a little about this holiday.

There’s an appealing story about how Memorial Day actually came about. It is said that soon after the Civil War, a few ladies in Mississippi decided to decorate the graves of their own as well as those of the Union Army’s fallen soldiers. This simple act of kindness and observance started it all.

On My 30, 1868, the commander of the Union’s veterans organization issued an order that this day be observed for the purpose of decorating the graves of those who died in defense of their country. The idea spread across the country, and it soon became a legal holiday starting in 1873.

Today we have not forgotten the heroism and sacrifice. We fly our flags, watch our parades in most every town, and see red, white, and blue colors most everyplace we go. It is great to see.

 

The Recipes:

 These desserts are just another way to show the “red, white, & blue”, while serving something delicious. Both are easy to make as the recipes are made quicker by taking advantage of pre-made pound cake, and a boxed brownie mix.

   The Brownie Shortcake is scrumptious and quick to make. The sour cream frosting goes perfectly with the chocolate. My gang gobbled it up quickly.

Brownie Shortcake Dessert

You will need: 

            1 package (19.5 ounce) brownie mix

            1 container (16 ounce) sour cream, divided

            1 cup thawed whipped topping

            1 tablespoon powdered sugar

            1 teaspoon vanilla

            3 cups cut-up strawberries and blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package; stir in ½  cup of the sour cream; spoon into a greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan.  Bake 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Mix remaining sour cream, whipped topping, sugar and vanilla.

Cut brownie horizontally in half. Place bottom half on serving plate; spread with half of the sour cream mixture. Cover with top of brownie, remaining sour cream mixture, and fruit; Store in refrigerator.

           

Red, White, & Blue Creamy Trifle

 

Ingredients:

            One 10 ounce pound cake

            ½ cup strawberry jam

            1/3 cup orange juice

            2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut in thirds or half’s

Custard Sauce; recipe follows

            1 cup whipping cream

            2 tablespoons white powdered sugar

            1 teaspoon vanilla extract

            1 ½ cups blueberries for garnish on top

            2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted – optional

 Make custard:

Mix 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch with ½ cup milk.

In a heavy saucepan or double boiler, heat 1¾ cups milk with ¼ cup sugar just to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in cornstarch mixture until smooth; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and then 3 beaten egg yolks. Cover. Chill.

TO PREPARE:

1.  Make custard sauce and refrigerate.

2.  Split cake into 3 layers. Spread jam between layers and reassemble layers.       Cut into 2 inch cubes. Arrange cubes in a 2 quart trifle bowl or serving bowl.

Sprinkle with orange juice.

      Note: If desired you can use an orange liqueur or cream sherry.

3. Spoon sliced strawberries over cake.

4.  Pour chilled custard sauce or pudding over berries. Cover & refrigerate for 1 hour.

5.  Whip cream till thickened, add sugar and vanilla. Whip till stiff peaks.

6. Pipe or spread whipped cream over custard. Pile blueberries in center. Sprinkle with toasted almonds if desired. Chill.

Note: In a pinch substitute instant vanilla pudding for the custard.

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Our locally grown strawberries will be ready in a few weeks, something I look forward to each year. In the meantime the state of California keeps our supermarkets well supplied.

I keep pretty close tabs on locally grown produce and for the most part base my articles on what’s in season, as well as special occasions.

It’s because of my family history of growing up on a farm with acres of vegetables and a huge strawberry patch.  The talk at the supper table was always what will be ready for picking and when. My father had a green thumb for sure. He decided one day to plant strawberries, never having done it before, and he ended up with so many strawberries he had to hire neighborhood kids to help pick.

 If I was at home, I and my sisters would be found in the kitchen assisting my mother with freezing quart-containers of them.

The all-time family favorite strawberry dessert was served at every Sunday dinner during the season; strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits, topped with either fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

As good as that sounds, you will also like this coffee cake. And absolutely try the two-ingredient salad; the dressing makes it incredible. To tell you the truth I was surprised at how good it is; a side salad that will go well with grilled meats.

Strawberry storage tips:

Don’t wash strawberries until you are ready to eat them. (Moisture is the enemy)

Remove berries from store package. Discard any that look bad or are mushy.

Place them in a paper towel-lined glass container with a lid; should keep 5-6 days.

            *****

Fresh as a daisy in June is this coffee cake. Your senses will be delighted when this comes out of the oven.

 Strawberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup cold water (when using fresh berries)

¾ cup sliced fresh strawberries - (may use 1 pkg. (10 ounce) frozen sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed, use no additional water)

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/4  teaspoon almond extract

2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup cold butter

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

¾ cup buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

In a large saucepan, combine water and cornstarch until blended, add fresh berries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and almond extract; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the remaining mixture. Stir in buttermilk and egg until moistened.

Spread one and ½  cups of batter into a greased 8- inch square baking dish. Carefully spread with the strawberry mixture. Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls over strawberry mixture. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 9 servings.

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This pretty 2-ingredient salad is made even prettier by the thick, tasty, seed-rich dressing you can make in advance. So delicious, you will want to use it on other salads.

 Strawberry Spinach Salad

• 2 good-size bunches of fresh spinach and 2 pints strawberries that have been hulled, washed, and quartered.
• Arrange spinach and strawberries in layers in a glass bowl.
• Add dressing at the last minute and toss. Enjoy!
  Note: I prefer the heartier flavor of regular fresh spinach. Remove stems and tear into smaller pieces.

• Dressing:

            ½ cup sugar                                     

            ¼ teaspoon paprika

            1 ½ teaspoons minced onion       

            ½  cup vegetable oil

            2 tablespoons sesame seeds                     

            ¼ cup cider vinegar

            1 tablespoon poppy seeds

            ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

   Place all dressing ingredients in blender; blend on low until mixed.