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Monday, July 7, 2008

Having a Nigella Lawson moment

Late yesterday afternoon we stopped at the farmer's market. Just inside the door we found a display of local strawberries. I stood in front of the flats and inhaled the scent of summer, of my mother's homemade jam, of weeks spent in early summer, picking strawberries to earn pocket money while I was in high school.

Husband asked, "Do we want strawberries?"

"Smell them," I said. "Yes we want strawberries."

As we stood in line with our purchases, I realized this was the first time this summer I'd seen local strawberries. It seems late in the year to me. But things have been busy, maybe I just haven't noticed.

Husband pointed out the display of scones and tea biscuits on the other side of the strawberry pallets. "Strawberry shortcake? We haven't had any yet this year."

But if we were going to have Strawberry Shortcake, we were going to do it right. I ducked out of line to get a carton of whipping cream from the dairy case, but left the scones and tea biscuits where the were. If I'm making strawberry shortcake, I'm making homemade shortcake biscuits.

Of course, this meant the evening I had envisioned would not happen. I had thought I would go out for a walk, then take my book out to the yard and try out my new hammock. Instead, I spent the evening in the kitchen.

As I prepared the berries, I found myself wanting to rhapsodize over the ruby strawberry-ness of them; to describe the works of art that were revealed as I sliced the berries to discover the stripes of pink and crimson inside. I breathed in the smell of fresh baked biscuits and strawberries. It was not a bad way to spend an evening.

I am not a writer, I am a computer programmer. I will have to leave the elegant prose to Nigella.

On the upside, I've got strawberry shortcake.

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7 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

That is SO what I was going to make for supper, but didn't! I picked the strawberries in my garden, but was too lazy to bake the biscuits.
Tomorrow. Definitely.
Yours looked yummy!

Jaime said...

That looks fabulous! And you just reminded me that I have strawberry pictures to post. :)

Can you pass along your recipe for the biscuits? My Mom wasn't much of a baker, so I rely on others for their fab recipes. haha.

Unknown said...

mmmm, i love strawberry shortcake but i grew-up with a version that was more 'cake' than 'biscuit'... i also eat mine with milk and sugar, not whipped cream, but either way - it's so good when the berries are in season! i'm enjoying blueberries right now and soon, peaches will be here... yay! :o)

Anonymous said...

ooooh that purdy.

I need to get me to a farmers market.


M.

Anonymous said...

OMG That looks amazingly yummy. Can I come over next time? I will even help you clean the berries. :)

JavaChick said...

Bag Lady - hope you made your shortcake! Nothing like shortcake with fresh strawberries.

Bionic - I will post the biscuit recipe if I can figure out what I did with my cookbook. Good thing my head is attached to my body...

Jodi - I know there are variations with strawberry shortcake, but this is the first time I've ever heard of having it with milk & sugar.

Mizfit - We love the farmers market during the locak growing season. Real fresh produce is always better.

Queenie - if you do the berries, I'll make the biscuits. I prefer the baking part to cleaning and slicing berries. :)

Unknown said...

Looks delicious! I love Nigella Lawson:)