Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake

A popular American dessert that makes its way to most barbecues, picnics and soirées in the month of June is Strawberry Shortcake: a rich, buttery, crunchy biscuit with lightly sweetened whipped cream and slightly macerated berries. Edible East End challenged my gluten intelligence and asked for a gluten-free summertime dessert for my, What's in Season column in their low summer 2014 issue. At my home, Sheridan Green, I recently hosted my first dinner party for friends who are gluten intolerant—the challenge was perfect timing. We are well acquainted with food allergies to peanuts, and even strawberries, but nowadays, gluten has risen to the top as the biggest culprit. So, why not give gluten-free cooking a whirl? At some point we all have encountered this at a dinner party, “Is this gluten-free?” or, “How can I make this gluten-free?” At Edible East End you can read about my journey to create a high-rise biscuit.

On the East End of Long Island, strawberries kick-off the summer fruit season in June and by the end of the month, during its peak, if you happen to be standing in a strawberry patch—picking your own of course—at Patty’s Berries and Bunches in Mattituck or Hank’s Farm Stand in Southampton, a fruity aroma carried by a summer wind, will captivate you in a Wizard of Oz poppy field trance. And, once you come out of your hypnotic state with bushels in hand you can consider making: smoothies, pies, preserves, salads, cakes, ice creams, juices, Greek yogurt panna cotta, and maybe even a gluten-free strawberry shortcake.

Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake

Macerated Strawberries

ingredients

• 1 pound strawberries trimmed and cut in half; about 4 cups
• ¼ cup honey
• ⅓ cup water
• Pinch of sea salt

Combine the honey, water and salt in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Once done cool and toss with the strawberries. Set aside for 1 hour to allow strawberries to release their juices.

Whipped Cream

ingredients

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean split and seeded
• ¼ cup powdered sugar

directions

1. Place a large bowl in freezer to prep for the cream. In a medium bowl place the cream; cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape seeds into cream along with the bean; gently whisk. Cover cream mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Strain cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the chilled bowl. Add the powdered sugar and with a balloon whisk begin to beat the cream into soft peaks. (You can use a KitchenAid with a whisk attachment or a handheld beater.)

Set aside in refrigerator.

Gluten-Free Biscuits

ingredients

• 1¼ cups brown rice flour
• ¼ cup tapioca starch
• 3 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup
• 1 stick cold butter, cut into ½-inch chunks
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup whole milk Greek yogurt

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and sprinkle with two tablespoons of brown rice flour. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix together with a whisk.
3. Add the butter and use your fingertips to combine into the dry ingredients, try to work quickly to keep the butter cold.
4. In another bowl, add the eggs, yogurt and agave and whisk together; add mixture to the dry ingredients and with a wooden spoon stir the dough together until a ball forms. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. Turn dough out onto a clean surface and, working quickly, pat the dough into a 10- by 8-inch rectangle, fold into a 5- by 8-inch rectangle, and again into a 5- by 4-inch rectangle. (Repeat this one more time.)
6. Then press dough into a rectangle, ½-inch thick; 10 by 8 inches. Using the top of a glass or a 31/4-inch circle cutter, cut out 2 biscuits; you will not be able to get 6 biscuits in a 10- by 8-inch pass so you will need to repeat this step again, however your rectangle will be smaller, keep with the ½-inch thickness for good measure.
7. Arrange the biscuits with ample room in between each one; they need room to grow while baking.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow biscuits to cool before assembling.

Assembly

Split each biscuit and place the bottom half on plate. Top with the berries and its juices and then top with the whipped cream. Then place the top of the biscuit on the shortcake.

My Grandfather's Ricotta Cheesecake

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I have never felt comfortable sharing my grandfather's ricotta cheesecake recipe as it has been a work in progress. My recollection of his recipe is slightly different than my mother’s and unfortunately it did not make it to my grandmother’s recipe box. We will have lengthy conversations about what type of pan or pot he may have used and the exact technique when whipping the egg whites and folding them into the ricotta mixture; my mother remembers the egg yolks being whipped separately—I don’t. What we do agree on is how long it took my grandfather to fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture; it was like watching a symphony with four movements: fold to the right, fold to the left, fold up and then fold down and continue until the mixture crescendos into a light consistency. And, if you open the oven, before 1 hour, while it is slowly cooking at 325°, my grandfather would scream. Back in those days his industrial oven did not have a convenient window to peek through, he innately knew at one hour to check the cheesecake. My grandfather would pick up homemade whole milk ricotta from the cheesemongers of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market; I remember how thick and creamy the consistency was. If you want to try your hand at making spring whole milk ricotta you can read my column, What’s in Season, for Edible East End. I used raw spring milk from Chris Wines’s Jersey cows of Ty Llwyd Farm in Riverhead, truly a wholesome treat. 

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This recipe for ricotta cheesecake is a work in progress and is worth the effort as it is truly delicious. In the meantime, I practice and pray that my grandfather comes to me in my dreams and explains in detail the exact way to make it.

Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe

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ingredients

• 3 pounds of whole milk ricotta
• 9 large eggs, separated
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• Zest of 1 orange
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• Pinch of sea salt

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°; set rack in middle of oven.
2. Butter and flour a 9 x 3-inch springform pan and tap out excess flour. Place on a baking sheet.
3. Separate the eggs; yolks in one bowl and whites in another.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and zest; whisk until smooth. Add the sugar, egg yolks, pinch of sea salt and vanilla; gently mix until combined.
5. Put egg whites in a stand mixer and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture. 
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 2 hours. Check the cheesecake at 1 hour—it should be a light golden color. Make sure the edges of the cheesecake do not burn; if edges are getting to dark, cover with tinfoil. The center should be fairly firm and jiggle ever so slightly in  the middle. 
7. Cool cheesecake completely on a wire rack; room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 3 hours.
   
    

Will Native Planting Join the Popular Ranks of All Things Sustainable?

Getting to know your farmer or fisherman and eating locally are concepts that have finally taken a foothold within society. I like to build relationships with my edible community because food is medicine and it nurtures my well-being. Where did this chicken come from is not a mystery anymore, nor should it be. Another important part to this healthy ecosystem is native planting and modern homesteading. Do you know that using native plants in your landscape is good for you, your community, and for wildlife? And what about modern homesteading? The concept of modern homesteading is different for all of us. For me, it means taking the steps to live a healthier and more sustainable way of life, in your community and at your own home. The ecological benefits start with you and extends beyond your property.

Within all of us is a modern homesteader. How many of you are avid gardeners? grow your own food? keep chickens for eggs? I bet the majority of you are recycling (I hope), composting, and maybe even embracing alternative energy solutions for your house. And hopefully soon, native planting will join the popular ranks of all things sustainable.

Modern Homesteading: Your Property, Your Energy, Your Choice. This phrase describes my sustainable home, Sheridan Green, in Hampton Bays, and was coined by my architect husband Chris of Christopher Jeffrey Architects. Our home recently achieved a Tier 3 Energy Star Rating. So what does that mean? A home that has been Energy Star certified means it has been designed, constructed, and independently verified to meet the rigorous requirements for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including: thermal enclosure system, water management system, heating and cooling, and ventilation system, and energy efficient lighting and appliances. On a scale from 0 (most efficient) –140 (less efficient), Sheridan Green received a HERS rating of 15 (0-20 is the best rating for energy star—Tier 3). There is on-site rainwater containment for the edible rooftop garden (I see a lot of canning in our future), and eventually: chickens for eggs, manure for the gardens, and tick maintenance and beekeeping for the pollination of native plants and luscious honey.

Last year, I attended the Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI) annual native plant sale, and researched plants for our property. In 2011, LINPI was founded with a mission: to protect the genetic integrity and heritage of Long Island native plant populations and thus biodiversity from a landscape to genetic level, by establishing commercial sources of genetically appropriate local (ecotypic) plant materials for use in nurseries, landscaping, and habitat restoration activities. I quickly learned that native grasses and plants would help sustain native birds, insects and wildlife. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. Who wouldn’t want to plant natively?

Polly Weigand, Executive Director and founder of LINPI, and Soil District Technician for Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District, visited with Chris and I at Sheridan Green to review our landscaping plan, and recommended a variety of native plants—edible and non-edible—that would grow well in sandy soil. When the excavation of the property was complete, we mulched all the pine trees that were used for soil stabilization during the building process, and kept the oak trees for firewood. Polly addressed the areas within the landscape that are at high risk for erosion, and suggested a low ground fescue grass, and wildflower grass to stabilize the soil. When I asked Polly about the low, clumped, grass-like clusters scattered on the property, she enthusiastically said, “Pennsylvania sedge!” These perennial plants resemble grasses, 6-12-inches high and the foliage is pale-green in spring and summer, and turns sandy-tan in the fall. This sedge prefers light-textured soils (like our property), and is resistant to deer grazing, bonus! “Dividing and replanting the sedge that is already thriving on your property is the way to go,” says Polly. She then pointed out the blueberry and huckleberry bushes that are in the wooded areas. I ignorantly rejoiced, “Sweet!” How can I have not known I was sitting in berry heaven? 

On the north side of the property, a pine tree with an exposed patch of underlying wood was dripping pinesap from the edges of the bark. Of course I was curious and later found out the bark was rubbed off by a buck. The white-tailed deer rub their antlers against the trees to remove velvet, while marking their territory during the breeding season. Everyone who lives on the East End of Long Island knows the day-to-day struggles with the deer; farmer’s crops and home gardens destroyed in one munch-fest. I know there will be a lesson—or two—in my future of such heartache, but I am still determined to plant a small fruit orchard between the yoga studio and the house. Polly suggested Shinnecock beach plum trees, apple trees, pear trees, and raspberry and blackberry bushes. I know the deer will take one look at my young orchard and think, “deer buffet, all you can eat.” This is why we have an edible rooftop garden. Fencing the trees will be the best course of action until they grow to a height that deer pruning is welcome. Wishful thinking? 

Deer are not the only wildlife frolicking on our property. Recently, I found thousands of wild turkey tracks—toe prints 4-6-inches long, combined with wing drags—surrounding the house in swirling patterns. Early spring is mating season for turkeys and the male struts his stuff to look bigger by: fanning his tail, fluffing his feathers, and dragging his wing tips to attract a harem. I did not see this mating ritual, but thrilled my property is considered a safe haven for “gobbulation” and pro-creation. 

The retaining concrete wall that is south of the driveway and house will warrant a contrast of soft native grasses like big bluestem, purple lovegrass, Indiangrass, and switchgrass. To attract butterflies, bees, and birds we are considering: smooth blue aster, black-eyed susan, narrow leaved mountain mint, and a northern bayberry shrub for migrating birds to feast on the waxy seeds. The north side of the graveled driveway will have a row of birch trees and lavender (attracts bees) leading up to the entranceway. The courtyard has a large concrete wall that will be home to a vine like: hops, Virginia creeper, or if so ambitious, an espalier fruit tree. Espalier is the practice of controlling woody plant growth for the production of fruit, by pruning and tying branches to a frame, frequently in formal patterns, flat against a structure such as a wall, fence, or trellis. 

The rooftop above the carport is the edible garden. A young fig tree that was cultivated by my father’s ginormous tree in East Quogue is the first fruit to kick-off our garden and is already budding. This past summer, the tree produced six figs; I cannot wait to see how many we will get this year. There will be a variety of vegetables and fruits, notably heirloom tomato varieties from Stephanie Gaylor of Invincible Summer Farms. Their mission is to preserve biodiversity by seed saving and maintaining their seed bank with well over 6,000 crop varieties. The farm grows over 350 different tomato varieties every single year, and I'm honored to add a few to our garden. I bet, Invincible Summer Farms and Long Island Native Plant Initiative collaborate on an edible native seed bank; seems like a natural fit to me. 

Native planting is just another piece of the ecological balance within our communities. Sheridan Green is my modern homestead, a journey to all things sustainable.

The Long Island Native Plant Initiative annual plant sale is on June 6 to 8 and June 13 to 15, from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. at the Suffolk County Community College Greenhouse in Riverhead, NY