Strawberries, Strawberries, Strawberries. Everything Strawberries!

Last week Michelle and I went Strawberry picking at Homestead Farms in Poolesville, MD. I love this farm. They always have great produce. It was fun despite the 90+ degree weather and we took home both Strawberries and Tart Cherries. So now I have all these strawberries, what shall I make? Well I made the following recipes with my strawberries.

Strawberry Jam

from Zooey Deschanel, published in Self Magazine in August 2009.

3 pints of strawberries, hulled

1/2 cup sugar cubes

Cook berries in a heavy sauce pan over low heat , stirring every 15 minutes, until jam-like in consistency, about 3 hours. Add sugar, using more (up to 3/4 cup) if you like your jam sweeter, and stir until dissolved. Transfer jam to a jar and let cool and refrigerate. It is fresh jam, so keep it refrigerated for no more than 2 weeks. Makes about 3 cups.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

Gourment, June 2001

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

3 strips fresh lemon zest

1/8 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 lbs. strawberries (3 cups), trimmed and quartered

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice.

Combine cream, zest and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and discard zest.

Whisk eggs with 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl,then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking. Pour back into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and a instant read thermometer registers 170', DO NOT LET BOIL.

Immediately pour custard through a fine sieve into a metal bowl, then cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, at least until cold, about 2 hours, and up to 1 day.

While custard is chilling, puree strawberries with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice in a blender until smooth, then force through fine sieve (to remove seeds) into chilled custard. Site puree into custard.

Freeze in ice-cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.