Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcakes are the best thing to come out of springtime in my opinion. When the strawberries are at their peak in late May and you can pile them onto a warm and flaky biscuit with a dollop of whipped cream or icecream, is there anything better? I found vanilla bean spiked crème fraiche at Trader Joe's and it worked beautifully in this recipe. You could add fresh vanilla bean to plain crème fraiche if you wanted to but I think these would be just as delicious without it. The TJs version I used had a very subtle vanilla flavor.

What you need:

1 cup self rising flour (King Arthur brand is my go-to) + more for dusting

1/4 cup salted butter, melted

1/2 cup crème fraiche

1 tbsp white sugar

Begin by stirring everything together with a fork until it forms a sticky dough. Flour your hands well and place a generous amount of dough onto your work surface. Pat the dough gently into a rectangle and fold over a few times eventually patting into a roughly 9x9 inch rectangle. I use a 3 inch round biscuit cutter and get 6 biscuits. This recipe is easy to double. Bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400 for 12-15 minutes. They should be just slightly browned and will cook quickly so keep an eye on them.

Serve with freshly chopped strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

When making homemade whipped cream I use 1 cup whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp white sugar or confectioners sugar.

Make sure the cream and bowl you will be mixing in is very cold. I like to swirl a few ice cubes around in the bowl to chill it before adding the cream. This takes about two minutes of whisking so be patient but also keep an eye because you can easily over mix and separate the cream. Using an electric mixer or hand whisk beat cream at medium high speed for 1-2 minutes until it has thickened and doubled in volume, gentle peaks should form. Add the vanilla and sugar and whisk for another 15-20 seconds until your cream is set.

Shrimp and Poblano Tacos with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Y'all know how much this family loves tacos and these are a welcome addition to our weekly

fiesta. Loaded with bright flavors and really easy to make, my husband LOVED these.

What you need:

1.5 - 2 lbs peeled and deveined fresh shrimp

1 large poblano pepper, seeds removed and chopped into small bites

2/3 of a sweet onion (save the other 1/3 for the pineapple salsa) chopped into small bites

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp chili powder

2 cloves garlic thinly sliced

salt and pepper

corn or flour tortillas for serving

queso fresco for topping (ricotta salata or feta would be good alternatives)

2 cups freshly chopped pineapple

1 avocado, pit removed and chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and very finely chopped

remaining 1/3 onion very finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

lime zest from 1/2 of the lime and all the juice

salt and pepper

Begin by prepping and mixing all the ingredients for the salsa and set aside so the flavors can develop.

Now add olive oil and butter to a skillet and cook the poblano and onion for a few minutes over medium heat so they begin to soften. Add salt and pepper. When the poblano pepper is soft add the garlic, shrimp, and chili powder. Cook for a few minutes undisturbed and then stir to flip over the shrimp. Generally they take about 2-3 minutes per side to cook and should be finished in under 8 minutes. The shrimp should have just turned pink/orange and the garlic abound be nicely fragrant. Remove from heat and serve with warm tortillas, queso fresco, and pineapple salsa.

Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Ramps

The weather has taken a chilly turn which is surprising for May 1. It's 55° and grey outside which definitely calls for soup. I adore split pea soup, I grew up with my parents making it anytime there was a left over ham bone or lamb shank and it's so nostalgic and comforting to me. When I procured ramps a few days ago I immediately thought of pairing them with peas and bacon and this soup really let's them shine.

*If you do not have ramps you could still make this soup and substitute a large leek and 2-3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and it would also be delicious.

What you need:

15 whole ramps

2 large carrots

2 celery stalks

4 slices good bacon

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 heaping tsp dried parsley

lots of salt and pepper (approx 1.5 tsp salt and .5 tsp pepper) but taste and add as you go

splash of dry white wine

8 cups water

1 lb of split peas

3 medium sized potatoes peeled and chopped into small pieces

parmesan rind

Begin by chopping the bacon into one inch pieces and peeling and chopping your carrots and celery. Separate the green leaves from the white/red parts of the ramps and finely chop the whites. Cut the green parts of the ramp into one inch slices. Put a soup pot over medium heat and first add the bacon and render some of the fat down and begin to crisp it, maybe about 5 minutes. Now add butter, olive oil, carrots, celery, and white/red part of ramp. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables and bacon for 5-10 minutes over medium/low heat so they become fragrant and soften up. Deglaze the bottom with a splash of white wine and add parsley and green parts of the ramps. After a minute or two pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Rinse the peas in a fine mesh strainer and add them to the pot along with the potatoes. If you have a parmesan rind add it to the pot now. Stir well and then reduce to a simmer. Cook stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom is not burning for about 40 minutes. When the peas and potatoes have fully softened I like to use a potato masher to mash up half of the soup, an immersion blender would be great but I don't have one. It will thicken up the soup by releasing potato and pea starch and give it a nice viscosity. If you think it's too thick add another 1/2 cup of water and mix. Taste for flavor and add a tad more salt and pepper if necessary. I hate to give exact amounts because depending on the bacon you used it may be more or less salty.

***I like to serve this with a drizzle of ramp oil at the end and more crispy bacon if you have it. I had previously blanched and frozen some of my ramps so I took a few of the leaves and puréed them with just enough olive oil to help the blender mix it.

If you are making this without ramps you could do an arugula and olive oil purée to add a nice pepperiness and get the same beautiful green color.

Enjoy!