Years after removing the strawberry bed, the occasional, persistent plant appears through a crack in the path, as if to tease me about my decision. I admire their resilience and leave them be, wolfing the cheeky little intruders if I can get to them before the blackbirds.
All too often strawberries deceive us by smelling better than they taste. I find it helps to introduce another element that will bring a bit of life to the berries – a squeeze of orange juice perhaps, the merest dash of balsamic vinegar or the subtlest grinding of pepper. The most successful additions I have found to date are passionfruit and raspberries. You need to get the balance right, but either will make the berries sing that bit louder once you involve cream, crème fraîche or sweet, soft cheese.
This week I made a vast trifle, a massive crowd-pleaser, baking my own sponge, crunchy with poppy seeds and flecked with orange zest. And then a couple of days later, strawberries appeared again, this time marinated in passionfruit juice and mint.
Strawberry and poppy seed trifle
Serves 8
For the cake:
butter 225g
golden caster sugar 225g
orange grated zest of 1
lemon grated zest of 1
plain flour 110g
baking powder generous ½ tsp
ground almonds 115g
eggs 4
poppy seeds 20g
For the syrup:
water 250ml
caster sugar 50g
ginger 40g, fresh
lemon juice of ½
strawberries and raspberries 250g, mixed
For the cream:
mascarpone 500g
eggs 3, separated
caster sugar 3 tbsp
vanilla extract a few drops
For decoration:
mixed berries 500g
double cream 250ml
You will need a deep-sided cake tin, 22cm x 12cm x 7cm deep, lined with baking parchment.
Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Using a food mixer, cream the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, then add the citrus zests. Sieve together the flour and baking powder, then stir in the almonds.
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. With the beater at a moderate speed, add the egg, a little at a time, to the butter and sugar. If the mixture appears to curdle slightly, then introduce a spoonful of the flour and almond mixture. Continue adding the flour until the batter is thick and creamy. Mix in the poppy seeds.
Transfer the mixture to the lined cake tin, gently smoothing the surface. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer, inserted into the cake, comes out without any raw mixture attached. Leave the cake to cool.
Make the syrup: put the water and sugar into a saucepan and warm over a moderate heat until the sugar has dissolved. Cut the ginger into thin coins and drop into the syrup. Pour the lemon juice into the syrup and set aside to infuse.
When the cake is cool, cut into 1cm thick slices and place in the base of a serving bowl. Pour the syrup over the cake, holding back the ginger, and let it soak in. Slice the strawberries, mix them with the raspberries and scatter over the layer of sponge.
Put the mascarpone, egg yolks and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until thoroughly combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until almost stiff then fold in. Spoon over the strawberries then cover the dish in kitchen film and refrigerate for an hour.
Decorate the trifle: process half the berries to a purée in a blender, sieving out the seeds if you wish. Whip the cream until thick, then smooth it over the surface of the trifle, leaving peaks and hollows where the purée can sit. Pour the purée over the surface, then decorate with the remaining fruits. Chill for a good hour before serving.
Vanilla cream with passionfruit and strawberries
Serves 6
crème fraîche 250g
fromage frais or natural yogurt 250g
vanilla pod 1
passionfruit 8
orange 1, small
mint leaves 10
strawberries 400g
Place a fine sieve over a mixing bowl and line it with a piece of muslin. Spoon the crème fraîche into a bowl then add the fromage frais. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways with a sharp knife, then open it flat and scrape out the dark, sticky seeds within. Fold the seeds through the crème fraîche then transfer to the lined sieve. Leave in the fridge overnight, during which time the vanilla cream will thicken to cheesecake-like texture.
Cut the passionfruit in half and squeeze them into a sieve or tea strainer set over a bowl. Let the juice run through, then press the pulp and seeds with the back of a teaspoon, until you have more or less only dry seeds remaining. Discard the seeds. (I return a pinch of them to the juice for their crunchy contrast.) Halve and squeeze the orange then add the juice to the bowl together with the mint. Halve the berries then stir them into the passionfruit and orange juice, cover and chill in the fridge for an hour.
To serve, upturn the sieve on to a plate and let the muslin and cream slide out. Carefully peel away the muslin. Serve the vanilla cream with the marinated strawberries, and with a spoonful of the gorgeous juice trickled over its pure white dome.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @NigelSlater
