I’m not complaining: I understand that I’m fortunate to live outside a drought area.
Last week, I made a meal that seemed to highlight the red. I started with stuffed cherry tomatoes. Then a salad with a fresh tomato vinaigrette. And a paella practically overwhelmed with fresh vegetables, but prominently featuring red bell peppers. For dessert, I chose strawberries.
In my heart, I was longing for the bright, clean air of autumn, so I constructed a crisp, a heartland dessert that usually features substantial fruits, such as pears or apples. I wanted to use strawberries in this. After all, it is still summer, and farm stands pile them in baskets out front, hoping they will sell before they wilt.
But strawberries alone would just wilt into the casserole, so I needed a fruit with some heft to pair with them. The rhubarb that figures so highly in springtime pies is long gone, so I decided to try pears. I peeled and chopped them, remembering to keep them in a bowl of acidulated water, then drain when ready to use. Acidulated water is just cold water with a little bit of citrus juice added. It doesn’t matter whether it is lemon, lime or grapefruit, whatever is on hand. It keeps the fruit from turning gray.
The strawberries should be washed, then dried on paper towels, then hulled and cut in half just before mixing. They will tint the pears pink, but that’s OK. It looks like more strawberries in the filling.
The finished product, spooned out into dessert dishes or glasses, kind of screams for a topping. While vanilla ice cream works, it might be the time of year to change it up. A little tartness like Greek yogurt sweetened with a tiny bit of honey, or crème fraiche.
Crème fraiche, a Frenchified, slightly sweeter version of sour cream, is available at most grocery stores in a specialty refrigerated section. Some cooks make their own. It’s fairly easy to mix some whipping cream with sour cream or buttermilk and let it sit until thickened. I wouldn’t recommend the kitchen counter — ever — although it is the time-tested method. The refrigerator version takes longer, turns out slightly wetter, but is so much safer.
