Weekly Recipe: Savory Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad and New England Strawberry Shortcake

Late June in New England brings fair weather, the end of the school year and a bountiful harvest of luscious strawberries from farms across the region. Strawberries are an early season fruit hat flourish in our region’s cooler, moist climate. With a uniquely savory profile, the sweet berry provides a great base for summer dinner salad, not to mention dessert!  Both of these recipes feature farm-fresh goodness without any fuss. The salad recipe can be prepared in 20 minutes and the shortcake in 40 minutes. If you’d like to save some time on the shortcake recipe, most local grocery stores offer pre-made shells. For the salad, buy fully cooked rotisserie chicken to skip a step.

Please be sure to check out the end of the recipes for “Grocery Guru Advice,” which provides information about local supermarkets and links to local farms that offer freshly harvested strawberries. Farms are located a short drive from the Commons and offer you a great way to make these strawberry recipes explode with fresh, local flavor.  We hope you enjoy this week’s recipes. And be sure to share smartphone pictures with us via Instagram or Facebook!

Savory Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad

Prep and cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Dressing:

·         1 tablespoon sugar

·         1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

·         1 tablespoon water

·         1/8 teaspoon salt

·         1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

·         4 cups lettuce, torn (use romaine, Boston or your favorite)

·         2 cups watercress

·         2 cups quartered strawberries

·         8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced

·         1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1.    To prepare dressing, combine first five dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Gradually drizzle in oil and whisk, constantly, until fully blended.

2.    To prepare salad, combine lettuce, watercress and strawberries in a salad bowl; toss gently. Plate salad, then place slices of chicken on top. Top each serving with 1 tablespoons of feta cheese. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons dressing over each serving.

New England Strawberry Shortcake

Prep and cook time: 35 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

·         2 pounds fresh strawberries

• 2 cups flour, plus two teaspoons
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder

·         1/2 cup powdered sugar

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 stick butter

·         3/4 cup milk

·         1 cup heavy cream

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

1.    Preheat oven to 425°

2.    Grease a 9-inch pie dish with two tablespoons butter

3.    Slice strawberries and toss with powdered sugar.

4.    Mix dry ingredients in separate large bowl (2 cups flour, baking powder, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, salt)

5.    Dice remaining butter into tiny chunks, then use fork to blend into dry ingredients. Continue to blend until texture is resembles crumbs.

6.    Add milk to dough mixture and stir with a fork.

7.    Place remaining flower on a board, then place dough on board and dough until firm. Spread dough over pie dish and bake 15 minutes (until golden brown). Remove and let cool.

8.    Whip cream with remaining sugar and vanilla. Use handheld or standing blender for best results.

9.    Slice shortbread and fill with sugared berries.

10. Top with remaining berries and whipped cream.

Grocery Guru Advice

Lynnfield Commons

Supermarkets:                      Hannaford, 357 Broadway, Saugus. Whole Foods, 100 Market Street, Lynnfield.

Family Farm:                         Connors Family Farm, 30 Valley Road, Danvers, MA (15 minute drive from Lynnfield Commons). Pick your own strawberries until early July. Link here.