Strawberry season is here and what better way to cool off than with some chilled strawberry soup and delicious strawberry shortcake?

“A symbol of the delights of summer,” strawberries or “fragaria” are rich in vitamin C and potassium. They are also a source of folic acid, vitamin B5 and magnesium and are thought to have tonic, diuretic, remineralizing, and astringent properties.

“The French philosopher Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657-1757) attributed his exceptionally long life to them and ate them every day they were in season,” as James and Kay Slater write in Life Is Meals.

Therese Cabarrus, the “stylish” wife of a marquis and a prisoner during the Reign of Terror after the French Revolution, “became famous for her habit of adding the juice from twenty-two pounds of crushed strawberries to her bath to keep her skin smooth and silky.” (above information and quotes taken from Life Is Meals book).

Enjoy the recipes below!

Chilled Strawberry Soup (inspired by Carriage House Café in Ithaca, New York)

Ingredients:
4 cups sliced fresh Strawberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup good quality Prosecco (we used “Lamarca”)
2 tbsp. whipping or heavy cream
1-2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:
Place strawberries and orange juice in blender and puree, place in bowl and set aside. Combine sugar and prosecco in small pan and heat on low stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add to the strawberry mixture along with the lemon, cream and cinnamon. Chill for several hours before serving in individual bowls with a dollop of fresh whipped cream!

Very Delicious Strawberry Shortcake Cream Biscuits (adapted from The Newlywed Cookbook by Sarah Copeland)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
6 tbsp. very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup heavy/whipping cream
2 large eggs, beaten
1-2 tbsp. sliced almonds

Instructions:
Prepare baking sheet by lightly greasing. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and cinnamon in large bowl. Rub in the 6 tbsp of very cold butter with your hands until evenly combined. Gently stir in the cream and 1 beaten egg reserving the other beaten egg to coat the top of biscuit.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and gently knead a few times being careful not to overwork it. Pat the dough into a 12″x6″ square that is about 2 inches thick (big enough to cut out 6-7  3″ round biscuits). Use biscuit cutter (or top of 3″ round drinking glass) to cut biscuits and place on baking sheet. Coat tops with beaten egg and sprinkle desired amount of almonds on top. Place the whole tray in freezer for 30 min. Remove from freezer promptly and bake in 375 degree oven for approximately 20 min. Check the biscuits after 15 min. with a toothpick. Be sure not to dry out biscuits by over baking. Serve with freshly sliced strawberries lightly sprinkled with sugar and lemon juice (some strawberries are sweet enough not to need too much sugar, others require a tablespoon or so) and topped with fresh whipped cream. We also enjoy a little bit of vanilla ice cream with ours. Enjoy!

*See also our recipe for Strawberry Chiffon Pie (pictured below)