The Charleston Farmer's Market opens on Saturday, April 12, and as in years past, the market has continued to grow. Fran Wilkes, the market director, expects between 40 and 50 farmers from all over the area on-site at Marion Square to sell a wide range of produce and food products during the season. Just a few of the things to expect on Saturday are asparagus, all types of lettuce, snow peas, radishes, herb plants and flowers, mushrooms, and one of our favorites - local strawberries. Getting up early to go to the market can be made even more enjoyable by taking time to have breakfast while you are shopping. There are numerous choices, ranging from croissants to omelets and grits. Market hours are 8 am - 1 pm on Saturday.
Since we are expecting house guests over the next few weeks, we have been looking at ways to incorporate strawberries into breakfast for our visitors. We have already made the bundt cake to freeze for future use and will serve it as a substitute for coffee cake along with strawberries. The granola can also be made ahead and is very good with fresh fruit. The scone recipe is one that Allen convinced Lisa Villiers at the Country Garden Inn to share during a visit to Napa Valley. With the scones, we will serve either the strawberry butter or preserves - two ideal ways to enjoy the local crop!
This recipe is from Lee Bailey's Long Weekends (Clarkson Potter, 1994).
Ingredients:
Grease and flour a Bundt pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light. Beat in the cream cheese and mix until completely smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the flour and mix until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the Bundt pan. Place the pan in a cold oven and turn the oven on to 275°. Bake until a tester comes out clean (about 1 hour and 15 minutes) - check for doneness after one hour. Allow the cake to cool in the pan before removing. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired. Serves 8-12.
*We planned to slice and freeze the cake and for that reason did not use the confectioners' sugar.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 250°. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Combine the vegetable oil, honey and vanilla in a small saucepan and heat just until warm. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture onto a jelly roll pan and place in oven. Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before storing in airtight plastic bags. Makes 6 cups.
Ingredients:
Combine the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse just until crumbly. Add the baking powder, salt, sugar (and cinnamon, if desired) and pulse two times. Add the eggs and mix, pour in the milk with the processor running and continue to pulse until a dough forms. On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into circles. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes. 12 scones.
Ingredients:
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until light pink in color. The butter can be refrigerated or kept frozen and used right from the freezer. Makes 2 1/2 cups butter.
3 pints fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
2 cups sugar
Place the strawberries in a large saucepan. Cook, mashing gently, over medium heat until they begin to thicken. Reduce the heat and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Increase the heat to medium and simmer, until the mixture is thickened enough to mound (about 20 minutes). Cool and refrigerate. 3 cups.
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