As the calendar page turns to June, we begin to dream strawberry dreams.  Those luscious berries with their seeds on the outside, eaten warm from the vines . . . nothing like it!  Picking strawberries is not on my choice-things-to-do list, so I appreciate being able to pay a small fee to purchase berries picked by the farmer and his employees that day.

Although we can, and do, purchase strawberries year round, the local berries provide a much richer flavor.  Can this be a product of eating them so close to their source?  Right off the vine versus trucked across the country - in my mind, this is no contest!

We begin our strawberry planning in May, because - humility aside - I make the best shortcake on the planet!  We usually have two or three nights of feasting with various friends, spread over a couple of weeks.  One could say this is the highlight of our annual social calendar!  Friends never refuse our strawberry shortcake invitation.  One year we billed it as BYOB: Bring Your Own BOWL - and one gentleman brought a huge salad serving bowl!  He said that he just can't get enough of my shortcake.

Actually, I take no credit for the cake.  My not-so-secret recipe is right out of the Pennsylvania Grange Cookbook, and is entitled "Grandma's Strawberry Shortcake."  Neither of my grandmas ever served me shortcake; the recipe is attributed to Mrs. Harold E. Kisner of Delawaree Grange No. 1895.  Here it is, verbatim (although the notes in parentheses are mine):

Grandma's Strawberry Shortcake

3 cups of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of butter or lard (I choose margarine)

1 egg, beaten in a (one cup measuring) cup, then fill the cup with milk (egg and milk will equal one liquid cup)

Put baking powder in flour, add sugar and salt, add butter and rub up fine and stir in the milk and egg.  Baking time 30-35 min.  Temp. 375 degrees. 

Now, to my way of thinking - unschooled as I am in the culinary arts - that is not much instruction.  So here are my additional hints.  Use an 8" x 8" pan for a nice, thick cake; or double the recipe and use a 9" x 13" pan.  This batter is hard to mix as it is very thick.  I usually end up with my hands in the dough before it is all over.  And it won't "pour" into the baking pan . . . the best it can do is "glop" into the pan; spread it around with a fork, leaving some little peaks that will crisp up nicely.

 We clean and slice our berries, adding a little sugar to taste.  Then we put a square of warm cake into a bowl, add berries, pour milk over all, and add whipped cream.  It is a down-home guaranteed treat!  And since you only eat it once or twice a year, it can't really hurt you that much.  It is also very good with peaches.

Hope you enjoy this year's strawberry season.