Issues → May/June 2007 → Food →
Best Cook: Strawberries
Elsie Maxwell of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
by Edie Clark
For four precious weeks in early summer, strawberries by the ton come up out of Maxwell's strawberry fields, which lie across Cape Elizabeth like random quilt squares. They come by the truckload to the Maxwell farm market, to Maine supermarkets, and into Elsie Maxwell's kitchen and freezer. Ken and Elsie Maxwell are the fifth generation to farm the land around Cape Elizabeth; their children are the sixth. That adds up to more than 50 years on the farm for Ken and Elsie, and even more Junes filled with the bounty of these ocean-kissed strawberries.
There isn't much that can be done with a strawberry that Elsie hasn't done. But her favorite recipe is for krumkaker (waffle cookies shaped into cones), because it mixes her heritage (Norwegian) with strawberries. In her rambling farmhouse kitchen, Elsie is whipping up the batter and heating up the krumkake iron, which has a Scandinavian decoration imprinted on it. The eggs come first, then the butter. "If it's Scandinavian, everything is butter and eggs," she says. Elsie learned to "cook Norwegian" from her mother, who came to Portland at the age of 12 from Oslo, Norway. "I love to bake," Elsie says. She says she would rather cut off her finger than throw away a recipe.
She spoons thick batter onto the hot iron and closes the lid. Steam floats from the sides of the griddle; the room fills with the sweet fragrance of these hot confections. The door to the kitchen opens, and two tiny grandchildren spill in with begging eyes. Little fingertips clutch the edge of the countertop. Elsie fills two cones with the mixture she has prepared beforehand -- whipped cream and strawberries -- and hands one to each child. They walk away from the stove, working on the beautiful treat, radiating contentment.
Elsie serves these anytime, but especially and always on the 17th of May, which is Constitution Day for Norwegians. And, not so incidentally, Ken's birthday as well.
Krumkaker
Cookies and Bars Recipes
Preparation Time: 60 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 3 dozen cones
These are a lot like pizzelles (Italian waffle cookies), but not to Elsie. To her, these are krumkaker, a Norwegian specialty. You will need a krumkake iron, available at kitchen stores, and a wooden cone to shape them. (If you don’t have a wooden cone, try a large, smooth-necked glass soda bottle.)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or ground cardamom
Lightly grease iron and heat to medium-high. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with melted butter. Add sugar, then flour, 1/2 cup at a time, just until incorporated -- do not overmix. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat until batter is smooth (it will be thick). Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto the center of the griddle and close lid. Let batter settle a moment and then squeeze handles tight. Wait for steam to stop. Open lid -- the cake should be lightly browned. (Like pancakes or crepes, the first couple will not be your best.) Remove with a spatula to a cookie sheet. Working quickly, wrap warm cake around bottom of a wooden cone to shape. The bottom should be open. Let it rest, seam side down, on a cookie sheet to seal the seam. Repeat with remaining batter. When cool, gently place cones in a tin lined with waxed paper. Store in a cool, dark place.
For the filling
- 1 pint strawberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 cups whipped cream (Elsie sometimes uses Cool Whip)
Fold berries into whipped cream and refrigerate until it’s time to make the cones. If you use frozen strawberries, use unsweetened and drain the juice after thawing. Yield: filling for 6 cones
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Strawberry and Spinach Salad
Salads Recipes
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish Time: -1 days
Yield: about 6 servings
Elsie always has a carafe of strawberry vinegar on her counter, ready for action.
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup Strawberry Vinegar
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 pound fresh spinach, washed, deveined, and torn into pieces (or baby spinach, whole)
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
- 1-1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, salt, sugar, and Strawberry Vinegar. While vigorously whisking, pour 2 to 3 tablespoons oil into mix and whisk until well incorporated. In a thin, steady stream, whisk in remaining oil. Add spinach and strawberries; gently toss well to coat. Sprinkle poppy seeds over the top.
Strawberry Vinegar
- 1-1/2 cups hulled and roughly chopped strawberries
- 1-1/2 cups white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
Place strawberries and vinegar in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Let stand in a sunny window 3 to 4 days (the vinegar will become bright red). Strain into a small saucepan and discard berries. Stir in sugar and heat over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer over low heat about 10 minutes. Cool and pour into a clean bottle. Cover and store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator. Yield: about 2 cups.
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