Simple Strawberry Shortcake

I'll be the first to admit that it was the strawberries that sold me on the Native Son Farm CSA share. I'll bet I'm not the only one.

I mean, fresh, local, organic strawberries, is there a more perfect food? Even as a kid, I had made up my mind that if I had a choice, my last meal on this earth would be nothing but fresh strawberries. Indeed, I am a bit of a strawberry purist, and I believe there is no more perfect way to eat this harbinger of summer than picked straight off the plant. My kids agree with me.

However, once in a while there is an occasion that calls for elevating this delicious ground fruit just a little, so long as the recipe doesn't detract from the strawberries' innate perfection. So last week, when my middle child, Archer, asked for strawberries at his fourth birthday celebration, I knew just what to make: a strawberry shortcake, with homemade whipped cream, and a whole pint of Native Son strawberries on top.

I used this recipe as my base, although I am not above using "cake in a box," as Archer calls it, in a pinch. The cake is really not the focal point of the dish, anyway.

I do, however, always make my own whipped cream. In my opinion, canned whipped cream is simple not worthy of fresh strawberries. In fact, I cut out the vanilla and lemon zest this recipe called for because I didn't want them taking away from the flavor of the strawberries.

Simple, yes, but it was so good I may have to amend my "last meal" to include a little shortcake and whipped cream to go with my strawberries. And I will probably be making this dish—or maybe this one, which uses a cream scone as its base—again this week.

We will just pretend it's someone's birthday.


Some facts about Native Son Strawberries:
Native Son Farm grows the only commercial organic strawberries in Mississippi. Strawberries are generally the most chemically intense crop. Most berries are sprayed every seven days. Native Son strawberries are chemical and pesticide free. The strawberry season lasts for about four-to-five weeks.