Welcome back to the Fancy Fork – your seasonal produce insight and farm-style recipes that are made to satisfy.
Strawberries are finely back; but, there’s also a few more spring delights to cherish this month like papayas, kumquats, limes, mangos, oranges, pineapple and kiwi. For the vegetables this month, we’ve got endives, carrots, celery, fennel, kale, spring onions, sunchokes, turnips, radicchio, fava beans and asparagus.
This month’s recipe is all about strawberries, as well as a few tips on making the perfect cup of matcha. They’re not only one of the most arguably delicious and versatile berries, but they are rich with antioxidant powers, as well. They also help promote heart and immune health and are a good source of fiber.
A perfect matcha begins with the matcha itself. You want to use a quality matcha powder, and you want to whisk it properly so that it creates a frothy layer on top. For this, I highly recommend using a matcha whisk. When whisking, I like to think of the M & Z’s concept. So, you are whisking briskly from side to side (making a “Z”) and then up to down (making a “M”). Repeat that cycle until that frothiness begins to form.
Strawberry Matchas
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries or frozen and thawed
- ¾ cup granulated cane sugar
- 1 cup + ¼ cup water, divided
- 1 tsp. matcha
- ½ cup milk of choice
Instructions:
- Trim the stems off the strawberries and slice in half, then add to a large saucepan. Add in one cup water and sugar. Stir to combine before placing over medium high heat.
- Bring the water to a boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before either straining or blending until smooth.
- Place in a glass container to store in the fridge for up to two weeks, or one week if blending with the strawberries.
- To make the matchas, add ¼ cup of the strawberry syrup to the bottom of a large glass. Fill the glass with ice.
- Add the whole milk on top.
- Shift the matcha into a large mug or whisk to get rid of any lumps. Pour in the ¼ cup HOT water and use a matcha whisk to whisk briskly from side to side, then up and down, until a frothy layer forms on top.
- Pour the frothy matcha on top of the whole milk.
- Stir with a glass straw to combine and enjoy!
