Gâteau Amande Fraise: Rustic French Strawberry Almond Cake
Gariguette Strawberry Season
Growing up in North Carolina, I spent many late spring mornings wandering through strawberry patches filling my pale with juicy red beauties. Folding back ground canopies of bright green to reveal the ripe jewels beneath. I’d set my overflowing harvest on a scale at a small wooden stand, purchasing directly from the grower. Always departing with a short exchange about pies and upcoming blackberry picking, before devouring a third of my strawberries on the way home.
Late April is the earliest I’ve ever seen signs for ‘pick your own’ or displays of little green punnets filled with fresh strawberries at the farmer’s market. But, to my surprise while wandering about the Marché des Quais last Sunday, I spied a table covered in red berries. Quite confused as I’ve yet to find strawberries at the supermarché, I stopped abruptly to get a better look.
Yep, they were indeed strawberries-long bright juicy strawberries, selling fresh in the middle of March. Surprise! The quickly formed queue around the vendor’s table indicated that warmer days with fruit tarts have arrived and I had better grab some.
It’s officially Gariguette Strawberry Season here in France! These shiny elongated seeded berries are quite fragrant with their sweet and tangy aromas. A tender juicy variety that is the earliest to appear in France, obtainable from March to July.
To celebrate this new discovery, I’ve made a rustic strawberry almond cake which I’m calling Gâteau Amande Fraise. Rustic, is my favored and frequented approachable-no frills baking introduction. We’re macerating gariguettes in Chambord (french raspberry liqueur), then folding them into a moist tea cake batter, topped with more berries and sliced almonds. Notes of fresh basil and lemon zest included. Sunshine available upon request.
