Superabundant Dispatch: Strawberry-Linden Blossom Compote with Vanilla-Buttermilk Shortcake and This Week’s News Nibbles

Summer Delights: Vanilla-Buttermilk Shortcake with Strawberry-Linden Blossom Compote and This Week’s Flavorful News

Welcome to "Superabundant," OPB's exploration of the Pacific Northwest's rich food stories, narrated by Portland-based culinary historian, Heather Arndt Anderson. This week, we present a delightful recipe for a moist buttermilk shortcake topped with a strawberry-linden blossom compote, in celebration of Pollinator Week. We pay tribute to the bees that bring superabundance to our region with this floral and fruity dessert.

 Superabundant Dispatch: Strawberry-Linden Blossom Compote with Vanilla-Buttermilk Shortcake and This Week’s News Nibbles

Recipe: Vanilla-Buttermilk Shortcake with Strawberry-Linden Blossom Compote

Ingredients

Buttermilk Pound Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• 1 cup buttermilk (or ¾ cup milk mixed with ¼ cup sour cream, crème fraîche, or yogurt)
• ½ cup neutral cooking oil (such as corn or vegetable oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sparkling sugar (optional)

Strawberry-Linden Blossom Compote:

• 1 dry pint fresh Oregon strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and halved
• ¼ cup fresh linden blossoms
• ½ cup sugar
• Whipped cream for serving

Instructions

Bake the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a greased 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the wet ingredients into the center, whisking until just combined.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the sparkling sugar over the top.
6. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack.

Make the Compote:

1. While the cake is baking, stir the strawberries, linden blossoms, and sugar together in a bowl.
2. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside.

Serve:

1. Once the cake has cooled, slice it as thickly as desired.
2. Give the berry compote another stir to evenly distribute the syrup that has formed.
3. Spoon a generous serving of the compote over the cake slices.
4. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and another drizzle of syrup.

This Week’s News Nibbles

Camas Cultivation: Recent research by Oregon State University reveals that Indigenous Pacific Northwesterners managed wild plant populations, including camas, for thousands of years using controlled burns. This challenges the view that they were solely hunter-gatherers and highlights the deep agricultural practices in the region.

Inherited Coffee Cravings: A new study suggests that coffee cravings may have a genetic component linked to precursors for substance use and obesity. This insight comes from genetic data comparisons from 23andMe samples from the U.S. and UK, underscoring the hereditary nature of some behavioral traits.

Summer Meals for Oregon School Kids: The Oregon Department of Education is providing free meals for children aged 1 to 18 over the summer. No paperwork is required, ensuring all children have access to nutritious food during the school break. Visit the USDA’s Summer Meals Site Finder, call 211, or text FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304 for more information.

LangBaan Chef Interview: OPB’s Crystal Ligori interviewed Portland chef Akkapong “Earl” Ninsom about his recent James Beard Award win. Listen to the insightful discussion on OPB’s “All Things Considered.”

Market Highlights: Local strawberries are in abundance, and freezing them is a great way to preserve their freshness. Local cherries are also available, though recent rains may have affected their sweetness. Additionally, garlic scapes, raspberries, and fennel pollen are in season.

Garden Updates: Linden blossoms are being harvested for teas and jams. Self-sowing tomatillos and ground cherries are beginning to bloom. Shiso and crown daisy are ready for lettuce wraps and noodle salads. Apple trees may benefit from fruit culling to improve quality and reduce pest infestations.

Kitchen Experiments: Making chicken stock from rotisserie chicken carcasses, experimenting with meatloaf parm, and using maple sugar to caramelize bacon are some of the latest culinary adventures in the "Superabundant" kitchen.

Enjoy exploring these stories and trying out the delicious buttermilk pound cake with strawberry-linden blossom compote. Happy Pollinator Week!