What makes a classic a classic?

Eternal themes, an English professor might say. "Moby Dick" isn't just a whale tale, it's a classic story of man's struggle against fate.

Achieving perfection, a musician might say. Mozart's music has outlasted the compositions of his rival, Salieri, because young Wolfgang leaped beyond mere technical prowess to achieve a sound that bumped the rafters of heaven.

All right, all right. Enough of this stuffy philosophizing. What's this got to do with strawberry shortcake?

Just this: Some dishes are so perfect, so eternal, that they achieve the level of classics. Turkey dressing with sage. Apple pie. Collards and corn bread, for heaven's sake.

And the thing with strawberries is that so many dishes have become classics. Strawberries and cream. The glistening red perfection of a glazed fresh strawberry pie. The quintessential spring salad of strawberries and spinach.

A little controversy doesn't hurt, of course. "War and Peace" wouldn't be the same if it were just "And Peace."

For that, let's consider shortcake once again. Not that we'd take sides in such a personal issue, but truly, can soft, caky shortcakes really hold a candle to the traditional Southern biscuit version? (We won't sully your imagination with a mention of spongecake versions.)

With strawberries abundant in stores, this is the time to give a thought to the classic strawberry dishes. To have your shortcake and your pie, too. After all, it's so much easier than reading "Anna Karenina."

Truly fresh strawberries are a fleeting sensation. The season for local berries is short and evaporates in the full heat of summer. Maybe one reason there are so many classic strawberry dishes is that we have to use them so quickly to get them at their best.

To help your strawberries stay their best, handle them with respect:

If you're picking local berries, get them home as quickly as possible. Spread the berries out if you can so the bottom ones don't get crushed. Cover them with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and use within a few days.

Strawberries are moist little berries. To keep them from getting mushy, don't wash them until you're ready to use them. And wash them before you cut the stems out (called hulling), so they don't absorb excess water.

To keep the flavor around a little longer, you can freeze strawberries. To freeze without sugar, place whole, hulled berries on a baking sheet in the freezer. When they're hard, transfer to a plastic bag. Or freeze them in syrup by mixing equal parts sugar and water and heating until the sugar dissolves. Use about 1/2 cup of the syrup to cover 1 cup of sliced or whole berries and freeze.

Here are some delicious strawberry dishes to try.

Southern Biscuit Shortcake

Makes 8 to 10 shortcakes

2 cups self-rising, Southern-style flour, such as Martha White, Red Band or White Lily

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup half-and-half

flour for rolling out pastry

6 cups sliced strawberries

sugar to taste

1 cup whipping cream, whipped with 1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar. With pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half; stir lightly with a fork just until flour is moistened. (Dough will be moist.)

Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Turn out dough and pat out just until smooth. (If necessary, sprinkle dough with a little flour to keep your hands from sticking.) Roll gently to about 1/2-inch thick. Using a floured biscuit cutter or knife, cut into desired shapes. Place about 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.

While biscuits are baking, wash, hull and slice strawberries. Toss with sugar to taste and let stand at room temperature until strawberries are juicy. Beat whipping cream until it starts to hold its shape; add 1 tablespoon sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form (when beaters are lifted, peaks will fold over but hold their shape).

Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature. Split or cut biscuits open. Top bottom layer with strawberries and a little juice. Replace top and spoon on more berries, topping with a dollop of whipped cream.

- Adapted from Martha White

Buttery Layered Shortcake

Makes 6 to 8 shortcakes

2 cups self-rising Southern-style flour, such as Martha White, Red Band or White Lily

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup milk

about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for preparing pastry

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

6 cups strawberries

sugar to taste

1 cup whipping cream, whipped with 1 tablespoon sugar

Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar. With pastry blender or two knives, cut shortening into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk to dry ingredients; stir lightly with a fork just until blended.

Sprinkle a work surface with a little flour. Turn out dough and knead just until smooth, sprinkling with additional flour as needed. Roll dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle, about 1/3-inch thick. Spread butter evenly over dough, using your fingers to soften it if necessary. Fold rectangle crosswise into thirds by overlapping the ends to form three layers. Place on baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Wash, hull and slice strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar to taste and let stand until juicy. Whip cream until it holds its shape. Add sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut dough into 1 1/2'inch'wide rectangles and place 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. To serve, slice or pull shortcakes apart into three layers. Top each layer with strawberries and whipped cream.

- Adapted from Martha White

Strawberry Deep-Dish Pie

Makes 8 servings

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 pints fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons butter, melted

PASTRY:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring

1/2 cup shortening

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons ice water

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon sugar

vanilla ice cream

In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/4 cups sugar, cornstarch and salt. Wash and hull strawberries and cut each in halves or thirds. Stir strawberries and melted butter into sugar mixture. Let stand about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in shortening until it is the size of small peas. Cut in butter until it is the size of large peas. Sprinkle flour with water and toss with a fork until pastry comes together. Press into a square.

Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out dough to a 10'inch square. Cut 10 (1'inch) strips with a pastry wheel or lightly floured knife.

Turn strawberry mixture into a 2-quart, oven-proof baking dish. Weave pastry strips into a lattice top over the strawberries, pressing the ends of the strips onto the edge of the dish. Brush strips with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. (Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the shelf under the pie if it starts to bubble over.)

Serve warm in bowls with vanilla ice cream.

Note: To save time, skip the pastry instructions and cut a refrigerated pie crust into strips to use for the lattice top.

- From "Cecily Brownstone's Associated Press Cookbook" (Associated Press, 1972)

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Makes 6 servings

CRUST:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup chopped pecans

FILLING:

1 cup whole strawberries, hulled

3/4 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

whipped cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend butter, flour and brown sugar until crumbs form. Stir in pecans. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

For filling, crush 1 cup whole strawberries in a small saucepan. Add water, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens. (Don't overcook or it will liquefy again.) Cool.

Arrange remaining sliced berries in pie shell. Pour cooled, cooked berry glaze over the fresh berries. Chill until serving time. Serve with whipped cream.

Note: Fresh strawberry pies can be a little tricky. The cornstarch in the glaze doesn't hold for long before it liquefies, so make the pie no more than 24 hours before you plan to serve it.

- From "Perfect Fruit Pies" (Storey Publishing, 1991)

Mrs. Lincoln's Strawberry Pudding

Makes 6 to 8 servings

L zest (colored part) of 1/2 a medium lemon (about 1 teaspoon)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats

2 pints fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 6-cup souffle dish or a 1 1/2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.

In a food processor, pulse the lemon zest, sugar and cinnamon until zest is finely chopped, about 1 minute. Reserve.

In a small mixing bowl, stir the melted butter into the oats. Reserve.

Slice the strawberries about 1/4-inch thick. To assemble, place half the oatmeal mixture in the prepared dish. Top with half of the strawberries and half of the lemon-sugar mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with lemon-sugar mixture. Bake until top is lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Serve warm. (Mrs. Lincoln served it with cream.)

(This recipe was attributed to Mrs. A. D. Lincoln, the first principal of the Boston Cooking School, from her 1883 cookbook.)

From "Classic Cakes and Other Great Cuisinart Desserts" by Carl Sontheimer and Cecily Brownstone (Hearst, 1994)

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Makes 6 servings

2 bunches fresh spinach, washed, trimmed and dried

1/2 cup slivered almonds

2 cups fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

DRESSING:

1/2 cup orange juice concentrate, undiluted, thawed

1/2 cup mayonnaise (use low-calorie if you prefer)

Tear the spinach leaves into bite-sized pieces, removing any large stems, and place in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.

Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast in a toaster oven or a 350-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. (Watch carefully and don't let them burn.) Let cool.

Whisk together orange juice concentrate and mayonnaise.

When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the spinach and toss until well-coated. Top with strawberries and almonds.

- From "Berries: A Country Garden Cookbook" by Sharon Kramis (Collins, 1994)

SIMPLE STRAWBERRY JAM

Makes 8 (1/2-pint) jars

2 quarts fresh strawberries

6 cups sugar

Sterilize 8 (1/2-pint) canning jars and lids by placing in boiling water. Leave them in hot water until ready to fill.

Wash and hull strawberries. You should have about 8 cups. Crush them with a potato masher or a spoon. In a 4- to 5-quart sauce pot, combine crushed berries and sugar. Over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil. Cook rapidly until thickened, about 40 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. (Adjust heat so that mixture bubbles but doesn't stick.)

Using tongs, remove jars and lids from hot water. Pour hot jam into jars, leaving 1/4-0inch head space. Wipe rims and secure lids. (Jars can be cooled and refrigerated for 2 to 3 months. For long'term storage, process in boiling water bath.)

For boiling water bath, place a rack (or use jar lids tied together with twist ties) in a deep pot. Fill with water (enough to cover jars by 1 or 2 inches). Bring to a boil. Using tongs, carefully place jars in the pot. Cover pot. When water returns to a boil, start timing; boil for 5 minutes. Using tongs, remove jars from pot and let stand on a dish towel. Check tops; center should be down. Store jars at room temperature.

- From "Food Gifts for All Seasons" by Anne Byrn (Peachtree, 1996)

Pub Date: 5/27/98