Herbs In The Kitchen

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Strawberry & Lemon Verbena Cheesecake

by Lynne Tann-Watson

I am a firm believer in eating foods that are in season (and preferably local and organic), I thought it would be a good idea as its July and strawberries are in season to use them for this summer recipe. It also looks really attractive and makes a wonderful centerpiece for a summer party or barbecue.A couple of comments on ingredients before I start:

The recipe calls for sweet biscuits and I use my own lavender biscuits for this purpose, which adds an extra herby aspect.
A useful hint when buying and chopping nuts for recipes, is to freeze them as soon as you buy them. Because of the high oil content in nuts, they can go rancid quite quickly, but if frozen, they stay fresh with the added bonus that they are far easier to chop. Just take the amount you need and whiz them in a coffee grinder.

I try and use as much locally grown or produced food as I can, so when I make it the butter is jersey butter from the farm at which I work and the cream comes from there too. The biscuits are home made from my own lavender. I picked the strawberries at a local pick-your-own farm. The strawberry jam is home made from the same strawberries and, of course, the lemon verbena is from my garden.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find local sources of any of the other ingredients….see what you can do!

Quantities

50g/2oz butter
50g/2oz caster sugar
115g/4oz sweet biscuits, crumbed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tblspns hazelnuts, chopped
3 tblspns water
500g/1lb strawberries
3 tspns gelatine
500g/1lb cottage cheese
300 ml/ 1/2 pint double cream
2 tblspns strawberry jam
A large handful of lemon verbena leaves, finely chopped

Method

Melt butter and mix in biscuit crumbs and hazelnuts. Place in a 7 ½ " springform cake tin and spread evenly, pressing down firmly. Refrigerate.
Hull and halve 2/3 of the strawberries. Blend cream cheese, lemon verbena and sugar in a food processor until smooth and well combined.
Mix lemon juice and water, add gelatine and stir over a bowl of hot water until dissolved. Pour into cheese mixture and mix well.
Whip cream until thick and fold into cheese mixture. Place half in the tin. Line the edge of the tin with strawberry halves cut side outward. Put the rest of the strawberry halves on top and add the rest of the cheese mixture. Smooth the top and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Slice the rest of the strawberries and arrange over the top. Dissolve the jam in a little hot water and brush over the top.
Unmould onto a plate and decorate with leaves and flowers. I used alpine strawberry flowers, scented geranium flowers and lemon verbena leaves.

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