Sacramento Digs Gardening: These scones won’t curb your enthusiasm

The recent finale of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” put me in the mood for scones.

As Larry David fans know, scones were a running gag (and sometimes “dry” humor) through several seasons of his show. How would Larry rate these scones? “Prettaaay, prettaaay good!”

Key is the texture. Scones are basically elevated biscuits. (Don’t dare call them “fancy muffins.”) So, the texture should be biscuitlike, not overly crumbly. Handle the dough gently.

Traditional scones are topped with clotted cream and jam. These little gems need no extras; the fruit is baked right in.

Finely chopped peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries or other soft fruit can be substituted for the strawberries. Using a food processor makes incorporating the butter into the flour a snap.

Strawberries and cream scones

Makes about 10 scones

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar (divided)

3 tablespoons cold butter

2 eggs

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/3 cup strawberries, hulled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.

Two scones on a plate — These scones have the berries baked right in.

In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Pulse briefly to combine.

Cut butter into cubes and add to flour mixture. Pulse a few times to combine.

Lightly beat 1 egg. Stir in cream. Add egg-cream mixture to flour-butter mixture. Pulse briefly to combine. Add orange zest; pulse again.

Fold in chopped strawberries. Pulse briefly to combine.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead gently with floured hands 10 times. Dough will be sticky and soft. Add a tablespoon or more of flour if needed to make it easier to handle.

Cut dough into 3-inch triangles. With a spatula, gently transfer scones onto prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, beat remaining 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush over top of scones. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over top.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden.

Serve warm.

RECIPE

A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.

Keywords:

recipe recipes spring strawberries scones breakfast berries April cooking baking farm to fork farmers markets seasonal cooking Sacramento gardening backyard produce

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Flowers in My Back Yard Series

April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower

April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact

April 7: Calendulas do double duty

April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come

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March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots

March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums

March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come

March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy

Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?

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Garden checklist for week of April 19

After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!

* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com

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