Home again, home again
The pure joy of creating a new garden, an Easter menu, and a recipe for a strawberry charlotte.
After we moved here in 2021, it very quickly felt like home, a feeling that only grew with each trip away from this house of my heart. Every time we left and came back, I breathed more easily as soon as I turned the heavy handle on the garden gate.
Planting a garden has only deepened this feeling. I’ve literally put down roots. When we came home from our trip to England last week, the daffodils and grape hyacinths that crowded along the paths when we left were replaced by tulips, cistus and lavender. California poppies have seeded themselves everywhere, punctuating the oyster paths with zings of hot orange. We had a lot of rain in the past few days so the tulips are almost over, but the roses, clematis and peonies are full of buds. What I love about gardening is that it softens sadness with promise. There is always something to look forward to.
In the village, roses and honeysuckle scramble over the railings and each day, there’s a parade, a concert, an Easter egg hunt, or some sort of food or wine event as part of the Fête du Printemps. In the market on Tuesday, the stalls were full of asparagus, artichokes and the kind of strawberries you can smell before you see them. Obviously, I can’t resist, even though our kitchen is in chaos as our carpenter fits new cupboards in the larder. Everything is a work in progress. There is always something to look forward to.
AN EASTER MENU
Because you may be wondering about what to give your best belovèds this Easter, I thought I’d suggest a menu based on today’s strawberry charlotte recipe and other recipes I’ve shared here before. They’re all things that let you do most or all of the prep ahead, so there’s no last-minute stress. Normally, the older recipes are only accessible to paid subscribers, but as I can’t give you all Easter eggs, opening everything up for everyone this weekend is my small present to you for reading my newsletter, supporting me, and – best of all – sharing with me your own stories. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Green salad
Cheese
Charlotte aux fraises
Charlotte aux fraises
Strawberry charlotte
First, find your lady fingers, boudoir biscuits, Naples biscuits, savoyardi, whatever you call the kinds of sponge fingers you use in tiramisu or trifles, and you’re well on your way to making the strawberry charlottes I’m sharing with you here.
I was wondering what to make for our Easter Sunday lunch and I found a packet of biscuits roses de Reims, the pretty, pink boudoir biscuits made by the Fossier bakery in Reims since 1691. They’re dipped in coffee, tea and – of course – champagne. They’re so pretty and the strawberries are so good right now, it felt like a perfect marriage. I realise biscuits roses de Reims aren’t easy to get everywhere, so normal lady fingers are fine – Bonne Maman do good ones.
One of the things I like about this charming, old-fashoned pudding is that you can make it a day or two before and keep it well sealed with clingfilm in the fridge until you’re ready to finish it with the final flourish of strawberries. No stress on the day. It’s playing my tune.
You don’t need a charlotte mould
If you have a proper charlotte mould or tin, of course use that, but most of us are not so blessed. You can use a normal spring-form cake tin without its base, placed upside down directly on your serving plate. When you’re ready to unmould the charlotte, just gently release the spring form bit and remove the tin.
Serves 6
Syrup for biscuits
140ml water
70g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Cointreau, optional
A box of lady finger biscuits
For the mousse
7 sheets of gelatine (I use gold gelatine which comes in half sheets, and 6 half sheets set 500ml of liquid, adjust the amount you use according to the instructions on your packet)
400g strawberries, rinsed and hulled
About 30g caster sugar or vanilla sugar – you may need a little more depending how sweet your strawberries are
2 tbsp fresh lime juice, or lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Cointreau, optional
250g whipping or double cream, or if you’re in France, 30% cream, very cold
100g mascarpone
To finish
About 200-250g strawberries
In a small pan, warm the water and stir the sugar until it dissolves. Add the vanilla, Cointreau if using, and cool.
Place the round part of a spring-form cake tin on the plate on which you’re going to serve the charlotte, upside down (so the lipped edge faces upwards) and with the spring locked.
Carefully, dip the flat side of the lady fingers in the sugar syrup and arrange them tightly around the edge of your dish. Use more moistened lady fingers to make the base – I do the base and sides simultaneously, so the base helps hold the sides up as I work.
Put the sheets of gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften for 5 minutes.
In a blender, food processor or using a stick blender, blend 300g (you need to keep 100g to layer in the middle) of the strawberries to a puree then pass through a fine plastic sieve to remove any seeds.
Put half of the strawberry purée, into a small pan and warm very gently with the sugar – don’t let it boil – stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let it cool just a little. Remove the gelatine leaves from the water and squeeze them out then stir them into the purée until the gelatine dissolves. If it isn’t dissolving quickly, put the pan back on a very gentle heat to warm though a little, remove from the heat and stir to dissolve the remaining gelatine. Stir in the rest of the purée. Add the lime or lemon juice, vanilla, and the Cointreau if you’re using it. Taste the purée and adjust the flavour if you think it needs it by adding a little more sugar, vanilla, citrus or Cointreau. Bear in mind, the end result will be softened by the cream – just like making ice cream – so you need the fruit purée to pack a little punch.
Pour the cream into a cold bowl and spoon in the mascarpone. Whisk gently to incorporate the mascarpone with the cream, then whisk more vigorously until the mixture is thickened – you want it to be stiffer than the cream you would beat to make chantilly; it should hold firm peaks.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the strawberry purée into the cream until well blended.
Pour half of the mousse over the ladyfinger base. Cut the remaining 100g of strawberries for the mousse into halves or quarters and lay them out on the mousse in an even layer. Spoon the rest of the mousse over the top and smooth it with a spatula.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours, or for up to 2 days.
Carefully release the side of the springform tin and lift off the ring. Decorate the top with strawberries and serve.
Printable Recipe
Market haul April 15, 2025
This week’s haul comprises: lamb neck, Basque sausages, ham, strawberries, onions, tomatoes, the last nubbly dekopon citrus, carrots, cucumber, red pepper, six eggs, skinny leeks for poireaux vinaigrette, artichokes – the small ones are usually sold in a bunch of five, spring onions, more flowers.
I wish you all a wonderful Easter. I’ll be taking a little break this weekend, back next Wednesday. I will of course add an extra free week onto subscriptions to make up for it. Much love, Debora.
Thank you for your generosity, Debora. And a sweet Easter to you and yours.
Thanks for your Easter wishes and the regular inspiration 💞
Happy Easter to you and yours. Lucy x