Tri-Star Strawberry Shortcake with Corn Biscuits

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 vanilla bean
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 3 cups Tri-star strawberries, halved

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal, preferably Anson Mills Antebellum Fine Yellow Cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Kernels scraped from 1/2 ear of sweet corn, finely chopped

• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup acacia honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

To prepare the strawberries, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla bean and lemongrass, and let steep overnight. Place the strawberries in a medium mixing bowl and pour the vanilla- and lemongrass-infused syrup over them until they are just submerged. Let soak for 30 minutes.

To prepare the corn biscuits, preheat oven to 325°F. Combine the flour, cornmeal, kosher salt, sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your hands to combine it with the other ingredients until well incorporated. Add the heavy cream and corn, mixing with your hands until a dough is formed.

Place the dough on a floured work surface and dust it with a little additional flour. Shape the dough into a round and pat down the top until it’s about 1-inch thick. Roll over the dough with a flour-dusted rolling pin once or twice to level it. Using a round cookie cutter with a 2-inch diameter, cut 12 circles into the dough, dipping the cutter in flour between cuts to avoid sticking. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper and lightly dust with granulated sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are just starting to color.

For the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream, acacia honey, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk until soft peaks form.

To serve, halve 1 biscuit and place the halves on a plate. Mound 1/4 cup of soaked strawberries and a spoonful of whipped cream on a biscuit half. Sprinkle a teaspoon of micro-herbs, such as basil, thyme, or tarragon, over the whipped cream, then place the other biscuit half on top.