(let the Summer begin strawberry/Rioja sangria)
Strawberries ripen in late Spring and early Summer in the Northern Hemisphere -- they grow in lots of sun. They like moist ground along the edge of woods in meadows and fields. One of the great things about them is that you can find them across the world making them one of the most accessible local and seasonal foods. Wild strawberries are much smaller than commercial giants -- it takes passion to collect them but you are rewarded in taste since they are much better tasting than their big commercial!
(sweet pickled wild strawberries with pea shoot and sharp Pecorino cheese)
But Not for Everyone!
I experience a light tingling in the in side of my mouth when I eat too many strawberries – I wonder is that and allergy. In fact in going through baby food recipes (my daughter is 18 weeks old) I learned that strawberries should be avoided until about a year old because of the high allergen properties. It may be tied to a protein which is involved in ripening the fruit. A white fruited strawberry may be your option if you have a similar experience. White strawberries, which is a hybrid, do not produce flavenoids (which are potentially responsible for allergic reactions) that turn the mature berry bright red. They remain white-golden in color but are ready to consume. But of course check with your doctor if you have a serious allergy to strawberries.
(sunny days means lots of strawberries at the local market)
Strawberry Fields Forever
I came across a Native American tale about the magic of strawberries. According to the tale great spirits created the first man and woman and they began to quarrel and the
woman ran away. The man pursued her but she had a great head start and he could not catch up. The great spirit felt sorry for him and created a field of blueberries in the
woman’s path hoping it would slow her down but she was very angry and didn’t stop. The great spirit tried with raspberries, blackberries but nothing slowed her down until finally he created a heart shaped berry which was sweet as honey with a beautiful, bright red color – the strawberry. The field of strawberries caught the woman’s attention in this way her man was able to catch up and reconcile.
Sound like a familiar scene in your life?
(strawberry/rhubarb shortcake)
Strawberries & Cream
I have a lasting memory of a beautiful early summer day diving in my parent’s house swimming pool and my mother calling me to come to the porch to eat freshly whipped cream sweetened with honey and vanilla on top of tiny fresh strawberries which my mother just had harvested from her garden.
(strawberry & cream with hazelnut cookies)
Recipe for topfen-cream & strawberries
(plenty of cream for four portions)
6 cups wild strawberries
2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces Quark/Topfen
1 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon honey such as glover honey
¼ vanilla bean, scraped, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract may be substituted
1. Rinse strawberries just before you want to serve them then cut off the green stems and leaf.
2. Combine all ingredients in an electric mixing bowl then whip with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks have formed.
Chef’s Tip: Quark is a very light cheese somewhat similar to ricotta if you can’t find it at your local market you may consider Crème Frâiche which has similar flavor.
