Saturday, December 13, 2008

Strawberry Fields Forever

By KC Kudra

Don't you just love a fresh, juicy strawberry? There really is nothing else quite like it. With fast shipping these days, you can get strawberries almost any time now, but it just is not the same as picking that perfectly ripe berry right out of your garden.

Strawberries are really quite easy to grow and the taste of fresh is incredible. Whether you have a love of the little fruit on their own, or you love them with cream and sugar, once you find a small carton, there are plenty of things that you can do with it.

The strawberries that we recognize today are originally American, and they are a hybrid of a species from South America that had to be crossbred with a species from North America to help them survive. They were a sign of decadence and health in Europe.

On the other hand, in Argentina, in South America, they were considered poisonous until the middle of the 1800s. These plants varied a great deal in size, shape, and flavor, they usually bear the distinctive red color and nearly heart-shaped fruit that have made them so popular.

Eating strawberries raw is probably the most popular method of serving this fruit. You may be surprised to learn that strawberries can be added to many different dishes to add color and flavor. One easy way to prepare a strawberry dessert is to chop the berries into small chunks. Place the pieces in a bowl and cover them with water. Generously spread white sugar over the top. Add some ice cubes and set the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours. What you get in the end is a delicious icy treat that will please the most finicky palate in summer.

Many people love the firm texture of strawberries, but they might not be altogether fond of the sweetness, or perhaps they prefer their flavors a little more complex. If this describes you, think about putting out a bowl of good balsamic vinegar and powdered confectioner sugar, and then dipping the fruit into first one, then the other. The sweetness will be enhanced by the sharp taste of the vinegar and you will find that this makes an excellent end to a good meal.

Strawberries are not just for dessert. Add some sliced strawberries to a spinach salad to add color and sweetness. A dressing made of honey, mustard, balsamic vinegar and rice vinegar makes a nice accompaniment to the spinach, berries, red onion slices, and caraway seeds. Eat this for a light lunch or serve it as a side salad at a dinner for instant compliments.

Another twist is to take fresh spinach leaves and de-stem them so you only have the tender leaves. Diagonally slice some strawberries, to this add some Gorgonzola cheese and homemade croutons, and then top this with some ranch dressing and fresh ground black pepper. The combination is a wonderful blend of sweet, tart, crunch and is just downright delicious.

Make sure that you do not underestimate the power of strawberries; you will find that with a little bit of effort, they have quite a lot to offer. They really are the ideal berries and they are by far among the most popular. - 16650

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