Summer Treats: Getting the Most out of Strawberries

By Jonathan Berohn

One of the best sure bets of early summer is always a fresh strawberry. Sure, you can get greenhouse strawberries year round now, but any true berry connoisseur knows they have more in common with cardboard than they do with real strawberries. The best berries, of course, are ones that you pick yourself and eat-if not right there in the field-shortly after you pick them. For those of us that can't get away to a berry patch very easily, this time of year offers some quite tasty options berry-wise.

The Benefits of Organic Berries

The best store strawberries I've come are the organic berries you can get at most regular grocery stores these days and all health food stores. That's not to say that every organic berry will be good. Organic refers to farming method-and while this often means better quality-there a few things you should look for to make sure you're not just spending more money (as an aside, strawberries tend to retain more pesticide residue than most fruits, so organic berries are probably better for you as well).

Picking Berries

When you are selecting strawberries, the first thing you should do is walk right past the big bulk containers. Yes, they are more cost effective, but unless you are entertaining I pretty much guarantee you will see mold before you see the bottom of the box. Berries don't last like apples and oranges. You should only but enough for a day or 2 at a time. The second thing you should do is walk past the shiny fire engine red berries. The color on those is great for looks, but the best taste comes from the more natural looking, slightly orangish fruit. Finally, use your nose. If you don't smell much, you won't taste much. The best strawberries announce their presence with that unmistakable strawberry aroma.

Recipes

Once you've found good berries it's hard to beat just washing and eating them. Here are a couple things you can do with them to liven up your meals, though.

Simple Strawberry Shortcake

• 1 Pint Fresh Strawberries
• 1 Can pre-made biscuits (like Pillsbury)
• 1 Pint heavy cream
• 1 can spray whipped cream

Bake the biscuits according to the instructions. Top with sliced berries while still warm. Pour on some cream. Add whipped cream to taste. Note; if your berries aren't quite up to snuff you can slice them and toss them in a tablespoon of sugar prior to assembling the shortcake.

Strawberry Salad

• 1 bag pre-washed mixed greens salad
• 1/2 pint strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup chopped manchego cheese (and hard cheese like parmesan or romano will work here, too)
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Mix the vinegar and oil and reserve. Combine the remaining ingredients and toss in the dressing.