Berries from Heaven

by Laura Donnelly — June 11, 2007

My favorite fruit is the strawberry. If some strange and cruel fate were to force me to choose one fruit for the rest of time, it would be this. Found year round, easy to prepare, packed with vitamins, this heart-shaped little jewel is now available for picking or purchasing at local farm stands.

And this season's crop is a brilliant one: bright, juicy, fragile, tart, and sweet. All you really need is some lightly sweetened, vanilla-accented whipped cream. And some shortcakes. Or meringues. Or little sponge cakes. Or the best vanilla gelato you can find.

The strawberry is actually not related to other berries, which grow on canes, or stems; it is a member of the rose family. The first fruit to ripen in the spring, it is also the only one that grows its seeds on the outside (as many as 200 per berry!) Every state grows strawberries, but California produces about 75 percent of the nation's crop. Florida is the next biggest producer.

Like many wonderful, popular things, someone figured out a way to make them bigger, more colorful, and easier to ship. Let's just ignore those.

When buying strawberries, make sure they look nice and shiny, with the green leaves still looking fresh. Check the bottom of the container to be sure they have not become moldy or been smushed. The berries are highly perishable and do not ripen once picked, so try to be sure and get the reddest, most fragrant you can find.

I like strawberries raw, and keeping in mind their tremendous nutritional value (more vitamin C than citrus, plus vitamin B, potassium, and iron), prefer serving them that way. But they are ethereal as well, when cooked into a strawberry rhubarb crisp, pies, sauces, cakes, or muffins. You can even let them off the leash and serve them in a salad with toasted slivered almonds and a tart vinaigrette.

As the 16th-century writer William Butler opined, "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did."

Spring Greens with Strawberries
Serves 4

This spring salad is perfect on its own with some good cheese and bread. Sometimes I make it with just baby spinach leaves.

Dressing
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
1 Tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salad
6 cups mixed spring salad mix
1 cup strawberries, quartered
2 medium oranges, sectioned
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

1. In small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until honey is well incorporated.

2. In large bowl, toss salad ingredients together (except almonds).

3. To serve, pour dressing over salad, toss gently, then top with almonds.