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Strawberry Fields Forever |
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Mmmmm... Can you remember biting into a big, sweet, juicy strawberry when you were little? Can you feel the juice running down your chin? Strawberries can create some vivid food memories for many people because they are so good! Today, you can get strawberries at the market almost all year round thanks to quick shipping, but they are not the same as eating those freshly picked, perfectly ripe berries right out of your own garden.
by KCKudra
Mmmmm... Can you remember biting into a big, sweet, juicy strawberry when you were little? Can you feel the juice running down your chin? Strawberries can create some vivid food memories for many people because they are so good! Today, you can get strawberries at the market almost all year round thanks to quick shipping, but they are not the same as eating those freshly picked, perfectly ripe berries right out of your own garden.
Strawberries do not need a lot of skill to grow, and the fresh taste makes it more than worth having a few pots on your patio or a plot in your garden. Fresh strawberries are delicious on their own with a little cream and sugar, or added to other recipes.
The strawberries we eat today are native to the Americas, but they are a hybrid between the species of South America and the species of North America. This created a strawberry plant that would survive in both climates and still produce succulent fruit that have always been a sign of decadence in Europe.
Funnily enough, in Argentina strawberries were considered to be poisonous until the mid-1800s. The South American strawberry plants varied in flavor, size and shape, but the berries always had the distinctive bright red color and almost-heart-shaped berry that we have come to know and love.
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.
Strawberries have a nice, firm texture that many people enjoy. However, some may not be overly fond of the sweetness, or maybe they prefer their foods to have a more complex flavor. If this appeals to you, try the following idea the next time you have strawberries. Set out a small bowl of balsamic vinegar and one of powdered sugar. Take your fresh strawberries and dip them first in one and then the other. The contrasting flavors will enhance each other and build upon the distinctive taste of the berry.
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.
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