Welcome to our brand new feature, In Season, where we’re going to be highlighting seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the year. What they are, the different varieties, their health properties, and how to incorporate them into your cooking.
STRAWBERRIES
What: If it’s June, it must be strawberries! Markets are now overflowing with pints of gorgeous red berries, ready to be made into shortcakes, added to salads, pureed into jam, or just enjoyed on their own. First bred in France, the strawberry is beloved for its tart taste, juiciness, and its ability to be paired with so many different flavours.
Varieties: The most common early varieties of strawberries tend to be the Veestar and Annapolis, followed later in the season by a handful of different types including Cavendish, Kent, and Honey Eye.
Health properties: Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, fibre and flavonoids. They’re also low in calories.
Plays well with: Balsamic vinegar, whipped cream, other berries including raspberries and blueberries, rhubarb, mint, basil, chocolate, citrus fruit, vanilla, halloumi, mozzarella.
Simple ways to use:
Better breakfast: Washed, hulled strawberries are wonderful in and easy to add to a myriad of breakfast dishes. Try them over yogourt or on top of cereal, as a pancake or French toast topper, or in a fruit salad or smoothie.
Salad: Adding a handful of strawberries really brightens up a simple green salad, especially if you’ve also added some seared halloumi cheese.
Roasting: Roasting strawberries with a small amount of white sugar and some lemon juice concentrates their flavour. Once cooled, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Alternately, throw the roasted berries in a blender and whiz them up to make strawberry sauce.
Strawberry shortcake: The easiest dessert ever, and completely transformable. Use a high quality pound cake or angel food cake, whipped cream or ice cream if you prefer, and have the strawberries all on their own or mix them with other berries. Top with a few fresh mint leaves, if you like.
Good to know: Some people have anaphylactoid reactions to strawberries – believed to be linked to a protein involved in the ripening of the berries. Symptoms can mimic hay fever or include dermatitis or hives.
Recipes:
Fried Donuts and Maple-Stewed Strawberries
Strawberry, Rhubarb and Mascarpone Crepes
Strawberry, Mint and Balsamic Mille Feuille
Berry-Stuffed French Toast with Almond Brittle
Strawberry, Rhubarb and Basil Jam
How are you using your in-season strawberries? Email your suggestions and recipes to submissions@cityline.ca!