Strawberry Love

Thanks to Jenny, who helped me figure out how to repost , after

Blogger ate the original version.  It sure helps to have friends that

are more tech savvy than me!   And it's a reminder that I can learn

something new from the annoying little problems I face each day,

if I adjust my attitude from one of frustration to one of opportunity.

Asking myself, "What can I learn from this experience?" can be instructive.

I'm having my own little strawberry festival.

It was a happy day when I saw this sign.

I look forward to these berries from June to the following May.

Strawberry season is short, so I can hardly eat enough before it's over.

I know you can buy strawberries any time of the year - but I promise,

if you ever eat these berries, you just won't be happy with others.

A week before the berries were ripe, we had a storm in the middle of 

the night, with large hail.  I sat up in bed and the first thing I said was,

"Oh, no.  The strawberries are going to be ruined."  Yes, it seems I

think about food even in my sleep.   I'm sure my husband thought I was crazy. 

 Thank goodness there was no hail on Dana Road and the

 strawberries were just fine.

Oh, happy day!  Just look at these berries.  I took two baskets

for starters.  I love the way they make my car smell all the way home.   

I tried to resist popping one in my mouth until I could get them washed off, 

but what the heck,  a little dirt never hurt anyone, right?

Strawberries and rhubarb are a match made in heaven and I

just happen to know someone who was willing to share some of

her rhubarb with me.  Thank you, Tara!

The next question was "what to do first?"

How about some strawberry rhubarb jam?

Next up - strawberry rhubarb muffins.  These are so good.

That crunchy, nutty topping goes perfectly with the fruit inside.

And after dinner, the perfect dessert is Balsamic Strawberries with

Whipped Mascarpone.  Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese and 

whipped up with cream and a little sweetener,  it takes whipped

cream to a whole new level, folks.  My first inclination was to

avoid putting vinegar on my strawberries.  It just seemed wrong.

But the vinegar is boiled down into a sweet syrup and it doesn't 

taste like vinegar at all.  The combination of the balsamic syrup

and the strawberries is really good.  I promise. 

So, I'm having strawberries at pretty much every meal these days.  

On my yogurt or cereal in the morning and

 on salads for lunch or dinner.

This is a spinach salad with strawberries, candied pecans and blue cheese.

We love Point Reyes Blue Cheese. It is made in California and has the
freshest taste of any blue cheese I've tried.  My second favorite,
 is Maytag (another domestic choice). The salad is dressed with a
 poppy seed viniagrette.  Feta cheese would also be good.

When Mark and I were dating, we went to a French restaurant in

Winston - Salem.  I think the name of it was Berry's.  It's since

closed, but they served a spinach salad that was almost identical to

this.  I remember tasting it and realizing this was something special.

  My only salad experience up to that point had pretty much

been iceburg lettuce with bottled salad dressings.   Oh, my

goodness.....this was a salad and I think my love of food might have

have had it's beginnings that very night.   I also remember having my first

crepe at that restaurant.  I was only nineteen and although I had

been eating really good homestyle cooking- I grew up in a family of

of wonderful southern cooks- I had never had food like this.  Now

don't get me wrong, I love chicken and dumplings, green beans

and  macaroni and cheese and I can cook up a "mess" of biscuits

and gravy with the best of them.  I love some good old southern cooking, 

 but my culinary horizons had been broadened.  I was falling

in love with food and that cute brown eyed boy sitting across

the table from me.  Ahhhh..... sweet memories.

So back to the strawberries.

So many recipes and so little time, before the strawberries are gone

 for another year.  I do plan to make strawberry shortcakes this weekend,

 and at some point I think we need to melt some good chocolate and dippity dip.  

Maybe I will do that for the young women next Wednesday. 

 I have to find someone to help me enjoy all this strawberry deliciousness.  

What's your favorite strawberry recipe?  Do share!!

Nut Topped Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 t. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped strawberries

3/4 cup diced fresh rhubarb

Topping:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 T. cold butter

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients .  In another bowl,

whisk the egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.  Stir into dry ingredients just

until moistened.  Fold in strawberries and rhubarb.  Fill greased or 

paper lined muffin cups two thirds full.  In a small bowl mix the 

topping ingredients.  Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse

crumbs.  Sprinkle over batter in cups.  Bake at 400 for 20 -25

minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before

removing from pans to wire racks.

Balsamic Strawberries with Whipped Mascarpone

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

5 T. plus 2 t. sugar

1/2 t. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese, chilled

1/2 cup whipped cream, chilled

1/2 t. vanilla extract

3 pints strawberries, hulled and halved

Combine balsamic vinegar, 2 t.sugar and lemon juice

in small saucepan.  Stir over medium heat until sugar

dissolves.  Boil until syrup is reduces to 1/4 cup , about 3 minutes. 

It will become very syrupy.  Transfer to small bowl, cool completely.

Combine mascarpone, cream, vanilla and 2 T. sugar in bowl. Whisk

until thick, soft peaks form.  Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Combine berries and remaining 3 T. sugar in large bowl.  Drizzle with

balsamic syrup and toss to blend.  Let stand 30 minutes, stirring

occasionally.   Serve with mascarpone cream.

Poppy Seed Viniagrette Dressing

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 t. lemon zest (2 -3 lemons)

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 cup sugar

2 t. poppy seeds

1/2 - 1 t. grated onion (be careful not to overdo here)

1 clove finely pressed garlic

Mix and refrigerate.  This makes enough for lots of salads.

You could half the recipe - or you could just eat a lot of salad.

*Goal #23 - Try 50 new recipes

*Goal #18 - Work on storage and preparedness goals.