Don’t you just love a fresh, juicy strawberry? There really is nothing else quite like it. With fast shipping these days, you can get strawberries almost any time now, but it just is not the same as picking that perfectly ripe berry right out of your garden.
You do not need a green thumb to grow strawberries, and once you taste freshly picked berries, store bought will never be the same again. Growing your own berries in a pot or in the garden will let you have the best berries for a bowl of fruit and cream, or even just a berry or two cut up in your morning cereal.
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.
Strangely enough, strawberries were considered poisonous in Argentina until the middle of the 19th century. While those plants varied greatly in shape, size, and flavor, they all bore the well-known red color and heart-shaped fruit that we all adore so much.
When you are thinking about strawberries, you will of course think of eating them raw, but you will find that there are several other options that will prove just as delicious. One fun dessert option is to remove the green leaves and cut the strawberries themselves down into small chunks. Then place them in a bowl and cover them with water, after which, you will strew white sugar over the top as liberally as you like. If you let it add ice and let it soak in the refrigerator for a few hours, you will have a deliciously cold summer treat.
Some people prefer a more complex flavor, or a little more tartness to their berries. A good way to add more complexity to your strawberries is to dip them into some good balsamic vinegar and powdered sugar. The sharpness of the vinegar adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the sugar. This makes a simple, intriguing end to a meal.
Strawberries and spinach make a great pairing. Toss a few in the next time you want to serve a spinach salad. If you combine the spinach, sliced strawberries, some red onions and caraway seeds, you will have a great salad that works well for lunch or dinner. Top it with a dressing of balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, mustard and honey to pull it all together.
Alternatively, you can try this fresh spinach salad. Remove all the stems from the spinach leaves so you only have the tender greens. Slice the strawberries diagonally to create an interesting look. Toss them into the greens with a little Gorgonzola cheese and some tasty homemade croutons for some crunch. Top it all off with a little dab of ranch dressing and some freshly ground black pepper for a delightful salad that is a wonderful marriage of textures and flavors.
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.
