It was faint at first, but the closer we drew to Tower Grove Farmer’s Market last weekend, the stronger it became. Once we reached the market, our feet wet with the previous night’s rain, we were nearly overwhelmed by the heavy perfume of strawberries. Yes, it’s high strawberry season here in St. Louis and almost every vendor has flat upon flat of bright juicy berries for sale.
Immediately, our thoughts went to strawberry shortcake, jam and icy sorbet. A few vendors still have some spinach and arugula which, when tossed with the berries, blue cheese and toasted pecans, would make a terrific salad. But after a few minutes, we decided to stretch our culinary brains and come up with other uses for the sweet treats. Salsa maybe? With pickled jalapenos and red onions. Even better, reduce down a good balsamic, then drizzle it over strawberry-topped ice cream. A grilled chicken sandwich would make an excellent foil for some of the tangier berries. Anyone for cocktails? Just add some sliced berries along with other fresh fruit for sangria. Purée the berries first before adding them to your favorite margarita recipe. And don’t forget the kiddos with some strawberry lemonade.
These berries are bred for taste, rather than transport, so it’s best not to over-purchase. Use them up right away or they’ll quickly turn to moldy mush. Freezing is a good option, just wash and dry thoroughly, then cut off the hulls and arrange on a cookie sheet in a single layer. After about 24 hours in the freezer, you can pack them into rigid containers or plastic freezer bags. They’ll last frozen for months and, sometime next winter, you can thaw them out and conjure up memories of spring.
This article appears in May 1-31, 2011.