Fresh, local strawberries are one of the best things to hit Ohio in June. These sweet, aromatic gems taste nothing like their imported or California counterparts.
Believe or not, this handful is left from my quart scored at the Cuyahoga Countryside Conservancy's opening farmer's market in Howe Meadow on Saturday.
They haven't seen the inside of the fridge. I keep the bowl next to me for snacking, or dipping in Greek yogurt right next my computer. I ate about half of them walking around the market (I shared a few with my sister, who didn't move fast enough to get her own, and one with Debbie).
The Plain Dealer has a nice article today about strawberries with recipes. (I can't locate an on-line link; I'll try to find it and edit). The article also has a nice list of u-pick farms.
I loved picking strawberries as a kid. Many berries never made it out of the field. Unlike blueberries, which grow in mosquito infested swampy areas, and ripen in the oppressive, humid heat of late July, strawberries have the good sense to ripen in late spring when you actually don't mind trolling through a field and looking for the little red jewels.
One of the farms listed, Boughton Farms, is actually about 1 mile from my house. I have stopped by when they have the farm stand open, but I haven't done any pick your own (they have other crops you can pick during the summer). It's off of Schogalog Road, almost to Copley Road, past the railroad tracks. I love their pictorial directions on the website - beats that annoying GPS lady anyday! Check them out.
Other places to find u-pick farms is pick your own.org.
Here are some links to some great sounding recipes to go with your berries:
Also, I made this cake and sauce for a client luncheon recently and it was fantastic. The cake is light, not too sweet, and the sauce with just a hint of champagne, was delicious. Diabetic-friendly and easy to make if you have a Kitchen-aid mixer, because yes, you do have to beat it for 15 minutes on high. Olive Oil Genoise in Strawberry Champagne Sauce
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