Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Sweet Harbinger of Summer

Chef Frank Terranova M.C.F.E.

By Linda Melfi Production Assistant Cooking with Class

Sweet Harbinger of Summer

When it comes to fruit, the Northeast may be best known for the apple, but nothing heralds the arrival of summer in New England like the strawberry.  Like its fall weather friend, strawberries come in many varieties, with such enticing names as Earliglow, L’Amour, Jewel, and Sparkle. Yet, when most of us go to the market to buy our strawberries, all we care about is that they are red, sweet, and juicy.

One of my fondest memories from childhood is volunteering at my church’s annual Strawberry Festival.  At sunrise, the men would head to the fields of a local farm and pick berries in the early morning light.  Flat upon flat of the luscious little gems would be brought back to the church, where the women would be busy in the kitchen, their fingertips stained red, hulling and slicing the berries that would become jams, jellies, and countless strawberry pies. The very best part, though, were the indescribably delicious strawberry shortcakes.  By mid-morning the line of people waiting for one of these tasty treats would wrap around the side of the church and into the parking lot, but it was well worth the wait.  A customer could order their shortcake one of three ways:  with two scoops of vanilla ice cream (the smoothest, creamiest ever), with a whole biscuit (the most tender and flaky ever), or, my personal favorite, half-and-half - one scoop of ice cream and half of a biscuit.  All piled high with sweet, juicy strawberries and freshly whipped cream.  Yum.

It has been many years since I have had one of those amazing strawberry shortcakes.  Nothing I have had since can compare to the flavors that are still so fresh in my memory.  Yet while nothing can ever really rival a memory, it doesn’t mean that I won’t keep trying to recreate the perfect strawberry shortcake. 

Strawberry season is now upon us here in New England.  It lasts just a few short weeks (from mid-June to mid-July), so now is the perfect time to plan a trip to one of the local farms that offers strawberry picking.  If you are lucky, you may even stumble upon a strawberry festival taking place.  If not, you can always have your own festival at home.  All you need is some ice cream and biscuits (or sponge cake, or chocolate cake, or pound cake…you get the idea), and lots of fresh, sweet strawberries.

Strawberry Fun Facts:
One cup of strawberries provides about 140% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.
Strawberries are sweet little cancer fighters.
Strawberries are the only fruit to have their seeds on the outside.
Smaller berries are usually sweeter and more flavorful.
The founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, once said of the strawberry “This berry is the wonder of all the fruits growing naturally in these parts.”