Strawberry Season!

One of the most exciting times of year is the ripening of the first strawberry. There's nothing like popping a freshly picked strawberry into your mouth right out of the garden.

Be sure to check out the Chesterhill Produce Auction's Special Strawberry Auction on Wednesday June 1st. There will be homemade ice cream sponsored by Snowville Creamery and information on methods of using and preparing strawberries.

*Note : this special auction replaces the regularly scheduled Thursday auction.*

Strawberry Crumb Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 pints strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1-1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2-3 tbs. water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Clean hull and slice strawberries. Combine in a bowl with sugar and corn starch. Let stand
2. Combine flour and salt, cut in butter with a mixer.
3. Set aside 2/3 of flour mix
4. Sprinkle water over remaining mix. Press into a ball and roll out dough. Press into a pie pan.
5. Fill pie crust with strawberry mixture.
6. Blend reserve flour mix with brown sugar and cinnamon and cover strawberries.
7. Place pie pan on foil covered baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
8. Serve with ice cream or whip cream

We'll be featuring more strawberry recipes in the coming weeks!!

Strawberry: The Flavor of Summer!

Everywhere you look from the Farmers' Market to the Chesterhill Produce Auction, to your own backyard patch, strawberries are abundant! There nothing like eating a ripe red berry freshly picked!

Strawberries are rich in antioxidants, fiber, folate, and potassium. They also pack more vitamin C ounce for ounce than most citrus fruit. Eating vitamin C-rich foods promotes healthy brain functioning and boosts your immune system.

Enjoy strawberries fresh from the patch, atop shortcake with hand whipped cream, sliced fresh on salads with a balsamic vinagrette or store the flavor all year long in a delicious jam!

Strawberries can be easily frozen to save for smoothies in the winter months. Simply rinse, hull and halve berries, spread on a cookie sheet and freeze. Transfer frozen berries to a freezer safe ziplock baggie.

Check out local nurseries and greenhouses to find out more about growing your own! Strawberries require full sun and well-drained, sandy soil. They will not tolerate drought or standing water. Plant them in the spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work.

Not a green-thumb? Don't worry! Strawberries are plentiful this time of year. Head over to your local farmers' market, visit the Chesterhill Produce Auction, or visit a pick-your-own farm to endulge in all the berry-picking fun!

Strawberry Jam
recipe makes 48 ounces

Ingredients

• 4 pounds strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 5 cups granulated sugar (2 1/4 pounds)

Directions

1. Put a small plate in the freezer. Place berries in a nonreactive 10-quart stockpot set over medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, mix in 1/4 cup sugar with berries. Cook, stirring, until berries are juicy, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in a third of remaining sugar until dissolved. Repeat until all the sugar has been added and dissolved, about 7 minutes total.
2. Bring mixture to a full boil; cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Continue boiling; use a stainless-steel spoon to remove foam from surface. Boil until most of the liquid is absorbed, mixture thickens, and temperature registers 220 degrees.on a candy thermometer, about 30 minutes.
3. Perform a gel test: Place a spoonful of jam on chilled plate, and return to freezer. Wait 1 to 2 minutes; remove plate from freezer, and gently press jam with fingertip; it should wrinkle slightly.
4. After jam passes the gel test, remove from heat. Pour warm jam into jars and can to seal.

Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding

Been seeing strawberries coming on at the markets, so you might try something different...

Ingredients

• 6 cups stale bread cubes (about 1 lb)
• 1 cup sliced rhubarb
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 2-2 1/2 cups milk (or for non-dairy, rice, almond, hemp, soy)
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or tapioca flour
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees and lightly grease a 9 by 5 loaf pan or a spring-form pan.
2. Place bread in a large bowl. In another bowl add 1 1/2 cups milk, maple syrup, and vanilla–whisk until combined. In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup milk and the arrowroot powder until no lumps remain, then add to other milk mixture and stir. Pour milk mixture over bread and stir to coat every piece; let sit for at least 15 minutes for liquid to saturate the bread.
3. If bread looks dry, depending on type and staleness, it might need more milk. If so, continue adding 1/2 cup milk at a time until all break is pretty soaked–it should be mushy. Fold in rhubarb and strawberries and put in pan.
4. Bake about 30 minutes, or until top is slightly browned and firm. Allow to cool a bit, then scoop, slice or unmold from springform pan, serve with strawberry rhubarb compote.

Makes 8-10 servings.

For a variation, you can try this compote. Vanilla and cinnamon add subtle flavor to this quick rhubarb compote. Serve warm or cold, wrapped in crepes or over ice cream.

Ingredients

• 8 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 cup sugar (or a natural sweetener like stevia or agave, adjusted for use)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Combine rhubarb, sugar (or substitute) and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat
2. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the rhubarb begins to break down, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Yield: 8 servings, 1/2 cup each