The Fragrant  Strawberry It is universally acknowledged that the strawberry is one of the most delicious of all fruits. We are regularly reminded of strawberries' influence in poetry, literature and music. There are folk tales and historic mentions of strawberries, going as far back as ancient Roman and Greek times. My favorite of all the fruits are Strawberries. "Strawberry Season", to me, is like having Christmas in May. We still have Strawberry fields here in the County where I live. They have survived the fast paced building industry. The abundant fruit appears everywhere and it is hard to come home from a shopping trip without a few baskets of the fragrant fruit that,  which later,  will be transformed in some delectable way. My son traded a strawberry patch in his backyard for an extended deck. Missing picking berries with my grandson, I have planted berries in a strawberry pot. I will still have my strawberries.  Hopefully you will enjoy the abundance of strawberry trivia and recipes as much as I have compiling it for you. Feast on Strawberries with me! The Origin of Strawberries When the first man was created and a mate was given to him, they lived together very happily for a time, but then began to quarrel, until at last the woman left her husband and started off toward "Nundagunyi" the Sun land, in the East. The man followed alone and grieving, but the woman kept on steadily ahead and never looked behind, until "Unelanunhi," the great Apportioner (The Sun), took pity on him and asked him if he was still angry with his wife. He said he was not, and "Unelanunhi" then asked him if he would like to have her back again, to which he eagerly answered yes. So "Unelanunhi" caused a patch of the finest ripe huckleberries to spring up along the path in front of the woman, but she passed by without paying any attention to them. Farther on he put a clump of blackberries, but these also she refused to notice. Other fruits, one, two, and three, and then some trees covered with beautiful red service berries, were placed beside the path to tempt her, but she went on until suddenly she saw in front a patch of large ripe strawberries, the first ever known. She stooped to gather a few to eat, and as she picked them she chanced to turn her face to the West, and at once the memory of her husband came back to her and she found herself unable to go on. She sat down, but the longer she waited the stronger became her desire for her husband, and at last she gathered a bunch of the finest berries and startedback along the path to give them to him. He met her kindly and they went home together. From History Myths and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees by James Mooney (The Cherokee word for strawberry is "a-ni." The rich bottom lands of the old Cherokee country were noted for their abundance of strawberries and other wild fruits. Today strawberries are often kept in Cherokee homes. They remind us not to argue and are a symbol of good luck). Strawberries There was never strawberries like the ones we had that sultry afternoon sitting on the step of the open french window facing each other your knees held in mine the blue plates in our laps the strawberries glistening in the hot sunlight we dipped them in sugar looking at each other not hurrying the feast for one to come the empty plates laid on the stone together with the two forks crossed and I bent towards you sweet in that air in my arms abandoned like a child from your eager mouth the taste of strawberries in my memory lean back again let me love you let the sun beat on our forgetfulness one hour of all the heat intense and summer lightning on the Kilpatrick hills let the storm wash the plates Unknown Strawberry Summers It was a day of fun Summer breezes and summer sun Strawberries and lemonade Recollection of that day will never fade. They were laughing down by the river bank They were so in love they couldn't think. She said, "Do you love me? Tell me true." He said, "Yes, I love you. I truly do."So they had their day of fun With summer breezes and summer sun They had their strawberries and lemonade And created a memory that would never fade. And each year they come together To this place no matter the weather They sit here in the shade And relive the memory that they made.They have their day of fun With or without summer breezes and summer sun They have their strawberries and lemonade And revive the memory so it never will fade. And even though they're old and gray They come here every year on this day No where else do strawberries and lemonade taste so good No where else do they taste as they should. They relive each day of fun Hopefully with summer breezes and summer sun Always with strawberries and lemonade And one memory that will never fade. Every year they do their best To pass every trial and test So that they may come back here For strawberry summers every year. Just for one more day of fun Summer breezes and summer sun Strawberries and lemonade And all the memories that they've made. Hilary age 14 Three Weeks "Strawberries again!" the Mom cheerfully cried, "It's a savoury cabbage and strawberry pie. And if you're still hungry, there's left-overs too, Plenty of yesterday's strawberry stew, Some strawberry hot-pot and berry cheese bake, Also, for dessert we've got strawberry cake. I'm afraid today's berries are just past their peak. What a pity the season is only three weeks. "Strawberries again,"  the poor family thought, "We've eaten them cold and we've eaten them hot. It's been nothing but berries for twenty-one days, All served in amazingly horrible ways. We come to the table more dead than alive, Our faces and necks are all covered in hives, And the only thing that brings a smile to our cheeks, Is the thought that the season lasts only three weeks." Unknown There's a Midè teaching that after death, on the Spirit Road, the spirit will encounter the temptation of a giant strawberry, and if greedy will remain there eating until turned into a frog. Strawberries were cultivated in ancient Rome! were used as a medicinal herb in the 13th Century. What you eat is not really a fruit or a berry but is the enlarged receptacle of the flower. The Strawberryis a member of the Rose family! Strawberry Quotes The strawberry: "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did." William Butler, 17th century English writer The strawberry "is the wonder of all the Fruits growing naturally in those parts...In some parts where the Natives have planted, I have many times seen as many as would fill a good ship, within a few miles ." Roger Williams, founder of Providence in 1636, "Innocence is indulging in strawberries and champagne and not knowingwhat's going to happen next." Unknown Strawberry Lemonade Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 qt Fresh Strawberries, Hulled 3/4 c Lemon Juice 2 c Club Soda, Chilled 1 x Garnishes ** 3 c Cold Water 3/4 c Sugar * 1 x Ice Up to 1 cup sugar may be used to sweeten lemonade. Garnishes could be more strawberries and/or mint leaves. In blender container, puree strawberries. In pitcher, combine pureed strawberries, water, lemon juice, and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Add club soda. Serve over ice and garnish with strawberries and/or mint leaves. Strawberry Shake 3/4 cup ice 1/2 cup unsweetened strawberries (frozen and slightly thawed) 1/4 cup low-fat milk (or soy/rice milk) 1/4 cup vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt (or lowfat frozen dairy free dessert) 1/8 teaspoon almond extract Combine ice, strawberries, and milk in a blender. Blend at high speed until ice is well crushed. Add frozen yogurt and almond extract and blend until smooth. Makes 1 serving. Strawberry - Kiwi Smoothies Silky-smooth and positively refreshing, this fruit drink is a snap to whip up. The bananas, kiwifruit, strawberries, and apple juice give you a burst of flavor and a healthy jolt of vitamin C and potassium. 1 banana, sliced 1 kiwifruit, sliced 5 frozen whole strawberries 1 1/4cups apple juice 1 1/2 teaspoons honey Makes 5 servings In a blender, combine the banana, kiwifruit, strawberries, apple juice, and honey. Puree until thick and smooth. Pour into tall glasses and serve. Giant Strawberries with Raspberry Dip      1 cup fresh raspberries 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons nonfat evaporated milk 2 teaspoons almond extract 12 fresh strawberries Puree the raspberries in the blender. Pour the puree in a bowl. Blend in cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, milk, and almond extract by hand and mix well. Place the dip in a pretty bowl and chill for 2 hours. Serve the dip surrounded by the strawberries. 6 servings Commander's Strawberry Shortcake Biscuit 1/4 cup Butter 1 cup Flour 1/3 cup Milk 1/3 tsp. Salt 1 tsp. Baking Powder 1 Tbsp. Sugar Mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Cut in butter until mix resembles corn meal. Add milk and mix only until biscuits hold together. roll out approximately 1 inch thick. Cut into 6 biscuits and bake at 400 degrees until brown. (approximately 25 minutes). Strawberry Mix 4 cups Strawberries 6 Tbsp. Sugar 1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier Puree 1/4 cup of the cleaned, hulled strawberries, sugar, Grand Marnier and remaining strawberries. Let marinate at least 30 minutes. Whip Cream 6 cups Heavy Cream 12 Tbsp. Sugar Place cold cream and sugar in a chilled bowl and whip to soft peaks. Assembly: Split biscuits in half. Dust top half with powdered sugar. Place bottom half of biscuit on a plate and top with strawberry mix and whipped cream. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Top with sugared half of biscuit Strawberry Triffle 1/8 package instant Vanilla pudding mix 1/3 cup Cold Milk 9 inch angel food cake, cut in cubes 1 Banana, sliced 1/8 (16 oz.) Frozen Strawberries, thawed 1/8 (12 oz.) Frozen Whipped topping, thawed Prepare pudding with milk according to package directions. In a trifle bowl or other glass serving dish, layer half the cake pieces, half the pudding, half the bananas, half the strawberries and half the whipped topping. Repeat layers. Cover and chill in refrigerator 4 hours before serving. Eggnog Trifle with Strawberries Makes 10 servings      1 1/4 cups cold milk 1 (3.4 ounce) package JELL-O French Vanilla or Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling 4 tablespoons dark rum or orange juice, divided 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 (8 ounce) tub  Whipped Topping, thawed 1 (12 ounce) package pound cake 3 cups halved strawberries 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix, 2 tablespoons of the rum and nutmeg. Beat with wire whisk 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir in whipped topping. Slice cake horizontally into 4 layers. Sprinkle cake layers evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons rum. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Place 1/2 of the cake cubes in bottom of 2-1/2- quart straight-sided bowl. Spoon 1/2 of the whipped topping mixture over cake cubes. Top with strawberries and almonds, reserving several for garnish, if desired. Layer remaining cake cubes and whipped topping mixture over strawberries. Garnish with reserved strawberries and almonds. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Texas  Strawberry Ice Cream What on this wonderful planet of ours tastes better in the hot summertime?  It has to be ..... ice cream ..... and homemade ice cream to boot!  2 cans sweetened condensed milk 2-3 packages sliced strawberries with sugar, partially thawed 1 large bottle red soda pop (uses most of a 2-liter size) Put sweetened condensed milk and strawberries in freezer can, add red soda pop to fill line and start cranking!! You can also substitute the strawberries with bananas and the red soda pop with creme soda.  Heck....use your imagination on this one ..... peaches ..... pineapple   ..... YUM!! Smooth  As Can Be 1 package instant vanilla pudding 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 gallon milk Mix first three ingredients with about half the milk using an electric mixer.  Stir in enough of the remaining milk to fill ice cream freezer.  Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.  For variety: add one cup sweetened and chopped strawberries and one small strawberry Jell-O or use peaches with peach Jell-O. Yes, you have read this correctly.  Deep fried Strawberries.  This is so unusual that your guests will be talking about it for weeks.  Get the freshest and largest whole strawberries you can find. Here is the recipe enjoy! Deep Fried Strawberries with Custard Sauce For the Sauce: Custard sauce can easily be purchased in most grocery stores, you can skip this part and buy some sauce. 4 cups half and half 1/2 cup sugar 2 inch piece vanilla bean or 1 tsp. vanilla 5 egg yolks(save the whites) For the Strawberries: 36 strawberries 2 cups flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. sugar 1 1/2 cups beer(light in color like Bud) 5 egg whites cream of tartar Oil for deep frying powdered sugar To make the sauce: In a small saucepan scald 4 cups half and half with 1/2 cup sugar and the vanilla.  Discard the vanilla bean after the cream is scalded.  In a bowl beat 5 large egg yolks until they are light and add the scalded cream to the yolks, in a stream, beating continually.  Transfer the custard to a heavy saucepan and cook it over low heat, stirring until it coats the back of a spoon.  Put the sauce in a chilled bowl covered with buttered wax paper, for at least 2 hours. (Can be made the day before.) To make the strawberries: Wash, dry and hull the strawberries thoroughly. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees (I like to use my electric skillet for this). In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour and 1/4 tsp. of sugar and salt, add 1 1/2 cup beer in a stream and beat the mixture until it is smooth. In another bowl beat the 5 egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until they are stiff. Then fold the egg whites into the beer batter gently, but thoroughly.  Dip the strawberries into the batter and fry them a few at a time, for one to two minutes or until golden brown.  Drain them on a plate lined with some paper towels.  Roll the strawberries in powdered sugar and serve on top of the custard sauce. Scrumptious Strawberry Liqueur (3 cups) fresh strawberries, stemmed and washed. (1 1/2 cups) sugar (2 cups) vodka (1 cup) water (1/2 tsp) lemon zest (1 tsp) orange zest (1 tsp) fresh-squeezed lemon juice Crush strawberries and sugar together in a bowl. Let stand for about 1 hour. Transfer to a clean 2 Lg container and add vodka, water, lemon zest, orange zest, and lemon juice. Cover and let stand in a cool, dark place for 2 days, shaking frequently. Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain out solids. Discard. Transfer liqueur to clean container, cover and let stand for 1 week. Rack or filter into final container. Age for at least 1 month before serving. Yield: 1 liter. Tip: Strawberries are easily bruised and mould quickly. When making cordials with strawberries, it is important to use only fresh, ripe, unbruised fruit. If berries have green tips or bruises, cut off these parts before using. The Queen of Hearts’ Strawberry Tarts Crust 1 stick butter, melted 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup flour Filling 4 cups whole strawberries, hulled 11/2 cups warm water 11/2 cups sugar 4 tablespoons corn starch 1 3-ounce package strawberry gelatin mix (not the instant kind) 2 drops red food coloring Whipped cream Preheat oven to 400°. Mix all crust ingredients and pat into a 9-inch pie plate. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool. Arrange whole strawberries in the crust. In a saucepan, cook water, sugar, and corn starch until the mixture becomes clear. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add food coloring. Pour over the strawberries that are in the crust. Chill well. Top with whipped cream before serving. Chocolate  Strawberry Pizza Since this recipe is made with real pizza dough, it's not as sweet as the typical chocolate pizza made with cookie dough. This could be offered as part of a brunch, for dessert, or as a snack. Let this be the main course at a kids' party and really surprise them! 10 oz. Refrigerated Pizza Dough 1 12 oz. tub regular cream cheese 1/4 cup chocolate syrup 6 tablespoons confectioners sugar 1 cup chocolate chips 1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced options: whipped cream, sprinkles Preheat oven to 425°F. Blend chocolate syrup and sugar into cream cheese until smooth. Lightly grease with vegetable oil 9x13 inch baking pan. Spread pizza dough on baking sheet to cover. Bake dough in oven for 6 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on pizza crust, leaving 1/2 inch border around edge. Return to oven and bake 7 minutes. In the meantime, melt chocolate chips in microwave or over double boiler according to instructions on package and stir until smooth. Remove pizza from oven and gently spread melted chocolate across top. Top with sliced strawberries. Serve warm or, if firmer consistency is preferred, after chilling in refrigerator for an hour. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles, if desired. Fruit  "Tacos" 6 servings 12 whole graham crackers 8 oz. non-dairy whipped topping , thawed 1 cup  sliced  strawberries 1 cup  peeled and sliced kiwi 1 cup sliced bananas 1/2 cup all fruit strawberry jam  topping           Break graham crackers in half.  Score each half diagonally with knife (use a serrated knife, graham crackers will score much more easily).  Carefully break scored graham crackers apart to form triangles.           Set 1/2 of the triangles in single layer on serving plates. Spread each triangle evenly with 1/2 of the whipped topping; top with 1/2 of the fruit. Spoon a small amount (1 TBSP) on each triangle of the all fruit strawberry topping.. Repeat layers.        Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 6 servings. Strawberry Cake 1 package white cake mix 1 package strawberry gelatin powder, 3 oz 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup water 3/4 cup mashed strawberries, fresh or frozen Strawberry Icing 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 (16 oz)box confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup mashed strawberries Combine cake mix and gelatin powder in a large bowl. Beat in oil, eggs, water, and strawberries. Pour into 2 9-inch round greased and floured cake pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and frost with strawberry icing. Icing: Mix butter and confectioners' sugar together until smooth. Add strawberries. Spread between cake layers, then frost top and sides. Strawberry Cream Roll This has a little bit of sugar in it, but is from the Weight Watchers cookbook and was recommended to me by a friend whose husband is a diabetic. To make cake: 4 egg yolks 1 tsp. vanilla 2 TBS sugar 1/4 cup of flour 6 egg whites 3TBS sugar Preheat oven to 350. Spray 10"x15" jelly roll pan with Pam, coat it with waxed paper, spray again and then flour the pan. Beat the egg yolks on high for 4 minutes until creamy yellow. Add the flour, sugar, and vanilla.  Set aside. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the yolk mixture.  Bake for 15 minutes. When cake is done, turn onto a slightly damp towel and roll up, towel side out. Let stand, preferably on a cake rack until completely cool. (I usually stick in the fridge) Filling: 2 cups sliced strawberries 2 TBS sugar 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla 8 oz. Cool Whip Free Stir the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla into the strawberries. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain and reserve the berry juice. Crush the strawberries with a fork and stir into the Cool Whip.  Chill well before assembling the roll. Assembly: Unroll the cake from the towel and place onto serving pan. Drizzle the reserved juice onto the cake. Spoon the whipped cream mixture onto the cake. Roll up, and if desired, sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.  Makes 4 servings. Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Makes about 24 strawberries. Begin about 40 minutes before serving. Cooking time 3 minutes. Serve these strawberries separately as a dessert, or as a garnish on cakes, custards, or puddings. 6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 pint strawberries, with hulls intact, washed and dried Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Place the chocolate in a circle in a 1-quart microwaveproof bowl, adding the butter to the center; the butter will make the chocolate shiny. Cook on MEDIUM (50%) for 2 minutes; stir. Cook on MEDIUM (50%) for 30 seconds to 1 minute more, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Using the hull as a handle, partially dip the strawberries, twirling in chocolate. As much as possible, place hull side down on a wax paper-lined sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to harden. Variations: Chocolate-Covered Cherries and Grapes: Substitute cherries or seedless grapes, with stems, for the strawberries. EMail  Mary Comments are appreciated Send Mail to Mary  Back To My Index Page More Mail From Mary is a proud member of: Harmony-Editors More Mail From Mary copyrighted© 6/1/01 Graphics By Granstaxi1