While I wait impatiently for tomorrow’s opening day at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market, I have found some attractive local produce at Lloyd’s Market in Lewes – most notably strawberries. Nestled in green cardboard containers, these berries were glistening red and topped with leafy green caps. As I unpacked them at home, I was delighted to find they were firm and fresh, juicy and sweet.
Botanically, the strawberry is a member of the rose family. Although strawberry varieties under cultivation today came into favor in the early 19th century, wild cultivars were native to both North and South America, as well as Europe. These early fruits were quite small, and their low yield drove growers to find larger, hardier hybrids for commercial production. If you are lucky enough to find some of these petite wild berries, their sweet flavor will keep you hunting for more.
In Delaware from about 1870 through the 1930s, strawberries were an important cash crop that relied heavily on immigrant and migrant workers to handpick the fruit. In 1935, Delaware shipped almost 10 million quarts of strawberries. Farmers brought their crates to the railroad station where the fruit was loaded into refrigerated cars. Payment was made in cash or sometimes tickets that served as currency with local merchants.
Today, the strawberry crop in Delaware is much smaller but still dependent on manual labor and handpicking. Because of their perishable nature, any strawberries not eaten fresh are flash-frozen and sold in bags at the supermarket or processed into jams, jellies and syrups. When the farmers market opens the first Saturday in May, you can be sure to see fresh strawberries from Evans, Fifer, Magee and Ficner farms.
When you arrive home with your fresh strawberries, take care of them immediately. Unless you plan to eat them or cook with them right away, they’ll do best in a humid, cool environment. For ideal flavor and texture, keep the unwashed, unhulled berries refrigerated in a covered container for no more than two days. If left out on a counter or exposed to sunlight, they’ll start to rot. I like to transfer the berries into a new container lined with paper towels just to make sure the bottom layer of fruit isn’t bruised.
The next rule about using strawberries is to wash them just before serving or adding them to a recipe. Rinse gently, pat dry, and then remove the leafy cap and stem – if you take off the hats first, they’ll absorb water and lose flavor. If you don’t own a strawberry huller, you can use a paring knife: Insert the tip and cut a small circle around the top, angling toward the center to create a small cone of fibrous hull you can pull off and discard.
It’s very easy to freeze strawberries to save that signature taste for muffins or smoothies. After washing, drying and hulling the berries, spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the pan in the freezer for an hour or so, depending upon the size of the fruit. Once they’re frozen, transfer them to a zip-top plastic bag and store in the freezer, where they’ll keep for as long as a year.
Recipes for familiar strawberry dishes range from the traditional breakfast jam to layered shortcake. For this batch of berries, I tried a new recipe for strawberry soup, in which you cook the berries instead of leaving them raw. The strawberry dressing is excellent over a spinach salad. The Williams Sonoma website offered the idea of adding strawberries to a caprese salad as a great way to riff on the familiar favorite. Be sure to save a handful of fresh berries to enjoy with a generous dollop of cream.
Strawberry Soup
1 qt strawberries
2/3 C water
1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
2 T buttermilk
pinch salt
1 t lemon juice
Rinse, drain and hull the berries. Set aside 3 berries and roughly chop the rest. Place them in a saucepan with the water and cook over medium-high heat until softened. While the berries cook, finely mince the reserved berries. Place them in a covered container and store in the refrigerator. When the berries are cooked, remove from heat and use an immersion blender to purée. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then whisk in the yogurt, buttermilk and salt. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled. When ready to serve, whisk in lemon juice and scatter the minced berries over the top. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Strawberry Dressing
1 C strawberries
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t lemon juice
1 t sugar (optional)
1/4 t salt
2 T olive oil
In a small bowl, combine strawberries, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and sugar (if using). Allow to macerate for about 1 hour. Transfer berry mixture to a blender or the bowl of a food processor. Add salt and olive oil; process until emulsified. Refrigerate any unused portion. Yield: 1/2 C.
Strawberry Caprese Salad*
1 pt yellow cherry tomatoes
1 pt strawberries
1 C small mozzarella balls
1/3 C shredded basil leaves
1/4 C olive oil
3 T Balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste
Halve the tomatoes and quarter the berries. Place in a serving bowl along with the cheese and basil; set aside. Whisk together oil and vinegar; drizzle over the salad. Toss gently to combine. Yield: 4 servings. *Adapted from Williams Sonoma.
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Send questions, comments and recipe ideas to Denise at capeflavors@comcast.net.
