Strawberry season

Sure you can find strawberries in the supermarket year round, but nothing tastes like fresh, local strawberries. In the mid-Atlantic, they are available in late spring. Berry farms let you pick them yourself and allow you to eat as many as you like while picking. Farmer’s markets have tables of fresh berries and even some of the supermarkets choose to carry local berries over the ones hauled in from far away.

Take advantage of the season with one of the recipes below.

Strawberry Cobbler This recipe works with peaches or other berries as well. Tastes like it was really hard to make, but it’s easy. Make it ahead of time and pop in the oven just before dinner. The whole house will smell delicious. Heat oven to 375 degrees 3 cups fresh strawberries 2/3 cup sugar 1 cup white whole wheat flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 cup unsweetened almond milk Dash of salt ½ cup melted Smart Balance 1) Mix berries and sugar in medium bowl. 2) Add flour, baking powder and milk to medium-size mixing bowl. Blend in melted smart balance or butter substitute. Spread into medium-sized baking pan. Add blackberry/sugar mixture on top of batter. 3) Bake about 40 minutes. Dough will rise to the top! 4) Delicious with soy or coconut ice cream. ——————————— Fruit Turnovers These mini fruit pies are relatively easy to make, will make your house smell wonderful and will delight your lucky guests. Fruit Turnover 2 vegetarian frozen pie shells (choose the kind that come in rolls, in the refrigerator section) 2-3 cups of fresh or frozen fruit (choose chopped peaches, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries or a mixture) ¼ cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp. sugar 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour 1 tsp. cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ tsp allspice Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 1) Mix fruit, ¼ cup sugar, flour and spices in a medium-sized bowl. Let rest for at about 15 minutes. 2) Unroll pie shell and spread out. Divide into four even pieces. 3) Grease a cookie sheet. Place each pastry piece on the cookie sheet. Fill with about ¼ cup of the fruit mixture. Roll up the edges of the pie shell to form a little package. Sprinkle with sugar. 4) Bake in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Will be golden brown on the outside. Delicious! Makes 8 turnovers ———– Spinach Salad with Orange peppers and Strawberries With its vibrant colors, this salad is as pretty to look at as it is tasty and healthy to eat. 6 cups of washed baby spinach 1/2 orange pepper About 15 strawberries 1/2 cup of toasted almonds Dressing (I use Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette) 1) Slice orange pepper into thin 2 inch slices.Cut strawberries into quarters. 2) Purchase toasted almonds or toast them in preheated 400 degree oven for about 7 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. 3) Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Add dressing. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. —————– Berry Banana Smoothie, 2 ways Smoothie If you have kids around, give them the ingredients and let them make their own. 8-10 fresh or frozen strawberries ½ cup frozen blueberries 1 tbsp. honey 1 banana, frozen and broken into chunks 4 or 5 cubes of ice For 1st way, use: 1 cup juice made from dark fruit (I used pomegranate/cranberry juice blend—I think it is blended with apple juice to take away the bitterness of the pomegranate) For 2nd way, use: 1 cup berry or banana or vanilla yogurt and 1/2 cup almond milk 1) Put all ingredients into a blender and pulse until well blended. 2) Pour into 2 glasses and add straws. Makes 2 smoothies