Growing up in Shaker Heights, I recall my parents were fiercely proud of their 1/16 of an acre plot. Every Saturday, my dad would don the trucker-style baseball cap (not so much in style back then as now) and his Larry Bird–esque shorts, complete with knee high tube socks and sneakers. Identically clad to the other suburban men, my Dad would carefully mow his front lawn in perfect parallel lines. He’d take out his electric edger, along with requisite extension cords, and meticulously manicure the perfect pasture.
Similarly dressed, though opting for a handkerchief in her hair and a pair of sandals, my mother would toil endlessly on her chef’s garden in the backyard. My Cabbage Patch doll, Carlton Delbert, and I would watch in amusement at how carefully Mom guarded her garden from the neighborhood bunnies. My favorite food memory from that house was actually not from that garden at all, but from a low-lying plant hidden under the shade that edged our back yard. There, I found wild strawberries: small, red and more flavorful than a Jolly Rancher candy, warmed by the sun from where the plant peeked out from beneath the cool ivy.
Back in the old days, when I was in school, summer vacation didn’t start until well into June. I knew that when those wild strawberries first appeared, summer vacation was not far behind. The juicy little heart shapes heralded the start of playing outdoors until the streetlights came on, riding my bike to the pool with friends and laying on Dad’s perfectly mowed lawn watching the clouds change shapes. They are the perfect universal symbol of summer, as wild varieties can be found throughout the world.
If your home is not blessed with the perennial wild variety, you can enjoy the adventure of picking your own strawberries at fruit farms like Patterson Fruit Farm in Geauga County.
Cultivated strawberries, big and juicy, are wonderful, too. High in vitamin C and a colorful antioxidant, they are a great addition to summertime meals and are always a fast and beautiful garnish fanned on the side of a plate.
Bill Patterson, one of the owners of Patterson Fruit Farms, says picking your own strawberries is a popular pastime. “We typically have more pickers than supply,” he says. "When you arrive at the farm, you will be provided a picker’s guide card and container. The card will help you pick the ripest strawberries – not the white caps. The redder the fruit, the sweeter the taste.
You will be shown to one of three fields, each around 2 1/2 acres and assigned a row to start picking out your fruit. Patterson carries three varieties of strawberries, with approximately 50 percent of the crop being All-Stars. People are free to taste test as they work. “We find the amount eaten is far less than the good will of allowing people free samples,” says Patterson. Once you have picked and eaten your fill, your strawberries will be weighed, and you pay by the pound. Depending on the size and quality of this year’s crop, Patterson estimates between $1.40 and $1.60 a pound.
Strawberries don’t last long once picked due to their thin skin, so they should be enjoyed within a few days of purchase. Patterson indicated Ohio strawberries are at their peak for 24 hours after picking. Picking season starts early June and lasts usually through July 4th weekend, depending on the weather – and the appetite of the people picking. “It is a short season for strawberries in Ohio,” says Patterson. “But that stretch of warm weather early this spring has started the season a little early, and we anticipate an earlier start to the picking season.”
Although I no longer get to enjoy the thrill of a summer vacation or discovering those little hidden gems, I can still enjoy that excitement this summer while picking and tasting strawberries.
Strawberry Pasta Salad
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3/4 lb. fusilli pasta, cooked al dente. Tossed with olive oil & chilled
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 cups strawberries, hulled quartered
1 red onion, diced
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Dressing:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette
Salt and pepper
Directions: In large bowl toss together all salad ingredients. Set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Combine dressing and pasta salad. Serve.
Strawberry Bellini Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup prosecco or champagne
2 tsp. fresh mint, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Directions: Mix together strawberries, sugar, salt, and lemon juice, mint. Let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 25 minutes. Can be done one day in advance.
In a food processor, blend berry mixture with yogurt in a blender until smooth. Add champagne and mix to incorporate. Garnish soup with a strawberry and mint leaf.
Strawberry Blueberry Tart
Tart Shell Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Strawberry Blueberry Filling:
1 1/2 cups ripe strawberries, sliced
1 1/2 cups blueberries
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
Zest of 1 lemon
Garnish
1 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
Directions for Tart Shell:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt until combined. Add butter, process until mixture resembles cornmeal. Pulse as you add yolks until dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and blend dough by pushing it away with the heel of your hand and gathering it up with a pastry scraper into a ball.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk and chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin to 1/8-inch thickness. Place the large piece of pastry over the tart pan. Press the pastry gently into the pan and run the rolling pin over the top to cut the edges of the pastry.
Line tart with parchment paper and weigh down with pie weights. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Bake pastry an additional 5-6 minutes or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
Strawberry Blueberry Filling:
Spread fruit into cooled pie pan. Beat mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, egg yolk and lemon zest until smooth; spoon into tart shell. Bake 35 minutes at 350°F.
Let tart cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar through sieve over the tart.
