Strawberry Fields

Ah Summer and the fresh taste of berries right out of the fields.  We are fortunate to have some excellent local producers of many types of berries, including strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.  For our family, summer berry picking is an annual tradition.  Now I know the farmers probably don't appreciate us eating our way through their fields, but it is pretty hard to tell my kids not to eat those delicious berries.  By the end of an hour in the field the evidence is all over them, their clothes and anyone else who might have gotten near them!

Locally, it looks like our strawberry season will start the last week of June, but you can already taste the excellent Ontario berries from our friends in the most Southern parts of the province.  I picked up a quart today from Goldsmith's in Thornbury (which by the way, carries a ton of local Ontario produce) and they are so delicious after a winter of California imports. These berries were grown in Simcoe, Ontario!

Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and can be used in a variety of ways.  Many people like to make jam, especially very easy freezer jam.  Stay tuned for a post on easy freezer jam.  In my opinion though, there is no better way to eat fresh, local strawberries than as is.  Sliced with a bit of whip cream, or a sprinkle of sugar really is the essence of summer.


When your looking for a special dessert, and something that doesn't heat up the house, this grilled pound cake and strawberries is just the ticket.  If you don't have a BBQ you can grill the pound cake in a frying pan on the stove.  And be sure to give your BBQ grill a good scrape before you put the pound cake on; nothing like meat flavoured dessert!!!

Please send us your favourite strawberry recipes too! We'd love to hear from you.  And don't forget to leave a comment below...where do you pick the best berries locally?!

Enjoy,

Corrine

Grilled Pound Cake with Strawberries

 

1 loaf of pound cake, sliced into 1" thick slices
Strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
Whipped Cream

After thoroughly cleaning the BBQ grill, place slices of pound cake directly on the grill over medium heat.  Watch closely to prevent burning.  Flip when lightly toasted and grill marks are present.  Once both sides of the cake is toasted, place on a plate, and add sliced strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Note: You can also use a frying pan or grill pan on the stove, or the oven broiler on low, instead of the BBQ. I use frozen, thawed pound cake, that can be found in the frozen fruit/dessert case at the grocery store.