Fresh fruit makes for best flavor
Summer is officially here when strawberries hit the market. And
I don’t mean those light pink ones that are still green around the
edges. I mean the ones that come straight from fields in San
Benito, Gilroy and Watsonville.
Fresh fruit makes for best flavor
Summer is officially here when strawberries hit the market. And I don’t mean those light pink ones that are still green around the edges. I mean the ones that come straight from fields in San Benito, Gilroy and Watsonville.
Just a short drive away in Watsonville, Gizdich Ranch offers a pik-yor-sef for fans of the sweet berries. Known best for their apples in the fall, the ranch staff set aside an acre of strawberries for people to pick themselves. Visitors can bring their own containers or purchase a cardboard box from the staff. The berries go for under $2 a pound and for half an hour of work, anyone can get a flat of the juiciest, ripest berries around. One of the cool things about the farm is that pickers can leave a little longer stem on the larger strawberries and they work great for chocolate-covered treats. Later in the summer olallieberries, boysenberries and blackberries will be in season.
If a trip to Gizdich doesn’t sound appealing, anyone traveling along Hwy. 25 can pull over near the Santa Clara county line at the Uesugi Farms stand. Uesugi has the white fruit stand with the red signage. The strawberries go for a lot less than you can find them for at the store, and the flavor is way more intense.
Locally, the Hollister Downtown farmers’ market has started for the season and they have several vendors selling strawberries, including one vendor who sells three baskets for $5.
With the abundance of strawberries, there is a variety of ways to eat them, starting with just plain. Try them dipped in some sour cream and brown sugar for an extra sweet and creamy taste. Or try some of these recipes below while the summer supply lasts.
Grilled strawberries with balsamic vinegar
20 strawberries
Wooden skewers
½ c. balsamic vinegar
4 basil leaves, cut into thin strips
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least one hour before cooking. Clean, hull and dry strawberries. Place four on each skewer.
Cook strawberries over medium heat until they have grill marks on both sides, about 2 minutes. Drizzle with vinegar and top with basil.
Strawberry champagne sangria
Recipe courtesy of Raley’s
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. triple sec (or other orange liqueur)
1/4 c. sugar
2 c. sliced California strawberries, pureed
Strawberry and lime slices
1 (750-ml.) bottle champagne or sparkling wine
Stir together juices, liqueur and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Place all ingredients, except sparkling water or champagne, in a pitcher or jug and chill until ready to serve.
Just before serving, add sparkling water or champagne. Pour over ice-filled glasses and garnish with fruit slices.
Make your sangrias ahead and let them steep for a few hours for maximum flavor.
Strawberry shortcake malt
Recipe courtesy of Got Milk? and Chef Bret Thompson
1 qt. vanilla bean ice cream
1 c. whole milk
2 tbsp. malted milk mix
1 pt. strawberry sorbet
1 cookie, your choice, crushed
Whipped cream to taste
Freeze four glasses. Scoop two scoops of strawberry sorbet into each glass.
Place one pint of vanilla bean ice cream, ½ c. milk and 1 tbsp. of the malted milk in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour malt into 2 of the glasses. Repeat. Pipe whipped cream on top.
Chocolate-covered strawberries
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen
1 lb. (about 20) strawberries with stems, washed and dried very well
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
Rinse, but do not hull the strawberries. Drain and pat completely dry.
Put the semisweet chocolate into heatproof medium bowls. Fill medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper.
Chocolate can also be melted in the microwave in glass bowls. Cook for 60 seconds, then stir and cook for 10 seconds more. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly to thicken.
Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the bottom half of each strawberry in the melted chocolate. Twist the strawberry so that the chocolate forms a “tail” at the end. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining strawberries.
For more on Gizdich Ranch, visit www.gizdich-ranch.com. For more recipes from Got milk?, visit www.gotmilk.com.
