Nothing screams summer like New England’s June strawberries. It’s the beginning of our pick-your-own season but we don’t really pick them unless we take the grandchildren. Applecrest Farm is just a stone’s throw away where we can buy the juiciest berries already picked and waiting for us. With four acres of berries and a dozen varieties, we can’t go wrong!
It’s a short season and we’re taking full advantage. We’ve enjoyed eating them fresh but also with rhubarb in deserts, as a sauce over ice cream, with simple milk and sugar, and and in salads or a main dish such as the one below, grilled chicken salad with spring lettuce, roasted pecans, blueberries and juicy strawberries, that mister gardener made for us tonight. Deee-lish!
His dressing: 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup veg. oil, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 onion, diced, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper…blended in a mini food processor for about 30 seconds. Oh so good!
The strawberries came from Applecrest Farm, but the lettuce keeps on coming right out of my small garden. I have several varieties growing in all of my containers whether it’s an ornamental container or tomato trough or some small herb containers. With our cool, wet spring, the lettuce doesn’t show any sign of bolting. We’re taking full advantage!
We are almost finished our current stash of strawberries but not to worry. Tomorrow is our town’s Farmers’ Market. I know we’ll see more of the juicy fruit at several of the farm stands. We’ll come home with strawberries and perhaps a few asparagus. Can’t wait.
Looks delicious
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Yes! It was very good.
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Love the fresh strawberry season! The photos made me hungry for some 🙂
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Tis the season and everyone must have some! I hope there is a grower near you.
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Definitely! There’s a ton about an hour up the PCH. We usually go a couple times each season 🙂
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Just a few miles from Watsonville, the Strawberry Capital of the World, I find that strawberries are not so easy to grow in the home garden. I do not like them much, and I like them even less because of the work involved. I miss ‘normal’ strawberries that I hear about in New England. They are quite good in Oregon too.
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California has the corner on the summer market for strawberries but when your season winds down, Florida’s season begins. We used to live near Plant City FL, a town that claims to be the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. We did a lot of pick-your-own there when the kids were young. Like you, I have no interest in growing them!
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We got a rhubarb and strawberry pie at work today, and some of my colleagues were annoyed when I said that strawberries just take up space that could be filled by more rhubarb. Rhubarb rox! Strawberries, . . . not so much.
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Happy shopping tomorrow because those strawberries look delicious. I love them on salads too.
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Thank you for Mr. Gardener’s fabulous recipe! Strawberries are in full stride picking here in the Old Dominion as well. Life is good!
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I see strawberries on the menu again tonight! 😃
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