Strawberries!
Summer’s Invitation to Slow Down and Savor
by Torrey Douglass
If summer has a mascot, it’s that red jewel of sweetness, the beloved strawberry. Growing up in New York’s Hudson Valley, strawberries were only ever available in the summer months. I adored them. They tasted like sunshine and freedom.
Later on, when I lived in Oakland, California, their fragrance would hover above the more urban scents of car exhaust and hustle as I walked to the farmers market tucked under an overpass by Lake Merritt, leading me by the nose to the tables crowded with cartons of square baskets filled with ruby-red treasure. A couple of those baskets usually joined me for the walk back home.
We’re very lucky to live in a time and place where we can get fresh strawberries throughout the year. That said, I will swear on whatever is good and green that a local strawberry picked in early summer before the serious heat arrives has no equal. Shout out to the Boonville Barn Collective in Anderson Valley for their most excellent strawberries—sold by the case.* But they are not the only farmers growing strawberries. Take a gander through MCFarm.org to find a Mendocino County farmers market near you so you can get some for yourself.
Sliced onto a chocolate crepe, into fruit salad, over vanilla ice cream, or happily savored as is, these precious gems capture the spirit of summer—a reminder that the season was made for front porch sitting and hammock reclining, leisurely lingering over life’s sweeter things.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries:
Shortcut Edition
You have fresh strawberries. You have chocolate. But you might not have a lot of time. Here’s a simple approach for making this elegant classic in no time!
2/3 c chocolate chips
2 T water or heavy cream
1 basket fresh strawberries
Put 2/3 cup chocolate chips and 2 T water or heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat (Lily’s sugar-free semi-sweet morsels are perfect). Use a double boiler if you want to be safe, or just keep a close eye on it if you are in the mood to live risky. Stir until melted and smooth.
Wash the strawberries and shake gently to remove excess water, then dry with a paper towel. Cover a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each strawberry into the melted chocolate and place on the sheet. When all the strawberries are dipped, place the sheet in the fridge to chill the chocolate. These can either be served immediately or moved into a sealed container after an hour. If you’re feeling fancy, melt white chocolate, let it cool slightly, pour into a clean snack bag, snip off the corner,
*Boonville Barn Collective sells their strawberries directly to customers.
Contact them at hello@boonvillebarn.com to be added to the berry mailing list.