It’s almost time for strawberries! Last night at our family gathering Mom Esquivel made a strawberry dessert that was super-wow, and it reminded me that we haven’t been strawberry picking in a couple of years (which is why my hair is miraculously different in the above picture–wasn’t it pretty two years ago?).
We like to visit Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls for warm, ripe, off-the-vine berries. The berries should be ready for picking by the end of March (just in time for my birthday!), and I can’t wait. Last time we visited, we made spinach-strawberry salads, strawberry popsicles, strawberry smoothies, strawberry waffles, strawberries with balsamic vinegar with creme anglaise…you can never have too many sweet berries.
Hopefully the strawberries in grocery stores will be of better quality within the coming weeks, and you can try out a few strawberry recipes of your own. If we make it to the farm this year, I’ll post more pictures. Until then, here’s an idea to start your strawberry adventures.
Strawberry Pops
- 1 1/2 pints strawberries, rinsed and hulled
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup water
Pulse strawberries, sugar, and water in a food processor until pureed, with some chunks of berries remaining. Pour half of mixture into a bowl. Pulse remainder until smooth. Stir puree into mixture in bowl. Pour into 3-ounce popsicle molds or plastic cups, insert sticks or wooden spoons, and freeze until solid, at least 8 hours.
Makes 8 popsicles.
Source: Everyday Food, May/June 2003