Luscious local berries

Recipes to celebrate the return of roadside fruit stands to the North Shore

WE WERE fortunate, when living in California, to have

always
Day,

strawberries that
around Valentine’s

made
continued
around for most of the hot summer, and were so

first
into

their oppearance
spring, were

abun-

dant, they were taken for granted.

They are gorgeous “movie
star’? specimens — most of them
— on the outside, and most often
white and pithy on first bite.
Some are sour enough to make
one pucker.

But then we moved to B.C., ar-
riving on Canada Day. We asked
new friends in West Vancouver,
“where are the strawberries?’

They replied, with a tone of pi-
ty and regret, “you missed the
first pick two weeks ago. That's
when they are the best.”

First pick!?! News to me.

Five years later, | cagerly await
that time in mid-June when the
tush, ripe, local berries appear.

I avidly read the 5081 section in
the North Shore News classifieds
(Food Products) to see when
Bob’s Produce is opening, or
when Bissett’s Berry Farm is of-
fering ‘‘pick-your-own.”’

I search for the friendly road
sign-boards with the hand-painted
smiling strawberry. | follow the
arrows, even go out of my way,
whenever I see the first ‘local
berries’’ signpost.

And mostly, during those first
few weeks, our kitchen is a frenzy
of strawberry delights.

How do we enjoy them?

First off, big bowls filled with
hulled berries sprinkled with
nothing more than vanilla-
flavored sugar.

Next, strawberries sprinkled
with sugar and topped with
lashings of bottled heavy cream.
Frozen strawberry sorbet is next,
prepared in my trusted Italian ice
cream freezer.

My counters are filled with bot-
tles of strawberry vinegar, straw-
berry ketchup, and jars of straw-

. berry vinaigrette.

Cooling racks boast warm
strawberry and rhubarb pies (nat-
ural partners), and company
means a strawberry tart for
dessert.

Sunday night supper finishes
with warm strawberry shortcake.
And most mornings, my kitchen is
filled with the aroma of simmer-
ing berry jam.

Here are some of my favorite

Edena
Sheldon -

CUISINE SCENE

recipes to get you going, with our
local berry season now in full
swing.
JOHN'S BEST-EVER
STRAWBERRY JAM

My pal and fellow North Shore
cooking enthusiast John Morton
phoned me two summers ago
from his kitchen with great ex-
citement over the jam he had just
made.

His recipe was brief and to the
point: ‘'2 parts fruit, 1 part sugar,
buil exactly 30 minutes!’ Well, he
was right.

I have shared Morton’s recipe
with friends from Wilton, Con-
necticut to South Pasadena,
California.

All proclaim it to be the best,
most fool-proof, simple jam
they’ve ever made.

It works with any berry or fruit,
has half the sugar of most recipes,
is vibrant in natural flavor and
color, and takes the promised 30
minutes, Prepare in small baiches,
for best results.

This jam must be refrigerated
*— a small price to pay for such a
great jam.

By the way, if you like Mor-
ton’s jam, stop by his Wild Birds
Nature Shop in North Vancouver
and tell him so.

Makes I pint (500 mL). Recipe
may be doubled.

ake their debut

pesy 2) bat es

NEWS photo Neil Lucente

ROADSIDE VENDOR Suzanne Stromotich holds up a succulent

strawberry at her Welch location.

1 Ib. (600 g) fresh strawberries,
halved (242 cups/625 mL)
Y% tb. (250 g) granulated or berry
sugar (1% cups/300 mL)

Combine berries and sugar in
heavy stainless-steel or enameled
pan.

Simmer to dissolve sugar. Bring
mixture to a medium-high boil
and cook, uncovered, exactly 30
minutes.

Stir occasionally, taking care

that jam does not scorch,

Remove pan from heat (jam
will be a bit loose; don’t worry —
it sets up perfectly every time!)
and cool to lukewarm.

Stir jam and transfer into clean
glass jars. Top with a piece of
parchment or cellophane, and cap
tightly. Refrigerate, up to 6
months,

FRESH STRAWBERRY
SORBET

This basic recipe for frozen
sorbet may be adapted to any
kind of seasonal berries or fruit.

Especially deligious variations
include raspberries, blackberries,
peach, apricot, melon of any
kind. Makes 1% quarts (1.5
litres).
2 ¢.
syrup*
2c. (500 m1.) pureed berries
1 thsp. (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
* see recipe below

Combine syrup, berry puree and
lemon juice. Whisk smooth. Pour
into ice cream freezer (electric or
manual) and freeze according to
manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer sorbet into air-tight
container. Freeze up to | week for
best flavor.

SIMPLE SYRUP

Prepare this syrup and chill in
bottles to have on hand all sum-
mer long. Will keep indefinitely.
4c. (I kilo) granulated sugar
4c. (f litre) cold water

Bring sugar and water to a boil
in a saucepan until sugar
dissolves. Boil 1 minute. Remove
from heat. Cool syrup.

Bottle and cap. Store in
refrigerator indefinitely. Measure
and use as suggested.

CRUSHED STRAWBERRY
VINAIGRETTE

This unusual lovely summertime
berry vinaigrette makes a wonder-
ful marinade and basting sauce
for grilled chicken, halibut or
salmon done outdoors over a hot
fire.

Use it to dress chilled mixed
greens and sliced avocado salad.
Drizzle over a platter of chilled
seasonal melons and fruits. Makes
2% cups (625 mL). Delicious!
tc, (250 mL) mashed ripe straw-
berries (12 large)

6 tbsp. (90 mL) raspberry or cider
vinegar

3 tbsp. (45 mL) sugar

¥% ec. (175 mL) vegetable oil

2 tsp. (10 mL) minced fresh thyme
or mint leaves

Yq tsp. (1 mL) salt

Freshly cracked black peppercorns

Combine mashed berries,
vinegar and sugar in a small glass
bowl. Let stand 2-3 hours at
toom temperature to miacerate.
Whisk in the oil, thyme (or mint)
leaves, salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a glass jar. Cover
and chill up to | week. Whisk or
shake vinaigrette before using.

(500) mL) chilled simple

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