Ontario strawberries are here and what a treat. You can’t compare them with the ones that come from half way around the world. Even better yet are the ones from your very own garden. I don’t have any planted but they are on my list for next spring. My 91-year-old mother planted some last year and she was so excited about “the plants being loaded with flowers and you should see all the berries that will be ripening.” I called her the other day to see how the garden was growing and she tells me how she was sitting on her deck and watched a mother racoon with three little ones walk down the driveway and how cute they were. The phone call the next day was in a totally different tone—“they ate every single red and green strawberry, there is nothing left for me to eat,” she said. “Well, Mom, you can go and support your local farmers’ market, they will love to see you.”
Summer Berry Salad
My lettuce is growing like crazy and John is complaining that instead of his cauliflower ears he is getting lettuce ears! Who doesn’t love fresh-from-the-garden salad, and this time of year when you can add fresh fruit, it makes it extra yummy. Instead of the almonds and Brazil nuts I used pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. I also switched the raspberries for the dressing to strawberries. The best way to make this salad is to arrange the lettuce on individual plates or one large plate, then top with the rest of the ingredients.
NUT CRUMBLE:
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup Brazil nuts
1/2 tsp cinnamon
24 mint leaves
4 Tbsp hemp hearts
RASPBERRY DRESSING:
1 cup raspberries
20 mint leaves
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1 /2 cup olive oil or sunflower seed oil
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 tsp Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
BERRY SALAD:
4 cups mixed lettuce
1 cup fresh strawberries washed and sliced
1 avocado, sliced or diced
1. For the dressing combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. The dressing will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
2. Arrange the lettuce on a large plate, and then top with the berries and avocado. Drizzle with the dressing, and sprinkle with the nut crumble. Serves 2.
Strawberry Cardamom Cobbler
This is a quick dessert and to make it a bit healthier switch the flour to Loon Song spelt and the butter to coconut oil. It will make the cobbler a bit denser. The apples are added to give the cobbler some body and absorb some of the juices.
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced in half
2 cups apple peeled and diced
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup butter, cut into pieces and chilled
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Toss the fruit with 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, cardamom and cinnamon and spoon into a baking dish.
3. In a mixing bowl combine the 2 cups flour, cornmeal,2 /3 cup sugar, and baking powder. Cut the butter until it’s an even crumbly texture. Blend milk, lemon zest and vanilla and add to pastry, mixing until pastry just comes together. Spoon dough onto fruit, leaving a little space between spoonfuls to allow for expansion as cobbler bakes.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
5. Serve with whipping cream or ice cream.
