Strawberry Rhubarb Soup shows off jewel fruit of the season.
There are an infinite number of things to love about Texas.
And though the people and tacos rank high on my list, our quick winters and rush into spring might be my favorite. Not just because of al fresco dinners on a February evening, but because we’re some of the first in the country to see those fruits and vegetables that mean we are officially on the short track to summer.
Nothing screams summer as much as a juicy, red strawberry. They’re the jewels of the season, and they can be found at Texas farms as early as March — months ahead of the farms near my colleagues at our New York campus, where they’re still shoveling snow.
A day trip to pick-yourown farms is the perfect way to soak in this spring weather, though if you’ve ever picked your own strawberries, you may be familiar with the “I picked too many!” panic that can follow.
The thing to remember is that strawberries are a great freezer fruit. Wash them, hull them and let them air-dry. Then spread them on a parchmentpaper-lined baking sheet and freeze them until they are solid. Then collect
them all in a container.
Freezing this way will let you grab as many berries as you need from the bag, instead of having to chisel away berries from a
big, frozen block. This strategy works with all berries and most spring vegetables. For veggies such as broccoli and asparagus, cut them first into bite-size pieces, then give them a quick blanch in boiling water before cooling and freezing.
Besides the obvious recipes for jam, ice cream and pie, strawberries are versatile enough to use in both sweet and savory dishes. Cook them with sugar and water, then strain to make a syrup you can pour over ice cream, yogurt or into lemonade or spring cocktails.
Mix the finely chopped fruit into softened butter to spread on toast, biscuits or waffles, or layer them between baked puff pastry with whipped cream and lemon curd.
I love strawberries in a classic spring salad with baby spinach or tender baby greens. The sweetness is a welcome balance to a tart vinaigrette, especially one made with Champagne vinegar and shallots.
You also can add finely chopped or puréed strawberries to a red wine sauce to serve with roasted pork loin or add them to your favorite salsa recipe to top grilled fish.
And don’t forget that strawberry jam when you’re assembling a cheese plate or baked brie.