YOUR MISSION COMPLETED: STRAWBERR RY VS.CHERRY

Last week we asked you to take sides in an epic summer fruit battle between strawberry and cherry. Gastr made preserves and stirred up cocktails to prove their allegiances. In the end, the fragrant strawberry nar ropost members baked pies, arrowly prevai

Viveca Gravel @vgravel Reads cookbooks like they’re novels

I poured some white sugar and the zest and juice from one orange and then just freepoured the Grand Marnier into the pot, added a bit of water and let this simmer away for some time until a syrup was made. I added in the cherries and let these cook for a few moments until some of their natural water was evaporated and the liquid in the pot had returned to syrup. Took the whole concoction and put this into a jar to be refrigerated. What a wonderful way to preserve cherries to be eaten on ice cream, cakes and just maybe by the spoonful.

Mary-margaret Jones @marymargaret Remembers cooking her first meal when she was three years old

I was ready to tell you all that this cherry vs. strawberry thing is an unnecessary and false dichotomy. Why choose between these succulent fruits? It’s like asking me to choose between a bottle of Hendricks Gin and Lagavulin Scotch. Then, I started playing with both, and I changed my mind. I whipped up a batch of cherry flings, which were well loved and everyone asked for seconds.

Emma Brooks @ejbrooks From Nova Scotia, loves eating out and cooking in Toronto

In the vein of challenging myself with a new fruit, I also like to try to cook paleo/primal when at home. (Oh? Not familiar with that? It’s what you may have heard of as “The Caveman Diet” — basically, no grains. Meat, fowl, seafood, veggies, nuts, fruit, etc.) So, I introduce to you: Paleo Dark Chocolate Cherry Brownies. Yup. That just happened.

Adam Mcdowell @A_MCDO Food and drink journalist; mixology enthusiast

So here’s a drink for cherry lovers. I’m not a big fan of Cuba libres/rum and cola (there are so many more interesting things you can do with rum), but this fancy Fentiman’s Cherry Tree Cola sure was tasty, and surprisingly dry. Dry enough to put it into aperitif territory. I offset that a little with the caramel-vanilla flavours of Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, and presto, I had a nice, quick pre-dinner drink.

Carole Nelson Brown Makeup artist by trade, food blogger for love

Hmmmm, cherries vs. strawberries. To be honest, I just love to eat Ontario strawberries more than I like to preserve them. It almost seems like a waste to make jam out of them because they are just so sweet and delicious and perfect just as they are. If I am going to have to follow my “secret mission” and do some sort of boozy berry preserve, I have to go cherry.

Matt Demers @mattdemers Comic geek, gamer and consumer of tea

My dad’s house is in Hamilton. It’s a humble house, but we’ve lived in it for more than 20 years. It’s a bit on the small side and has seen better days, but it’s got a killer back lot, including this lovely cherry tree.

Jascha Baraness @jaschabaraness Manager and sommelier at Barque Smokehouse, golfer

This was a tough mission. Not in finding strawberries or cherries, but having to choose between them. Then I realized that last year I had made some rum-soaked cherries, and my mind was made up. There’s nothing quite like a ripe cherry, or a drunk cherry in a cocktail as a garnish. Not to mention, when cherry blossoms bloom, it announces the arrival of spring, and makes the urbanscape so beautiful.

Erica Westeroth Interior designer, food blogger

I began to plan a meal with cherries. Mesclun and cherry salad and warm goat cheese rounds drizzled with a tarragon vinaigrette, Mustard and coriander seed roasted potatoes, and lamb chops with a cherry pan sauce. For dessert, cherry pie, semisweet and enhanced with a touch of almond extract. Cherrilicious!

Tonya Facey @wontonfm Blogger, passionate about food and travel

While I could’ve opted to eat these berries by the handful (it was tempting) I decided to whip up a quick and easy dessert, a strawberry crumble. I tossed the strawberries in the tiniest bit of sugar (they were already so sweet), a bit of vanilla, ginger and flour. I had some foraged mulberries on hand and threw a few handfuls in as well. I topped the mixture with a simple mix of flour, baking powder, salt, butter, cinnamon and a bit more ginger and allowed the whole thing to bake until bubbly and delicious.

Libby Roach @libbyroach1 Food and product photographer, Blogto writer

First things first. Yes, I own a cherry pitter. It’s in regular rotation in my house, so that’s not the reason I went with Team Strawberry. Cherries aren’t fragrant enough, the allure of the Ontario summer strawberry is the scent. It smells like June jubilee rainbow party fiesta. OK, I can’t back that up. But I can declare my undying devotion to this amazing berry, and only because it wasn’t strawberry vs. raspberry (’cause then my allegiance fades!).

Pictured above is strawberries from the field (Reesor farm u-pick) and then muddled with mint into strawberry mojitos. A perfectly refreshing summer cocktail!

Maxine Levine @madstonemax Maker of fine soaps

Strawberry Jam, canned and ready to store!

Mard @eatl Full-ti writer

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Fiona Bramzell @feester Reflexologist, freelance writer, strict vegetarian

As a transplanted Brit, I’m eagerly watching Wimbledon and dreaming of strawberries and cream. So, as a nod to my adopted country of Canada and my Brit roots, I decided to incorporate strawberries into a Nanaimo-(ish) bar! I replaced the traditional filling with a homemade strawberry jam and custard mixture and, as you can see, smothered it in a very generous layer of chocolate ganache. Two nations in sweet strawberry harmony!

Samantha Osaduke

Writer, can’t live without seafood and co≠ee I made chocolate-covered strawberries and poured drinks for a girls’ night in. The slight bitterness of the Jersey Milk Chocolate elevates the sweetness of the strawberries for a juicy, decadent delight.

Jenny Ellison

Likes food best when it is prepared by someone else For my first mission, I decided to get some strawberries and cherries from the East Lynn Park Farmer’s Market and do a tasting. Head to head, no sugar, nothing: Which was the best fruit? First, I rinsed the roomtemperature fruit and poured myself a glass of sparkling water with lemon. Next, I sat on my porch and ate a strawberry, then a cherry. Then I ate several more of each. Ultimately, it was the strawberries I returned to again and again. By the end of the tasting, I had red juice dribbling down my chin and I was humming the theme song to True Blood (“I wanna do bad things with you …”).