新手上路
庶人 三级
- 积分
- 6
- 威望
- 20 点
- 资产
- 30 金币
- 注册时间
- 2007-6-5
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Strawberry season is sweet for many delicious reasons, and it heralds the beginning of summer.( Y& |5 \" O H7 t$ H! s( ?! B
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For homegrown treats, it\'s hard to beat the strawberry, the first sweet fruit of summer.
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, \- O* ]. s4 T' a6 t) f9 a) e6 SFor the next few weeks Southwestern Ontario residents can buy strawberries at a local farm, or be farmers for a day and pick the strawberries themselves. ) R( R6 X# H. n9 @9 W
+ {5 F' b$ `7 Y% e1 e1 y) I/ iMike O\'Shea of the O\'Shea\'s Farm Fresh, a family operation near Granton, said this year\'s crop is much better than last season because the weather has been much more co-operative.
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\"It\'s not as cold and wet as it was last season, so it looks a lot more promising,\" he said. 4 l7 Y6 o( a, T0 ?6 \- v$ o- h! X
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\"If the weather continues this way and maybe gets a little cooler, it will be just perfect, and we\'ll have a great turnout,\" he said.
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O\'Shea is encouraging residents to phone in before coming out to pick.
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Over at Red Barn Berries, near Woodstock, Sue Hilborn is expecting big things.
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& G! E0 I* l, q* C6 {) c+ @( |\"It\'s going to be huge,\" said Hilborn of this year\'s strawberry crop. \"We avoided any frost.\"
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Their pick-your-own operation opens today, said Hilborn, who urges residents to stock up on the summer treat. - ^* l9 a& I5 Z( [% y+ ^
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\"It\'s going to be easy picking,\" she said.
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' A5 w3 t/ [2 [$ T# @STRAWBERRY PAIRINGS
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- Serve fresh strawberries with a cheese platter for an appetizer or after-dinner treat.
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* ]. |+ D0 \5 x2 B3 G- Slice fresh strawberries into a salad of arugula and pecorino cheese.
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- Another option is a salad of greens, sliced yellow pepper, strawberries and cooked pancetta or bacon. : f, o% c0 J1 u5 K6 g$ A0 A( C
+ Q- ?$ h6 v& v0 h0 O- Try sliced strawberries in an omelette.
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' R3 a* f% P y5 e5 V- Marinate a pint of strawberries with 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) sugar and 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) balsamic vinegar and serve chilled garnished with freshly ground black pepper. ' K; E$ _: x+ @" e* a b
( O N3 ^3 C; DSTRAWBERRY TIPS # t5 {4 }2 z0 a" V- Y
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- When buying fresh strawberries, look for bright red berries with a sweet smell and no white or green spots. : Z) z- m5 o+ p+ ]: O% k- m
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- Size doesn\'t matter -- large or small, all strawberries are equally sweet and juicy. 6 y. E5 T# F; \: b# C$ V/ E* G
* @' z, i/ V l$ m1 E9 z- Avoid crushed berries or those packed in juice-stained containers. Remove any damaged berries before they spoil the rest.
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- Refrigerate in a single layer with hulls intact. Just before using, gently rinse under cold running water and pat dry. / d" T: l$ W. l: b5 ^9 A& s, x/ G: j
7 `7 n2 B6 @: s ~. H9 ?8 V8 R: h- If freezing, place a single layer on a tray and freeze until firm. Pack into freezer bags and seal.
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FOR THE HEALTH OF IT
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! u9 {0 {, p B# m; b* U1 _0 R5 KStrawberries literally burst with healthy compounds, including anthocyanins -- natural plant pigments in berries that function as powerful antioxidants, sweeping out harmful free-radical molecules. / b% b2 ?4 P9 A d, T
$ q' r8 q2 e) hThey contain ellagic acid, which is effective in neutralizing carcinogenic agents. As well, they are rich in kaempferol, which may help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. & R8 U; _/ O* |/ r7 q7 t* H
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HOW SWEET
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A sampling of area farmers offering strawberries.
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a3 P G+ u9 ?0 f7 V- Foley Farms & Carolinian Winery, 4823 Dundas St., London, 519-268-2000
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- Ferguson\'s Produce, Wellington Road South, RR 6, St. Thomas, 519- 631-6589
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7 l3 \' Z5 U/ }% u- G & M Howe and Sons, RR 5, Aylmer, 519-773-3837
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9 E# O3 g* a* L( b* z- Heeman Greenhouses and Strawberry Farm, 20422 Nissouri Rd., Thorndale, 519-461-0555 or 519-461-1416
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- J.M.D. Vandepoele Farms, RR 1, Drumbo, 519-463-5796
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- Kerr Farm Market Inc., RR 6, Chatham, 519-352-4164 + F0 Y V" t" i$ q' i) X
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- Listowel Greenhouses, RR 2, Listowel, 519-291-2434 |
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