Berries to Believe In
When it comes to strawberries, only fresh and local will do.

Paris. It’s where I first discovered the joy of eating “real” strawberries years ago. Out exploring the Maris District one morning, I found a small produce shop and went in for some fruit. The place was filled with beautifully arranged vegetables and fruit and fragrant with the scent of just-harvested strawberries, apricots, and peaches. Heaven!

I reached for a brown paper bag and was stopped by the old shopkeeper, who insisted on selecting my strawberries herself. She smiled and held up a firm, shiny ruby red berry with a brilliant green top for me to smell. Divine! She placed each berry carefully in the bag and handed it to me with great pride. Little did I know at the time that she had unintentionally taught me how to select perfectly ripe strawberries—by smell.

Back in San Francisco—before organic produce and farmers markets became widely available—I found that bland supermarket strawberries left me cold.

Today, I shop at trusted independent produce markets where I know I’ll find fruits and vegetables harvested at their peak from small local growers (many farming on parcels as small as six acres). These farmers specialize in older strawberry varieties not offered by the huge chain supermarkets. I’m sure that they would make my French produce woman smile.

No matter where you shop, you must be vigilant when selecting fruits. Unfortunately, even at my local farmer’s market, I’ve found that fruits are often picked before peak ripeness. This past weekend I found fairly good strawberries but passed on peaches that were consistently as hard as baseballs.

U-pick farms and fields are another terrific resource for strawberry lovers that want to buy in bulk—especially families on a tight budget. The field that my extended family frequents sells pre-picked flats (12 1-pint baskets) that we often split with each other.

Best of all are home grown berries warmed by the sun and eaten out-of-hand, one after another until the juice runs down your chin and fingers. Since land is limited on my Sausalito hillside, I’ve planted a wildly painted purple strawberry pot in the garden.  It’s perfect for grazing when the mood hits, but doesn’t yield enough for my favorite pies, shortcakes, ice creams, sorbets, popsicles and drinks. For such recipes, I’ll count on local farmers during our growing season. As for the rest of the year, I’ll pass on the unripe, overpriced imported berries found at the grocery store… and let my memories of the real thing sustain me.

Create a few memories of your own with some of my all-time favorite strawberry treats:

Strawberry Shortcake

Nothing tastes better on a warm summer night than a fluffy buttermilk biscuit piled high with juicy, peak-season berries and freshly whipped cream. (Except maybe the same treat, devoured for breakfast the next morning!)

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Brilliant in its simplicity, this pie is a showstopper that depends on perfectly ripe strawberries and a luscious cheesecake cream for its flavor.

Strawberry Sorbet with Cracked Black Pepper

This icy, jewel-colored sorbet was inspired by the Italian tradition of macerating fresh strawberries in fine balsamic vinegar, then adding a bit of heat with freshly ground black pepper. Magnifico!

Cheesecake Dip with Fresh Strawberries

When the desire for cheesecake overtakes you and the outside temperatures are rising, go for this addictive “no cook” dessert. If there is anything left after serving, you’ll find yourself dreaming of it, and ultimately raiding the refrigerator at midnight.

Mexican Aqua de Fresa (strawberry water)

Pure summer in a glass—ripe strawberries, a little sugar, water and ice—no chemicals, preservatives or flavor enhancers. More, please!