Berries For Sale

posted June 16, 2008
  by Christine Gable, Kiddie Chow

Strawberry season is here. And it hit suddenly. It just so happened that my daughter and I were out to accomplish some everyday errands when we saw the sight that turned our day around: red, ripe berries for sale. The farm right down our road had just opened the little roadside stand and the quarts were lined up and ready to go.

While we’ve bought (and picked) berries at various farms in the area—and occasionally sunk to purchasing them at a grocery store—we’ve discovered that these are the best berries ever. The largest, shiniest, juice-drippin’-down-your-chin, smack-your-lips berries. Or put it this way: if you don’t like these, you’re just not a berry lover.

Now one thing’s for sure: this week and next will find us taking the strawberry detour frequently—especially since our own little patch is only enough for a grab-and-go snack. Oh, I’ve learned a lot over the past three years about planting, growing, fertilizing, mowing and weeding berries. Especially watering and weeding.

It all began with my son’s initial foray into 4-H. His project: strawberries. We placed our order for some plants and attended an introductory lesson that took us through the testing of the soil, boosting it with the necessary accoutrements, planting, placing runners wagon-wheel style—and the all-important removal of the first-year flowers so that no berries develop prematurely. This is a vital step for more plentiful, better berries the next (and first producing) year.

Several weeks later the rather shriveled-up strawberry plants (“are these things even alive?”)—looking more like a bag of roots arrived, and we got to start showin’ our stuff. In the interim we had done our homework: tested soil, cleared rocks, rototilled and supplemented the soil to make our best efforts at managing and preparing the nutrient and pH levels for happy berry plants.

Thus began the watering and tending growing season. We discovered how to keep the plants watered when not enough fell from the sky, we gingerly tucked the new runner outgrowth into the surrounding soil, and we quickly upended any wily weeds that poked up. And then we oh-so-carefully gave them a layer of straw to help them stay warm over winter. Once spring hit, it was time to uncover, weed and repeat the cycle. Thankfully when the second, much-anticipated year arrived, there would be no blossom plucking. This year there would be flowers. There would be berries. Hopefully.

And yes, flowers and berries did appear. So did the birds. How to keep the birds from eating all our berries? Or at least from poking a pointed beak in and ruining the juicy fruit for everyone? Think netting, fake owls and stakes with silver pie pans and soda cans tinkling in the breeze. Whew—all was well again.

Fast-forward through several years of berry-growing adventures, and it’s made me even more appreciative of those sweet ready-to-go berries from the farm down the road. While I’ve seen and heard folks grumble and drive away when they see the $4/quart sign, I have no hesitation. Sweet, ripe, melt-in-your-moth berries that I didn’t have to plant, weed, water and chase birds from?

It’s a deal, a very good deal—and if you’ve ever tried to play strawberry farmer, you know it. $4/quart is very sweet indeed.

Next week: Bread, Bread & More Bread


Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 10
Ready in: < 30 minutes

* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup oil
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 1/4 cup flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray muffin tins with vegetable oil spray and set aside.

Using electric mixer, cream together sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until well mixed, about 20 to 30 seconds.

Add flour, baking powder, salt and milk and mix on medium for 20-30 more seconds until incorporated. Pour batter into muffin tins (about 1/2 cup each) and bake for 17-20 minutes or until each cake is lightly golden brown on top and done in the middle.

Christine's Notes: I've tried countless strawberry shortcake recipes over the years—and have often come away a bit disappointed—either they're too airy, too dry-and-biscuity, or too sweet. Baked in a muffin tin, this one's a cross between pound cake and sponge cake; these individual cakes may be split in half and topped with berries and milk. Mmmm, divine.

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