Some foods were just meant to be together. And a classic summertime example of a perfect flavour marriage is that of rhubarb and strawberries.

Both are abundant in spring and summer. The tart and tangy taste of rhubarb melds perfectly with sweet, red strawberries. Like an A-list celebrity couple, these two fruits also look great together. I’d love to hear your favourite ideas for combining these two fruits. They’re always popular in pies and fruit crisps, but are equally lovely in muffins with a streusel topping or in a salad with poppy seed dressing. In our family, we like to stew our fresh-from-the-garden rhubarb (simply place chopped rhubarb in a pot, add about 1/3 cup of water, sugar to taste and simmer until applesauce-like in texture.) Stewed rhubarb is delicious served warm or cold on its own as a healthy dessert. It can also be topped with a little ice cream or blended with strawberries, raspberries or banana into a refreshing smoothie.
One cup of rhubarb supplies just 26 calories and 2 grams of fibre. It’s a source of calcium, however, it also contains oxalic acid, which makes the calcium less absorbable. (Oxalic acid is the reason it’s not recommended to eat rhubarb leaves.) The same amount of strawberries has about 50 calories, 3 grams of fibre and 150% of the daily requirement for vitamin C. A delicious combo you can feel great about eating!

Until next time,
Patricia

Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, cranberries, as well as black currents, red currents and other berries contain antioxidants – healthy substances that counteract the oxidation of our cells. They therefore aid in disease prevention.

So-called free radicals (caused by smoking, pollution, sun exposure, certain medications and our internal metabolism) can damage cells and may play a role in chronic and degenerative diseases.  Some studies have shown that regular consumption of foods rich in antioxidants help protect the body against the affects of free radicals..

Blueberries contain the highest level of antioxidants.  There’s lots of research going on related to the positive health effects of these little fruits and their active components. Bottom line – blueberries and all other colourful fruits have a lot going for them!

Neat to know is that unlike vitamins which can be reduced by cooking, antioxidants stay intact.

We can therefore even benefit from certain heat-processed foods like berry jams or syrups, particularly when little or no sugar is added.

Whether spending a day in a sunny farm field picking berries or stocking up at your local supermarket, take advantage of the season! Fill up on fibre-rich, low calorie berries and tuck some away in the freezer to enjoy all year long!

It’s tough to choose just one, but what’s your favourite berry and why?  I’d love to hear what you have to say on the subject!

Patricia

P.S. My favourite berry is blueberries. Like all berries, they can be enjoyed in so many ways. I especially like them in banana blueberry muffins and blueberry vanilla soy smoothies. Yum!

What a delicious product!  Its only fault is to only be available during a very short season. Which is why we need to take full advantage of them while they’re here. It is true that supermarkets can have them all year long, but it needs to be said that local strawberries can be a lot fresher and sweeter than those from our neighbours south of the border.

If you have strawberry farmers in your area, pay them a visit to pick your own berries (and eat them right on site)! Bring your kids, they’ll enjoy helping you. When I was young, I had a friend that lived on a small strawberry farm 10 minutes from my hometown. It was called Stardale farm, and this is where my friends and I would defiantly eat tons of berries. There is something so great about handpicking the most amazingly fresh and ripe berries to put in your basket and at the same time taste testing every second one… but trust me you will be berried out by the end so pace yourself.

Even though it may be tempting to preserve your strawberries for the whole year by freezing them or using them in jams, I recommend that you eat them quickly so that they will be as fresh as possible. A trick is to visit your strawberry producer a few times during the season, instead of going only once and cleaning out the entire field…

Fresh strawberries are perfect for desserts.  In my opinion, there really is no need to alter this beautiful fruit to appreciate its true value.  You can eat them as is, or accompany them with a coulis, ice cream, whipped cream, and why not, a champagne sabayon.  You can also add them to your salads, salsas, and even on your meat or poultry.

For those who still want to preserve them… If you freeze them, you should wash them, hull them, and dry them really well. Then place them on baking sheets and place in the freezer.  As soon as they are frozen, you need to put them in freezer bags, clearly indicating the date.  They should be consumed in the following 3 to 6 months since after this, they might get freezer burn.

Speaking of preservation methods, jam is also a great way to go. I like to maintain a ratio of 4 portions of strawberries to around 3 portions of sugar. I prefer not cooking them too much because I like biting the strawberries and feeling the texture!  Add some cinnamon sticks or orange zest, or steep them with a fragrant tea while cooking them.  And why not mix in some tarragon for a change, it’s an unusual but tasty combination!

So when strawberry season rolls around, don’t deprive yourself!  Eat them fresh!  Do you have any good strawberry recipes you’d like to share?  Can’t wait to read your suggestions!