新手上路
庶人 三级
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- 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.( @2 N. j. u0 `5 s+ {6 V Q M
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0 v, O8 c; M- ~For homegrown treats, it\'s hard to beat the strawberry, the first sweet fruit of summer.
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For 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. # l0 a" P/ n5 @
9 J7 R8 W+ N- W. h1 ZMike 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. % z% c$ X# v$ `' A
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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.
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" S* ~( i+ A# i7 P d\"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. 3 M t9 k: ?2 B1 {' m, T
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! R, _ {- [7 `/ w9 b/ q3 `$ RO\'Shea is encouraging residents to phone in before coming out to pick. & u% i4 o. X s7 P. u! }/ |
3 K0 n* z ^ \Over at Red Barn Berries, near Woodstock, Sue Hilborn is expecting big things. $ {- A! {* K" E2 P3 o$ d+ F
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\"It\'s going to be huge,\" said Hilborn of this year\'s strawberry crop. \"We avoided any frost.\" % |4 s. U/ H/ p, L% K
8 N" R6 @. Z% bTheir pick-your-own operation opens today, said Hilborn, who urges residents to stock up on the summer treat.
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\"It\'s going to be easy picking,\" she said.
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STRAWBERRY PAIRINGS
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- Serve fresh strawberries with a cheese platter for an appetizer or after-dinner treat.
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- Slice fresh strawberries into a salad of arugula and pecorino cheese.
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4 E2 L6 k( l, s3 }% b- Another option is a salad of greens, sliced yellow pepper, strawberries and cooked pancetta or bacon. ) r# J9 |! Q" Y) g K
$ Y) }8 G8 R. Q* Z- Try sliced strawberries in an omelette. 4 T! p- Z* |2 ^* X
" K: `6 Q4 ~: E4 m- 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.
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STRAWBERRY TIPS
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- When buying fresh strawberries, look for bright red berries with a sweet smell and no white or green spots. 5 L1 }0 Y, [) i9 X9 e7 E& O
% H7 b1 Y( O/ Y6 [- Size doesn\'t matter -- large or small, all strawberries are equally sweet and juicy.
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- Avoid crushed berries or those packed in juice-stained containers. Remove any damaged berries before they spoil the rest. ; m. t$ s( L V: y. R
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- Refrigerate in a single layer with hulls intact. Just before using, gently rinse under cold running water and pat dry.
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- If freezing, place a single layer on a tray and freeze until firm. Pack into freezer bags and seal. - a# W9 `# u0 \
2 W& a! X/ O" F# a& h( VFOR THE HEALTH OF IT
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4 j1 ?5 C3 O$ Z& [) e8 J9 }* g, UStrawberries literally burst with healthy compounds, including anthocyanins -- natural plant pigments in berries that function as powerful antioxidants, sweeping out harmful free-radical molecules. ; L V% V$ f' A8 G* j
9 X# S% w. B$ J* F+ `They contain ellagic acid, which is effective in neutralizing carcinogenic agents. As well, they are rich in kaempferol, which may help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. % [! @4 M# x( }$ D2 q# `
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HOW SWEET + h* S& ?9 ]* R1 `: e
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A sampling of area farmers offering strawberries. m' c1 }/ B) O& b3 U
; d. x: ?1 I6 K- Foley Farms & Carolinian Winery, 4823 Dundas St., London, 519-268-2000 - q) f! U: v$ c q) P2 `, h0 c
. ^: q4 s0 P k- u7 Y/ v- o- Ferguson\'s Produce, Wellington Road South, RR 6, St. Thomas, 519- 631-6589 8 w D6 d- o4 |$ T
1 d( ^2 y! E! a* D% G- G & M Howe and Sons, RR 5, Aylmer, 519-773-3837 ( f) T |' [1 u
+ O6 b' j6 g5 ?8 M/ g: {: }& L- Heeman Greenhouses and Strawberry Farm, 20422 Nissouri Rd., Thorndale, 519-461-0555 or 519-461-1416 1 R! y$ n% A. p: F% @
- j5 K2 h2 X- p% @8 f2 ^- J.M.D. Vandepoele Farms, RR 1, Drumbo, 519-463-5796 5 j( t5 ~- D9 F: p0 I
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- Kerr Farm Market Inc., RR 6, Chatham, 519-352-4164
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, V7 h ]# s3 \3 z- Listowel Greenhouses, RR 2, Listowel, 519-291-2434 |
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