Both of my children love berries and strawberries are high up their list as a favorite, so for them to be able to visit an actual hands-on farm as guests was fantastic. Wait, did I mention their age? Did I mention how happy they were to be on a strawberry farm? Did I mention how hyper and excited they were all.day.long!
From the moment they hit the field, red faces were in abundance, and I don't mean from embarrassment. Red from the juicy berries that they had free reign over and by the end of the day I think my little guy ate his own weight in strawberries - seriously...I must emphasize I've never seen anyone eat so many strawberries ever!
The California Strawberry Commission is responsible for overseeing all relations and activities relating to over 400 Californian growers. From the food safety and production side of the business to public and trade relations, the commission covers the whole spectrum. California harvested almost 2 billion pounds of strawberries last year, accounting for 88% of the U.S. strawberry business.
I decided to make some strawberry goat cheese bars with my California strawberries. This basic recipe has served me well and is really adaptable to any fruit. I sauteed the strawberries with some balsamic glaze until they became soft and thick like a jelly. I kept on thinking about that strawberry basil lemonade and how well the flavors went together, so I added some chopped basil to the shortbread base of the bar.
After being on this tour, it made me realize that strawberries aren't just for eating straight out of the pack, there's so much more they can be used for. I read in one of the cookbooks from the California Strawberry Commission that you can treat a strawberry like a tomato. So for every tomato dish (almost) try swapping it out for some strawberries. I already tried this with a bowl of guacamole and loved it!
