It's finally strawberry season! And I, for one, could not be more excited. I was at a friend's place recently and she had just bought some organic strawberries to make a strawberry rhubarb pie. Although the rhubarb was from her garden, the berries weren't local since it was just prior to strawberry season here. They were from California. I actually think they may have been the strawberries that ate California. [caption id="attachment_2013" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Do not look directly at the strawberry -- you may anger it."] [/caption] This strawberry was as big as my head. And despite its size, it had virtually no flavour. Luckily the homegrown rhubarb saved the pie and everyone happily gobbled it down. Now, I'm sure California strawberries are lovely when picked and eaten in season -- in California. But picking them under-ripe and shipping them thousands of kilometers does them no favours, whatsoever. Here is a local strawberry that I bought yesterday: [caption id="attachment_2014" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Aww. Cute! Barely big enough to leave its mama."] [/caption] This is what a strawberry should look like. And this little baby was the flavour equivalent to the whole box of imported berries. Nevermind ecological or economic benefits... the taste alone is enough of an incentive to buy local produce. And since they're so tasty, you really don't need to do much to them. I just:

• sliced them in half
• tossed with a drizzle of honey and good balsamic vinegar
• let them stand for 10 minutes
• and then spooned them over vanilla ice cream

[caption id="attachment_2016" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Four ingredients and mind-blowingly delicious."] [/caption] So what are your favourite ways to enjoy fresh, seasonal strawberries? Do you have any pick-your-own farms or farmers markets that you like to go to to buy local produce?