What would June be without strawberry shortcake? When I was a kid, before we could get strawberries year-round from all over the world, my mother made strawberry shortcake almost every day that strawberries were in season. She and my dad really loved strawberries. I have cozy memories of eating strawberry shortcake with my parents and brothers out on the porch after baseball and softball games. And there really is a difference between strawberries grown halfway across the country or world and strawberries grown in a field within a few miles of where you live. You just can’t beat the freshness, or the bright red color. According to www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=32, strawberries have lots of good nutrients in them, especially vitamin C, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. And the longer the strawberries are stored, the less nutrients they retain. So it is most beneficial to eat them soon after they are picked. Strawberries are one of those foods that not only taste great, but are really good for you. So enjoy the local strawberries while you can! There are several farm stands and farmers markets around here that sell local fruit, and it’s even more fun to pick the berries if you get the chance. I have posted a recipe for shortcake that tastes really good topped with strawberries. I made some yesterday for my family, and we savored the rich, juicy strawberries on top of the mild shortcake. Though the calendar doesn’t say it’s officially summer yet, to me, strawberry season is the unofficial beginning of summer. I am going to try to savor it as much as possible this year.
