I have lost count of the number of quarts of strawberries we've eaten so far this summer. If it's true that you are what you eat, then I am on the verge of actually becoming a strawberry. We grow beautiful strawberries in our garden, but the squirrels steal them, so I buy mine from local farmers, which is just fine by me. Before we ate the last quart, I managed to stop munching on them long enough to do a still life shoot. I could seriously take photos of these little gems all day. I believe they are among the most photogenic of all foods. The backdrop of the top shot is the inside of a vintage picnic hamper. It's the loveliest shade of forest green--just right as a shadowbox. The white berry basket is one I bought on sale at Anthropologie last week. Maybe they still have some left . . .
We have just been enjoying the berries fresh with Greek yogurt or a little light cream--or straight out of the box, but I do love them in baked goods, too, so I thought I'd share a link to one of my favorite summertime treats: strawberry-rhubarb crisp. This one's from Ina Garten, and I've made it a few times. Pure heaven!
And here's a recipe that I'll definitely be trying; this one's from Gena Hamshaw at Food52. It's a vegan strawberry vanilla coconut ice cream. I feel like I need to make it before the season is completely over. Maybe it's time to invest in an ice-cream maker!!! If you have one that you love, please let me know the brand. :)
If you live in the US, hope you've been having a joyous and relaxing Fourth of July weekend filled with firecrackers and, what else, strawberry shortcake.
Back with more summer treats soon, chickadees! xo Gigi
