Celebrate Summer with Strawberries!

(Family Features) If you’re looking for a summertime treat that’s a great addition to both sweet and savory summer entertaining dishes, you’re in luck. California strawberry growers say that the current harvest is ripe with an abundance of high quality strawberries.

Beyond their striking color and delicious flavor, strawberries are loaded with nutrients, including powerful, disease-fighting antioxidants The antioxidants in strawberries aid in memory performance and may help prevent Alzheimer's disease by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, two key factors that can cause age-related diminished brain function. Strawberries may help prevent the growth of certain types of cancers. Additionally, strawberries are very low in sugar and are a source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B, which can prevent birth defects and contribute to heart health by helping to control cholesterol.

How to Pick the Perfect Strawberry

Select strawberries that have a bright, glossy appearance and maximum red color development.  Store the fruit in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Keep them packaged in a tightly-covered container or in a plastic clamshell.

To extend shelf life of strawberries, do not wash until just before eating as washing will add moisture and cause the berries to spoil more rapidly. To wash, rinse strawberries thoroughly under cool running water, drain and pat dry with a clean paper towel.

Fun Strawberry Facts

§         If you line up all the strawberries grown in California in one straight line, they would wrap around the entire Earth 15 times!

§         California produces 88 percent of the nation’s fresh and frozen strawberries, harvesting over a billion pounds of fruit annually. 

§         One acre of land (about the size of one football field) grows about 50,000 pounds of strawberries – that’s the same weight as four elephants! 

§         All strawberries are picked, sorted and packed in the field by hand. Trays of strawberries are then rushed to shipping facilities where they are cooled to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Within 24 hours of harvest, fresh market strawberries are loaded on refrigerated trucks for delivery across the country.

For more information about California strawberries, health benefits and hundreds of recipes, visit www.calstrawberry.com.

Put a spin on the classic green salad and try a refreshing Strawberry and Cucumber Salad and enjoy the fresh, crisp flavors of the season.

Strawberry and Cucumber Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes

Makes 6 servings

Vinaigrette:      

3          tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2    teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1 1/2    teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1/2       teaspoon ground cumin

1/2       teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2       teaspoon salt

1/2       teaspoon sugar

1/4       cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad:  

4 1/2    cups (1 1/2 pounds) California strawberries, stemmed and quartered

1          medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

3/4       cup Italian parsley leaves

4          green onions, chopped

6          radishes, thinly sliced

To make vinaigrette: In bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients except oil. Whisk in oil until blended.

To make salad: In large bowl, toss salad ingredients with vinaigrette until coated. Mound salad on 6 chilled plates, dividing it equally. Serve immediately.