Strawberry Fields Forever
June 26, 2008

If I could wave my magic whisk I’d wish for local strawberries to be in season all year long. I love them baked into a buttery crumble-topped coffee cake, sliced and slicked with rum-spiked mascarpone, sparkling in fruit salads adorned with ribbons of mint, and bubbling in a lava-like strawberry rhubarb pie.

I buy strawberries from the Boutin Berry Farm on South Road in Williston, just 2 miles from my kitchen. They are Marilyn Monroe ripe, plump and juicy; sweet nirvana compared to the salmon-streaked missiles sealed in plastic we settled for at the supermarket just a few weeks ago.

I recently enjoyed a fabulous baby spinach salad with jewel cut strawberries, maple glazed walnuts, and Gorgonzola cheese at an event catered by Dale Loeffler (cateringbydale.com). It was heaven on the plate! Dale graciously shared her recipe with me.

For a special 4th of July celebration, I think this salad would be perfect with a marinated grilled skirt steak from local LaPlatte Farm. The meat is sold at all the small local markets with butchers. It’s not inexpensive, but a little goes a long way paired with the spinach salad, grilled peppers and onions, a hunk of Red Hen bread, and a friendly local red wine. For dessert? Why, sliced strawberries of course, topped with Vermont Butter & Cheese crème fraiche, fresh mint, and toasted almonds.

Dale’s Baby Spinach Salad with Fresh Strawberries
In a salad bowl combine 8 handfuls of fresh local baby spinach, cleaned and dried. Add 2 cups of fresh local strawberries, rinsed, dried and sliced; and 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese (if you don’t like blue cheese substitute crumbled feta cheese). Add 1 small red onion, sliced into very thin rings; and a handful of maple-glazed walnuts. Toss the greens with a small amount of vinaigrette.

Balsamic-Apple Vinaigrette
In a glass jar fitted with a lid, combine 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard, one half-cup extra virgin olive oil, one-fourth cup balsamic vinegar, one-fourth cup of apple juice, and 2 tablespoons of orange juice. Add a large pinch of kosher salt, cover, and shake vigorously for a minute, or until the dressing is emulsified. (Save leftover dressing for a few days, or marinate chicken breasts in it.)

Maple Glazed Walnuts
In a saucepan combine one-half cup Vermont maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 cup of sugar. Warm through and toss with 4 cups of walnut pieces. Let cool and break into pieces. Store leftover nuts in fridge.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008