It’s hard to find a better fruit, right? And I know I’m not the only one that counts the days ‘til local strawberries appear in our super markets. This luscious berry is so popular, in fact, that it’s actually been given its own day in May. So in honor of National Pick Strawberries Day, let’s look at why this is such an awesome fruit and all the many things you can do with it.

First, this berry’s health benefits. Strawberries, with their tempting looks and spectacular taste, are loaded with powerful health benefits:

• Their high vitamin and mineral content protects vision.

• They help sharpen brain function.

• They help control blood pressure.

• They help protect against arthritis, gout and various cardiovascular diseases.

• Their impressive polyphenolic and antioxidant content helps strengthen the immune system, preventing against various types of cancers.

• These same polyphenols and antioxidants reduce the signs of premature aging.

• They do a great job of satisfying the sweet tooth; if you’re trying to go sugar-free, the strawberry can be your best friend!

This list could go on, but you get the idea. So from health benefits, let’s move to all the ways to use these berries. A writer for the inspiring site, Endless Simmer (www.endlesssimmer.com), Brendan Spiegel, came up with 100 ways to use strawberries! See if there’s an idea in this list you’ve never thought of before:

First, they’re fantastic blended into smoothies, either alone or with other fruits. They’re especially scrumptious when blended with watermelon.

Then there’s how delicious they are when paired with chocolate. We all love chocolate-dipped strawberries. But Brendan suggested slicing them into chocolate pudding as well. Keeping the pudding theme going, they’re yummy diced and folded into tapioca pudding also.

You can chop and puree a few, maybe add a little vanilla or plain Greek yogurt and freeze into gourmet popsicles.

Here’s a great way to use those gigantic strawberries that are showing up more and more. How about as cups to hold other finely diced fruit?

And then there’s Strawberry Bruschetta. Not only pretty, but pretty delicious! Wouldn’t this be a lovely addition to a Sunday brunch? Here’s the recipe, and many thanks to www.thecurvycarrot.com!

STRAWBERRY BRUSCHETTA (Servings: about 12)

1 French baguette, sliced diagonally, about 1/2-inch thick

1 cup diced strawberries, about 10 large strawberries

1 tablespoon sugar

4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup fresh basil (leaves torn)

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the tablespoon of sugar and strawberries in a small bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours, or until strawberries have slightly softened.

2. Spread the goat cheese evenly over the slices of bread, followed by spoonfuls of the strawberry mixture.

3. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

4. Top each bruschetta with basil.

5. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

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This list goes on and on, but in the interest of space, I’ll include just a few more ideas:

Strawberry pizza.

Wrapped in bacon and grilled.

We’re all acquainted with strawberry and rhubarb pie. But why not combine these perennial favorites into a steamed pudding? This is a remarkable dessert from a great site, Eat the Love (www.eatthelove.com). This recipe combines not just strawberries, but also blackberries with the rhubarb. I close with this recipe and best wishes for a happy National Pick Strawberries Day. May your basket be full to overflowing!

BERRY AND RHUBARB STEAMED PUDDING

2 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 1/2″ length

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons raw honey

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

zest of 1 medium Meyer lemon

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice

3/4 cup blackberries

3/4 cup strawberries hulled and sliced into 1/4″ thick slices

SPONGE CAKE

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ultrafine sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

9 tablespoons butter

2 medium eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

zest of 1 Meyer lemon

1. Combine the first 8 fruit topping ingredients together in a large pan or skillet (everything but the black berries and strawberries). Cook for over medium-low heat until the rhubarb starts to soften (about 2 to 3 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the berries while still hot and set aside.

2. Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula between each egg. Add the vanilla and mix and scrape as well.

3. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder onto the creamed butter mixture. Then using a large spatula, and carefully fold the flour into the butter mixture.

4. Grease a 4 cup baking dish. Spoon the rhubarb berry mixture into the bottom of it, and then spoon the cake batter on top of that evenly, making sure the cake batter covers all of the berry mixture.

5. Grease one side of some wax paper or parchment paper and put it over the dish, wrapping it around the top and onto the sides. Then place a piece of aluminum foil over the parchment paper and seal the dish as best you can. Wrap a piece of cooking string around the rim of the dish to secure the foil and paper.

6. Optionally you can also loop a long piece of string around the top and bottom criss-crossing over and tying it together so you have room to slip your hand underneath to pick up the basin once it’s done steaming. Basically you’re creating a handle to lift the dish up out of the stock pot when the pudding is finished steaming.

7. OR, if you have a steamer basket, place it in the stock pot and place the baking dish in the basket (making sure the dish doesn’t touch the pot bottom). Pour water into the stock pot until it goes up half way up the sides of the baking dish.

8. Cook the pudding in simmering water for 1 1/2 hours, checking periodically that you don’t run out of water. Add more water as needed.

9. Remove and invert pudding onto a serving platter. Serve warm with lightly sweetened whipped cream or all on its own.

NOTE: A round casserole dish works well as a baking dish. If you don’t have a steaming basket, you can roll some aluminum foil into a long cylinder and shape it into a circle (think of an aluminum foil snake). Place this circle of rolled foil on the bottom of a stock pot and rest your dish on this. The foil prevents the baking dish from touching the bottom of the stock pot.

NOTE: In actuality you are making a cobbler, but steaming it instead of baking it. After inverting, you’ll see it’s basically an upside down cake. But such a tender, moist, flavorful cake!

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