A juicy, fragrant berry

Lettuce is like conversations:

It must be fresh and crisp and so sparkling

that you scarcely notice any bitter in it.

Charles Dudley Warner, novelist

Note: a spelling mistake was made in the French classic dessert recently posted. It is spelled Clafoutis. See the blog: Cooking with a French Flair. Also I added the pronunciation.

June is synonymous with strawberries and nothing is better than a just picked berry. There is an abundance of u-pick farms in our area. Do-it-yourselfers always benefit budget-wise picking their own plus its a fun outing. Look for strawberry rhubarb pie on the next posting.

I did read an interesting tip recently...to bring out the flavor of a lackluster berries put them in a bowl after they have been hulled and sliced. Sprinkle a little sugar on them a tablespoon or two for every pint of berries. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. The sugar draws the moisture from the berries to make a sweet natural syrup. My personal preference is to make a fruit compote using strawberries and sprinkle 2 TB Grand Marnier over the mixture then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours. It gives the berries a great taste.

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Strawberry Salsa with Cinnamon Tortillas

Salsa Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 yellow pepper stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 cup kiwi
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 4 plum tomatoes-chopped
• 2 cups strawberries sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 TB. fresh lime juice
• 2 TB. olive oil
• 1 TB. honey salt -pepper to taste
• 1 Tb honey

Directions:

• Mix all the fruits, onions, pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro
• In a blender add all juices, honey and oil
• Pour over fruits, vegetables, onion and cilantro
• Cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours

Serve over chicken, pork, fish or with cinnamon tortilla chips

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ingredients:

• 3 TB. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 6- 6 inch tortillas

Directions:

• Mix sugar and cinnamon
• Lightly brush the tortillas with olive oil
• Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges
• Sprinkle with cinnamon- sugar mixture
• Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes on a cookie sheet