I'm a strawberry addict. So much so that when I go to the grocery store, I always put a container of the fruit in my cart only to arrive at the register having devoured almost all of them while shopping. The habit inevitably leads the checkout employee to say with puzzled alarm, 'Oh no! This is nearly empty!' Whereupon I sheepishly explain through my berry-addled haze that I ate the whole thing.
But can you blame me? There really is no food quite as perfect as the strawberry. With their bright, cheerful flavor, the sweet red gems are the very essence of summer. And while fresh is best, I certainly don't limit my enjoyment of them to straight-from-the-clamshell consumption. I toss them in smoothies, slice them in salads, even freeze them to eat like tiny popsicles on hot days.
Then there's the personality of the strawberry. Maybe it's their bulbous shape, or maybe it's my fond memories of countryside fruit stands, but strawberries speak to me of the homespun simplicity I associate with bygone times. They make me want to nap under a big oak tree on a gingham blanket, or take a weekend outing to a u-pick-em farm. Heck, strawberries just make me want to smile!
1. Strawberry 2. Andy Warhol Strawberry Print 3. French Laundry Home Gingham Napkin 4. Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm 5. White Enamel Bowl 6. Strawberry Lemon Jam Images: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.