From the pages of Simply in Season...favorite cookbook

My favorite cookbook from my cupboard is hands down Simply in Season. I love the simplicity of the recipes, but most of all I absolutely love the layout. This cookbook is laid out by seasons. Each season encompasses only recipes of fruits and vegetables that are typically available during that season. It has helped to expand the types of foods we try in our household and we haven't found one we did not enjoy yet. Throughout the cookbook, below some of the recipes, are quotes from people who are consciously thinking of the issues faced by our world in regards to food, its availability etc. The thoughts are beautifully expressed.

Since we are starting to enter the growing season and my family took a little jaunt to a strawberry farm in South Carolina today, I decided to honor the strawberry. In the doldrums of the last weeks of winter, I find myself thinking of these recipes and how wonderful they will be when I finally get to enjoy them again. I deliberately try to avoid buying fruits and vegetables that are not in season from the grocery store or the stalls of the farmers at the farmers market who supplement their offerings with fruits and vegetables with those that are popular with customers but may not be in season. The pantry is raided until the growing season begins again. So I find, that I experience this delayed sense of gratification and when I am able to enjoy what I had not been able to partake of, oh it is indescribable really. Without further ado...in honor of the strawberry

Chilled Strawberry Soup

1 cup apple juice

3/4 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine in saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. (Or microwave in glass bowl until boiling.) Remove from heat; cool.

3 cups strawberries

1/4 cup water

Puree until smooth in blender. Pour into a large bowl.

2 cups plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add to pureed strawberries with apply juice mixture. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Garnish with additional strawberry halves (optional). The soup freezes well and is especially good with small ice crystals left in.

There will be strawberry soup in my future (this week) as I start working on the 6 gallons of strawberries I purchased today.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

*I've never added any of the toppings and just use a basic vinaigrette or a strawberry vinaigrette (if you would like the recipes for the dressings listed with the recipe, let me know). The fresh taste of the strawberries and spinach is just wonderful to me. I've also tried a spinach and grape salad which is really good in the summer. Enjoy!

4 cups spinach or other mixed greens (stems removed and torn)

1 cup fresh strawberries, peaches, blueberries kiwi fruit or a combination (sliced)

Combine with selected toppings. Pour half of selected dressing over salad just before serving, then more as needed. Refrigerate leftover dressing.

Topping options

2 green onions (chopped)

1 small red onion (cut into thin rings)

1 clove garlic (minced)

1/2 cup asparagus (cut into 1 inch pieces, blanched and chilled)

2 tablespoon sunflower seeds

1/2 cup bacon pieces (cooked and crumbled)

1/2 cup walnuts or slivered almonds (toasted)

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1/2 cup cheese (shredded)

1 teaspoon lemon or orange peel

1 cup cooked turkey (chopped)