Simple Sides: The Strawberry
Children in this country consume an estimated 12 percent of their calories from fast food, and 20 percent of all American meals are consumed in a car! The consequences are predictably unhealthy. Competing schedules in the day-to-day lives of a busy modern family make it difficult to share a home-cooked meal, but possible. In fact, with a little planning, cooking together can become a fun family event and learning opportunity. This feature will focus on providing a child or a group of children, working together under the supervision of an adult, with one uncomplicated, healthy, and delicious side dish recipe. The dishes focus on seasonal fresh produce items and will always contain tasks that allow even the youngest kitchen helper to contribute to the family meal. Parents should always read each recipe carefully to judge the division of labor based on age and ability as well as to identify where adult attention might be especially needed.
Many of the recipes presented here will seem extremely basic; this is by design. These simple preparations will provide the culinary foundation and confidence to inspire kids to try more challenging recipes as their experience and confidence in the kitchen develops. Melissa’s encourages parents to find the time to gather as a family unit at least once a week for a dinner that everyone pitches in to prepare. It is a wonderful way to teach a child some basic culinary skills, and, more importantly, cooking with your children will build memories in all your hearts forever. Enjoy your kids in the kitchen, they will be grown and gone before you know it! “No one is born a great cook; one learns by doing” – Julia Child.
Firstly, the most accepted theory is that "strawberry" is a corruption of the ancient English word "strewberry," referring to the way the strawberry plant spreads runners that appear to be "strewn" or scattered across the ground. Another common guess for the name is the historical practice of farmers laying straw around plants to keep the berries clean and protect them from the weather. Suffice it say, the strawberry has been around so long, both wild and cultivated, that the real origin of its name has been lost to the ages.
While fresh strawberries are available year-round, this month’s first harvests of Harry’s Berries out of the fields in Oxnard, California, begin to ramp up this crop’s availability at retail in both volume and quality. Unfortunately, recipes beyond being the perfect standalone hand fruit, most time-honored recipes that include this fruit, like strawberry shortcake, strawberry rhubarb pie, and strawberry ice cream, include empty calories from lots of processed flour and/or sugars. Instead, here’s a very healthy, flexible, and savory strawberry-based salsa that will give young kitchen helpers a whole new experience with this favorite fruit, as well as an introduction to salsa-making using a fruit usually connected to sweeter dishes.
While there is no cooking involved in this recipe, it is still more appropriate for a young helper with some knife skills, as the “dice” cut is key to any salsa’s texture, i.e., no chunky style salsa allowed. Hence, this recipe can be used to graduate the beginner cook trained on the imprecise “chop” to now focus on a smaller, tighter cut requirement for the few ingredients in this dish.
The versatility of this salsa is a whole culinary lesson unto itself. As a sweet-and-spicy condiment, it can be used to elevate grilled or roasted chicken, fish, pork, or shrimp. Sprinkle on a salad, top tacos, or serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips. For a special delight, try it with mild cheese like Brie or goat cheese on crostini. The point is this tiny berry with a big flavor needs no sugar or dough supports to move from its usual dessert role to part of an appetizer, salad or even main course. It’s an easy transition that will widen your young sous chefs’ culinary toolbox for years to come in their own kitchens.
Strawberry Salsa
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup Granny Smith apples, diced
1 cup Harry’s Berries strawberries, diced
½ cup white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2 oz lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
Preparation
Prepare & measure out all the ingredients.
In a bowl, combine all the salsa ingredients and gently toss. Set aside for at least an hour for flavors to combine, whether used as a dip or a sauce.
