By Gerald Etter
When I was growing up, we didn’t know from allergy. We had reactions. I had one. Strawberries left me with an itchy rash.
I outgrew the problem, which was surely welcome, because the strawberry is not only one of the first fruits to ripen in spring (peak harvest time here is early June), it’s also one of the most delicious.
This tiny fruit has more Vitamin C, ounce for ounce, than citrus, and is an excellent source of dietary fiber, potassium and Vitamin A. One cup of fresh strawberries contains only 50 calories.
When selecting strawberries, examine the bottom and sides of the basket for wetness, indicating overripe, crushed, even moldy fruit. If green or white; they probably were picked too soon.
Strawberries should be bright red, plump and firm, with green caps attached. Some connoisseurs feel that smaller berries have better flavor.
At home, sort them immediately, discarding the moldy or crushed. Leave on the caps (the hulls) until you are ready to use the berries. Spread them, unwashed, in shallow layers, cover and refrigerate. Use within a day or two.
When ready, wash them in a bowl of cool water. Shake the bowl and drain. Do not soak them (they absorb water) or wash under a faucet. Hull them (remove the green cap) after washing.
There is nothing wrong with eating strawberries by themselves, but their classic partners are cream, chocolate, sugar, fruit sauces and that American favorite — strawberry shortcake.
Here are some recipes; keep in mind that a pint of strawberries typically serves from three to four people.
Strawberry Shortcake
with Bisquick Biscuits
21/3 cups Bisquick baking mix
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
Strawberries, washed and hulled
Whipped cream (your own or purchased)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir Bisquick baking mix with melted butter, milk and sugar in mixing bowl until soft dough forms. Drop six equal spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Makes six biscuits.
Cover biscuits with strawberries and whipped cream. Serve.
Makes 6 servings.
For a gluten-free shortcake, use Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit & Baking Mix, available at Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, and many Acme, Superfresh and Pathmark markets. It can also be ordered from Amazon.com.
21/2 cups Wheat Free Biscuit & Baking Mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup milk or water
1 egg, slightly beaten
Strawberries, washed and hulled
Whipped topping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet, set aside. In mixing bowl, combine mix and sugar. In another, blend melted butter, water and egg. Combine wet, dry ingredients. Knead about 10 times into workable dough. On lightly floured work surface, roll dough out to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with floured cutter, or use water glass or cup whose opening will yield a suitably sized biscuit. Place shortcakes on prepared cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add strawberries and whipped topping.
Makes about 10 to 12 servings.
Strawberry Sauce
This sauce works well spooned over fresh strawberries and yogurt, or lemon pound cake, ice cream, waffles or pancakes.
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 pint strawberries, washed and hulled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Place sugar and water in small saucepan, stir and bring to boil. Simmer until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool completely (you can cool it faster by placing the pan in a shallow bowl of ice water).
Place half the berries in jar of blender; add lemon juice and all the cooled syrup. Purée until smooth. Press through fine sieve to remove some strawberry seeds, if desired. Coarsely chop remaining strawberries and add to strawberry purée. Four to six servings.
By The Senior Snacker
If you’re looking for an authentic Greek taverna closer than Athens, look no farther than Philadelphia’s gentrified Fairmount neighborhood. Within sight of upscale restaurants is Zorba’s, at 2230 Fairmount Ave., practically across from Eastern State Penitentiary.
Worried about accessibility for your wheelchair or walker? Three or four young members of the Kravvaritis family will practically carry you up three steps into their small restaurant, set into a former single house.
Inside, you pass the open “kitchen” where more family members are cooking. The main dining room, with seven tables for four or two, is in the rear. Scenes reminding us of our visit to the Greek islands are painted on the walls, plants hang from the beamed ceiling and a single rose in a vase accents each of the white tablecloths. Greek music is piped in.
What’s on the menus
On both the dinner and lunch menus, the Soup of the Day is often Zorba’s special egg-and-lemon soup.
Cold appetizers range from tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt dipping sauce) to hummus (chickpea spread) to dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) — $5 each. Hot appetizers include calamari (fried squid rings) and grilled baby octopus and mussel sautéed in red wine with feta cheese — $9 each.
Greek salad and spring salad come in two sizes — $4 or $8. A basket is filled with pita, baked on-premises.
Seafood dishes include calamari, octopus, mussels and shrimp in the $15-19 range. Vegetarian platters are $10.
The pi`ece de résistance of any Greek restaurant is lamb. We dined on Zorba’s leg of lamb roasted in the oven with garlic and lemon, served with rice, roasted potato and mixed vegetables. Our alternate was lamb shank, cooked in red wine and tomato sauce (oven-roasted meatballs of lamb and beef is another form of this local favorite). The grill is sizzling with charcoaled rack of lamb chops ($20) and, of course, souvlaki — grilled skewered pork ($15).
And what would a Greek meal be without baklava ($4) for dessert?
The same featured dishes, plus sandwiches at slightly reduced prices, are on the lunch menu.
A family tradition
The servings are more than ample, so next time, we’ll share one salad and one platter.
Adjacent to the main dining room is an intimate alcove dining room and a banquet room seating 25.
Zorba’s is BYOB.
Ten years ago, Kostas Kravvaritis brought his wife and four children to Philadelphia from Salonika, where his father and grandfather operated a restaurant for 50 years.
They continued the family tradition by opening Zorba’s. Now it’s run by son, Nick, surrounded by a half-dozen relatives, many of whom live upstairs. They cook “from scratch,” starting around 8 every morning …
But never on Mondays.
Zorba’s Taverna
2230 Fairmount Ave.,
Philadelphia 19130
215-978-5990
Lunch: Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dinner: Tuesday through Saturday, from 4 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 9 pm.
3 Sisters appreciative
Just wanted to express our appreciation for the Senior Snacker’s flattering article in the April issue of Milestones.
My sisters and I also want to thank the pleasant photographer who took the picture. It is very exciting for us. We are receiving phone calls from all who know us and also people who don’t know us and want to come to our gourmet café. We have also posted the article in our shop so our customers may read it.
Again, Thanks-a-Latte!
Pat, Donna and Eileen (3 Sisters)
3 Sisters Corner, Philadelphia
Editor’s Note: The ‘pleasant photographer’ was Paola Nogueras.