One of the benefits of country life is the pure volume of farms, growing stuff, nice stuff and at the moment lots and lots of strawberries. I have some bushes of course planted when I was going through my "Good life" phase. They grew well this year and I'm sure that the birds enjoyed them. The birds it seems have some spooky sixth sense and know not only the precise moment of ripeness but also the precise moment to steal them before I manage to pick them. I've always been deeply suspicious of birds and it seems that I was copletely right to be.
In the absence of any produce from my own bushes it was off to a local strawberry fair to buy some, lots really and some very tasty Strawberry & Lavender Jam too. The strawberries were from Doddington Hall, where they have their own organic garden and grow very lovely if not completely perfectly shaped strawberries. Proper strawberries. That shine and are juicy. The best strawberries really.
Sunday was a lovely sunny day so time for strawberries with clotted cream and a chocolate dip (made from dark chocolate and double cream). There's something deliciously naughty about dunking strawberry's.
Of course I had to try some sort of baking involving strawberries and opted for strawberry & raspberry muffins. An experiment in strawberriness really. I made a couple with strawberry lavender jam hearts (a gorgeously gooey explosion when you bite in) and planted some dark chocolate chunks in a couple of others. Overall, very nice indeed, with clotted cream and ice cream. Especially good if still slightly warm.
Also looking at recipes for strawberry and balsamic ice cream, strawberry and pistacchio shortbread and strawberry shortcakes.
Here's to lazy, hazy strawberry days.
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