Here on the North Carolina coast, spring is filled with all sorts of wonderful things like warm sunny beaches, azaleas, time spent outdoors, festivals, and—strawberries!
With the arrival of spring and warmer weather, strawberry farms are opening for shoppers and, undoubtedly, strawberry lovers are ready for local berries.
“Growers have done a good job protecting the crop from recent cool temperatures and because of their hard work, this year’s strawberry crop looks to be plentiful,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “In fact, some fields are opening up for pick-your-own guests this weekend.”
Strawberry season typically runs from mid-April through May, although the addition of high-tunnel and greenhouse-grown strawberries in the state has moved up the availability of local berries to March in some locations.
So we invite you to make the most of this wonderful time of year with some of our favorite strawberry recipes, so start picking and get cooking!
Here is a great way to find where to find a strawberry farm near you: https://ncstrawberry.com/farm-locator
Strawberry Moon Pies
Ingredients:
Directions:
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Heat oven to 350ºF.
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Beat cake mix, water, oil, and eggs with mixer until blended. Drop 2 Tbsp. batter, 2 inches apart, into 32 mounds on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 10 min. or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out almost clean. Cool on baking sheets 3 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
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Beat cream cheese and marshmallow creme in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add whipped topping; beat on low speed just until blended.
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Spread about 2 Tbsp. whipped topping mixture onto the bottom side of each of 16 cookies. Top with strawberries and remaining cookies.
Recipe and Image from kraftrecipes.com
Strawberry Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
Salsa Ingredients:
- 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
- 2 red apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 8 oz raspberries
- 1 lb. strawberries
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
Cinnamon Tortilla Chip Ingredients:
- Flour tortillas
- Cinnamon sugar (Combine sugar and cinnamon together in equal parts to make cinnamon sugar)
Directions:
- Thoroughly mix all fruit, sugars, and preserves. Cover and chill.
- Preheat oven to 350. Coat one side of flour tortilla with a butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture, spray again. Cut into wedges and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Image from Tablespoon.com
Strawberry Hand Pies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut in half or quarters, depending on size
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- All-purpose flour, for work surface
- 1/2 recipe pie dough recipe (see additional info below) for Strawberry Hand Pies
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
Pie Dough Recipe:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Directions:
- Put flour, salt, and sugar in bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add butter, and process for about 10 seconds, or just until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add ice water, tablespoon by tablespoon (1/4 to 1/2 cup), through the feed tube with machine running, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water.
- Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap, using a rolling pin to flatten into a disk. Chill until needed. Wrapped in plastic, dough can be frozen for several weeks before using.
Hand Pie Directions:
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat). In a medium bowl, add strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch; stir to combine, set aside.
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On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a large rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 5-inch cookie cutter, cut out 6 rounds. Transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet.
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Place about 2 tablespoons of the strawberry mixture onto one-half of each round. Lightly brush egg around the edge of the covered half of each round. Fold remaining dough over to enclose, forming a half moon. Gently press edges together to seal. Brush the tops of each pie with egg. Using a paring knife, slash the top of each pie. Sprinkle generously with sanding sugar.
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Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pies to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Or let cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.
Recipe and Images from MarthaStewart.com