Sitting on the edge of our strawberry patch picking berries with my daughter, it dawned on me. Summer is near. Yes, we’ve had many hot days in the last few weeks that should have been the tip off, but in the business of late spring, that visceral sense of the changing season just hadn’t hit me yet. It was at the strawberry patch where I knew it. The evening was warm and bright, the tshhh, tshhh, tshhh of irrigation in a nearby field was ticking away, and the sugar of ripe day-warmed strawberries was flooding my taste buds.
Sitting there berry munching as my daughter, in her shorts and flip-flops, pawed through the thick leaves snatching reds, and watching our cat, Tip-Top, try to climb the chain link raspberry trellis to better torment the dogs, I had that moment where I suddenly remembered what summer feels like. While the seasons are undeniably predictable, for some reason I am always amazed at how like new this feeling is—different year, different circumstances—then that rush of familiarity hits, and it’s the first time all over again.
Ripe strawberries are like the herald of summer. Instead of blasting a horn, they simply transition from green to red. The first of many things to ripen for the season, they are the indicator that sunshine can now be turned into sugar. Hallelujah!
Many years ago a friend gave me this recipe for Strawberry bread when I was trying to maximize a bumper crop, and it has become a seasonal staple in our home due to its ease and deliciousness. If you haven’t already found your “almost summer” moment, this will surely get you a bit closer.
Strawberry Bread
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 ¼ cup oil
2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients, then add eggs, oil, and strawberries and mix until it all comes together (don’t overdo it!).
Bake for 70 minutes.
Beautifully written! The recipe looks really yummy!