There's a Newf in My Soup!: Strawberry Fields Forever

"We are bound by a small, sometimes magical fruit called the strawberry. This fruit has the power to make tears dry up, make friends with enemies, make sick people feel better, make the elderly feel younger by bringing back pleasant memories of days gone by, make acquaintances of strangers, and above all make little children smile. What other fruit has that power?"

-Marvin Brown

We spent the morning at Suzie's Farm last Saturday for the annual Strawberry Jam, a family friendly, pick-your-own strawberry festival. A visit to the farm has been on our list for quite some time, and we knew it would be a great photography opportunity!

The strawberry fields were picked clean in just a few hours, but Suzie's Farm promised to plant at least five acres for next year's event. The Green Truck was also on site with a special strawberry-infused menu for the day. My Strawberry Jam Burger featured a 1/3 lb. grass-fed beef patty, smoked gouda, strawberry jam (made with Suzie's Farm strawberries, of course), Suzie's Farm arugula, and house bun. John had the Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich, with Suzie's Farm broccoli, aged cheddar, goat's milk feta, garlic spread, and local multigrain bread. We shared an order of Sweet Potato Fries, made with hand-cut California garnet yams.

With the strawberries that made it home, we sliced up a few, drizzled them with a touch of thick, syrupy balsamic vinegar, and spooned them over strawberry cheesecake ice cream. I also used some in the salad below, which I created with baby arugula, fregola, toasted almonds, fresh basil, and lavender honey goat cheese, all lightly tossed in a balsamic, olive oil and tangerine juice vinaigrette. Fregola, a type of pasta from Sardinia, and similar to Israeli couscous, added a nice flavor and texture to the salad.