Strawberries

While making dinner the other night, I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures of the strawberries.  Getting dinner on the table is easy enough, why not toss photography in the mix?  I thought, "well this is just silly that I'm doing this.  What am I going to do with these pictures-of strawberries and empty containers?"  (The color of those empty containers is my new favorite.) Then, I remembered that my father-in-law and sister-in-law just posted pictures of their strawberries on facebook.  

That's usually how it goes when a new produce season hits.  My in-laws are the first to know and the first to tell us.  During one of their many scenic drives they end up hitting a few farms and/or produce stands, buy enough for us and them and everyone and dole them out.  It really is quite nice.  I am usually told what this season's fruit taste like and why.  "With all this warm weather and that last good rain, these are the sweetest strawberries I've had in a while," I'm told.

We love them.  Strawberry season is almost as great as tomato season.  We make our custard pies, a secret family recipe.  How special I feel having a secret family recipe!  

I yell at John from the computer, "your dad just posted pictures of strawberries and says they're the sweetest in years.  It's time to make pies!"  But, before the pies, we enjoy just straight strawberries.  I think we ate two pints the first night.  Or are they quarts?  I'm not sure, whichever makes the story better.

The kids love them too.  I don't think Burl stopped to breath while he ate them.  And Fern, she kept pushing her head out for more.  They go so well with pureed green beans, I'm sure of it.  

And this, my friends, is the start of the Tennessee Strawberry season.  Finest in the country, I tell ya.