It’s a good idea to arrive at berry and cherry season armed with lots of good ideas so you can make the most of what is a very flavourful time of year, but not a very long season.
On the other hand, there are also many uses for frozen berries, which retain their unmatched flavour when picked fresh off the vine within a few miles of the kitchen and immediately frozen.
There are also dried options for fruits such as cherries, and dried ones are crammed full of concentrated cherry flavours. They can be an option when local fresh cherries simply are not available.
However, in the coming weeks, we will be able to taste fruit that’s fresh from local farmers’ fields and orchards—the first of the season—so here are a few ideas of nice, light main dish salads that feature those first local fruits.
This is a golden time of year to m ake green salads using a huge variety of edible leaves and flowers, topped with other fresh, local produce such as peas, radishes, berries and green onions. A cupful of a lean protein such as fresh, B.C. shrimp or prawns, beef, chicken, seafood or cheese and you’ve got a quick and healthy, lean meal.
Berry and cherry flavours, especially in fresh salads, pair beautifully with the dry, but fruity rose wines now made in the Okanagan, so try one with the following recipes and see if you’re not pleasantly surprised.
For lots of other recipes made with local fruits and greens, and other B.C. produce and protein, pick up a copy of my book, Jude’s Kitchen published by the Okanagan Institute and available wherever books are sold—plus a variety of local wine shops and the B.C. Wine Museum.
Incidentally, congratulations to Jenna Angle for winning the B.C. Junior Chef of the Year to represent B.C. at the national conference in Halifax in June. The menu she concocted from her black box ingredients to win this award sounds absolutely mouth-watering, so it’s not surprising she placed so well.
We all wish you the best in Halifax and we hope to see that national trophy coming to the Okanagan, Jenna!
Steak & Cherry Salad with Sprouts and Cheese
It may be a bit unusual, but these flavours are terrific together. Try it, you’ll love it. And, it’s a complete meal in a bowl full of fruit and vegetables, beef, cheese and nuts. You could substitute a blue or gorgonzola cheese for the feta and leave off the seeds or nuts or try different ones. And, once the fresh, local cherries are available, substitute pitted, halved fresh fruit for the dried, and use two or three times as many.
4 c. (1 l) fresh salad greens
1 c. (250 ml) fresh bean sprouts
1 c. (250 ml) thinly-sliced beef steak
1/2 c. (125 ml) crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 c. (60 ml) dried cherries
1/4 c. (60 ml) sunflower seeds
1/4 c. (60 ml) roasted pine nuts
Rinse and dry fresh young greens such as lettuces, spinach, mesclun, spring greens… and tumble into a large salad bowl.
Rinse and drain fresh, crisp bean sprouts and add.
Thinly slice a tender beef steak, perhaps left over from a previous night’s barbecue and add.
Crumble feta cheese over the salad, along with dried cherries, sunflower seeds and roasted pine nuts.
Serve with a light dressing such as a raspberry vinaigrette.
Serves 2-4.
Greens & Berries Salad with Cheese & Herbs
There’s nothing with quite the flavour of freshly-picked strawberries or raspberries and both would be fabulous in this light spring salad of fresh greens. The watermelon is optional, but a very good addition later in the season when there are fresh ones available. I’d leave it out until then. Do think outside the box when it comes to the greens because fresh herbs and unusual greens are a great match with fresh berries.
4 c. (1 l) spinach and other greens
1 c. (250 ml) watermelon
1 c. (250 ml) strawberries
1/2 chopped Vidalia onion
1/4 c. (60 ml) crumbled goat cheese
1/4 c. (60 ml) cilantro leaves
2 tbsp. (30 ml) fresh parsley
coarse sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground black pepper
Tear up washed and dried spinach and other fresh greens into a salad serving bowl.
Dice watermelon and chop strawberries and onion, then finely dice or crumble goat cheese into the greens and reds.
Coarsely chop cilantro and parsley and toss on top.
Top with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, and use a light vinaigrette such as raspberry or lemon.
Serves 4.
