Anita Weekes | Fuquay-Varina Independent
Ready to pick strawberries? Local crops should be ready soon and Anita Weekes is ready with plenty of great recipes.

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Get ready for April’s debut fruit, strawberries. They are sweet, luscious and juicy. For those who like to indulge, picking time at your favorite farm will be here before we know it.

I’ll never forget years ago, my daughter, Ashley, asked to take her friends strawberry picking for her birthday party celebration. After a fun time carefully selecting these heart shaped gems, we returned home, headed for the kitchen and started baking.

Who can resist simply eating them plain or with a little sugar? Save some for these wonderful recipes.

Strawberry Bread

3 cups mashed strawberries

3 cups flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

2 cups sugar

1 t. salt

1 ¼ cups oil

4 well beaten eggs

Drain ½ cup strawberry juice from mashed strawberries and save for topping. Mix all dry ingredients together. Make a hole in center of mixture. Add strawberries and remaining juice, oil and eggs. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined.

Pour into 2 greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool thoroughly on wire rack.

Topping

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Mix together reserved strawberry juice and softened cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Drizzle over top of bread.

Nancy Koris

Strawberry and Onion Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and patted dry

1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and sliced

1 Bermuda onion, sliced

Place greens on individual salad plates, or in large salad bowl. Place sliced strawberries and onions on top of greens. Drizzle poppyseed dressing over salad. Toss, if using large salad bowl.

Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise

2 T. vinegar

1/3 c sugar

¼ c. milk

2 T. poppyseeds

Place all ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake until blended. Dressing keeps several days in refrigerator.

Ginny Gray

Strawberries in Red Wine

1 c. dry red wine

½ c. sugar

¼ t. vanilla

1 to 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled just before preparation

Mix wine and sugar in small saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cover and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Pour wine syrup over prepared berries. Cover and chill 1 to 2 hours. Serve in champagne glasses.

The Barry Wine Company

Salted Caramel Strawberries

20 large fresh strawberries, washed and patted completely dry

40 caramels

3 T. whipping cream

¼ t. salt

1 ¼ c. coarsely chopped mixed nuts

Wax paper

Microwave caramels, 3 T. whipping cream and ¼ t. salt in a 1-qt. microwave safe bowl at Medium (50 percent) power for 3 ½ minutes or until smooth, stirring at 1-minute intervals.

Dip each strawberry halfway into caramel mixture. Roll in nuts and place on lightly greased wax paper. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 8 hours.

Jhonae Clark