Extreme Food Styling

By Lori Powell

Last week, I was food styling on the North Fork of Long Island for a future Prevention magazine issue. Sounds glamorous, yes?

Well, not so much when you have brush fires raging a couple of blocks away and 40 MPH wind gusts. The fires were eventually put out, but not without destroying 1,000 acres and three homes.

The winds, on the other hand, kept on gusting so that anything that wasn’t tied down was flying through the air. Then came the rainstorms that blew through our shoot not once but twice…what’s next…locusts?

While I was out on Long Island, I went to one of the only farm stands that was open since the season is still early for produce. Not much coming out of the ground yet but tons of potted herbs, flowering plants and strawberry baskets. I quickly snatched up some lettuce plants and a hanging strawberry plant.

When it comes to strawberries, there is nothing quite like home-grown. Once you have bitten into one and tasted the sweet, luscious fruit, red through and through, you are hooked, making it hard to go back to store-bought. The heavily scented fruit perfumes the surrounding air and lingers, reminding you of the promise of what else is still to come from the earth.

Also the strawberry plant is a happy-looking one, from its leaves to the little white flowers it produces…you can almost hear it giggling!

To celebrate the most popular berry in the world (season is late April to August ) here are a couple of simple recipes for you to look forward to devouring….warning consuming too many will indeed turn your lips berry red! Another bonus of eating strawberries is that they contain more vitamin C than oranges.

To Store:

• Keep whole unwashed berries (wet berries spoil quickly) in a single layer on a plate, loosely covered. Wash berries in a bowl of cold water just before using and pat dry.
• It’s best to go organic with these red rubies.

Peppered Strawberries with Balsamic Glaze
Serves 1

6 fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered, preferably organic
1 teaspoon balsamic glaze (found in the supermarket next to the vinegars)
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Toss strawberries in a bowl with remaining ingredients and let stand 5 minutes (if you can wait).

To get the Peppered Strawberries with Balsamic Glaze recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Strawberry Salsa (for chicken, chips or fish)
Serves 1

1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries, preferably organic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon seeded and finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk together first five ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or keep chilled, covered.

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Related posts:

1. Asian Style Crab Cakes
2. Skinny Dipping for Super Bowl Sunday
3. Going Meatless with Eggplant Parm Stacks
4. After the Feast: Roasting Root Vegetables
5. Remembering Nana