A strawberry harvest in June 2013. (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

It’s time for Strawberries!

At last Saturday’s Farmers’ Market, I bought strawberries. Surprise! They were red all the way through. Delicious. Fragrant. Sweet. Fresh. No resemblance to those white berries from the supermarket. Delicious.

On Tuesday, the strawberry full moon was low in the sky, reminding us to savor sweet ripening fruit, long, warm days, shorter nights and simple pleasures summer brings.

I bought more delicious, sweet, juicy red berries from my favorite farmstand a few days later.

Strawberry season has arrived! The first fruits of summer — and the most popular of all berries — are here.

Mom loved her strawberries. She told how, when she was a teenager, she spent her lunch money on berries when they were in season. We went to Brushton to pick berries. We gorged ourselves on berries. With vanilla ice cream. With yogurt and maple. Or just plain. We added them to salads. We baked with them. For one year, after I gorged on berries we had gathered that day, I broke out in hives on my belly. Mom kept eating them.

In addition to being superbly delicious, strawberries are one of the world’s healthiest foods. With only 55 calories per cup, this nutrient-dense fruit is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, manganese, folic acid, vitamin K and vitamins B5 and B6. In addition, they’re full of unusual phytonutrients like ellagic acid (an anti-cancer compound). Some of the phenols and other antioxidants act as COX inhibitors, reducing inflammation in conditions like arthritis and asthma. This unique combination of phytonutrients means that the plump red berries protect against cancer and heart disease and have anti-inflammatory properties.

To prepare, pinch off the stems and caps with your fingers or a paring knife. Wash gently right before use under running water or wipe with a damp paper towel. Don’t immerse them in water; it is absorbed by the berries and dilutes their flavor.

Strawberries are great eaten plain or with whipped cream. Strawberry shortcake is a traditional hit. They make a great sweet topping for pancakes, waffles or cheesecake. For an easy parfait, layer sliced strawberries with a little sugar and yogurt in a wine glass. Blend with water, sugar and mint — or with yogurt and other fruit — for an easy smoothie.

Whether you grow your own, pick at a farm or buy at a farmstand or farmers’ market, the berries are here to enjoy now. The season lasts only a few weeks, and the berries don’t keep long. You can freeze them for winter, but they’re not the same as fresh.

Berries are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, snacks or desserts. Here are some ideas to get you started.

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Easy Strawberry Yogurt Parfait

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Ingredients:

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1 pint strawberries

1 cup strawberry flavored yogurt

1/2 cup walnuts

Whipped cream

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Directions:

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Chop nuts fine. Clean and mash or slice berries. In parfait glasses, layer half the berries, half the yogurt, and half the nuts. Repeat layers until glass is full. Top with whipped cream and serve.

Strawberry or vanilla ice cream can substitute for yogurt.

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Strawberry Fruit Salad

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Ingredients:

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1 quart strawberries

1 banana

1 cup green grapes

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

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Directions:

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Combine sour cream, yogurt, and maple syrup in a bowl, and whisk together with a wire whisk or fork. Set aside.

Clean, stem and slice the berries. Peel and slice the banana. Add the grapes (I like to cut them in half). Combine fruit in the bowl and fold in the sauce.

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Strawberry Smoothie

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This easy, nutritious drink is refreshingly cool on a hot summer day. You can also eat it in bowls, with croutons or noodles, as a cool summer “soup” for lunch or dessert.

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Ingredients:

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1 cup apple juice

3 stalks rhubarb (about 1 cup sliced)

1/2 cup sugar (or half sugar, half stevia)

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 quart strawberries

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

1 cup plain yogurt

Additional strawberries and optional sour cream, for garnish

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Directions:

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Slice and wash rhubarb. Stem and clean the berries.

In a saucepan, combine sliced rhubarb, apple juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, whisking, and cook for one minute to blend ingredients. Cool.

Pour the cooled mixture into the blender. Add remaining ingredients. Blend for about a minute, until smooth. Pour into glasses or bowls. Serve chilled. If using as soup, serve with croutons or noodles. Garnish with additional sliced berries and dollops of sour cream.

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Salmon with greens and berries

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Ingredients:

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10 ounces fresh greens (such as turnip greens, spinach, arugula, etc.)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

2 to 3 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon butter

1 clove garlic

2 salmon fillets

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup strawberries

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Directions:

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Wash and steam greens until barely tender. Drain and chop coarsely.

In a dry skillet, toast sesame seeds for about 2 minutes. Stir into the greens along with soy sauce. Place on 2 plates and keep warm.

Melt butter in the same skillet. Peel and mince garlic, add and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add the salmon and cook about a minute, turn over and cook another minute or until the fish flakes easily. Place on top of greens and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Wash, hull and slice berries. Add to the same skillet, and cook about 1 to 2 minutes. Place on top of the fish. Serve immediately.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on Twitter: @yvonawrites.