This Five Things Friday is all about strawberries, my favorite fruit for as long as I can remember. Which may shock those of you who notice all my apple-eating in my WIAW posts, but apples aren’t as seasonal and they’re less expensive, so strawberries are a spring and summer treat I look forward to! They’re delicious unadorned and plucked from wild branches, they melt in your mouth when bathed in cream (and washed down with Champagne, the ultimate luxurious treat), and of course, they make for wonderful ice cream. Emack and Bolio’s strawberry ice cream with rainbow sprinkles was my childhood number one, after all! Here are just a few of the strawberries I’ve been loving lately, including my new Strawberry Fields Oatmeal Cake.
1. Strawberry Fields: Not exactly edible, but I love the area in Central Parked named after the iconic Beatles song Strawberry Fields Forever (which is also amazing). There are always tourists around, but it’s for good reason – there are always musicians playing things like Penny Lane, and the sound draws you in even before the beauty of the little corner catches your eye. It’s especially pretty with all this sunshine!
A really lovely spot
The Strawberry Fields memorial
2. Strawflowers: I’m not sure if these are at all related to strawberry plants, but the name is similar and the blooms are really lovely. I wanted to take some home to plant with me, but unfortunately my co-op building doesn’t have windowboxes! I had to content myself with streetside gazing.
3. Strawberry ice cream: my childhood favorite, served up in a cone (well, now I need a GF cone!) with rainbow sprinkles on top. Of course, if I order this around my family, they tease me about the fateful trip to Emack and Bolio’s when I was 9 when I dropped my cone and they had to make me a new one not once, but twice – third scoop was the charm! I always have to remind them that I was a wee little scrap of a 9-year-old, and was bumped into by some very large personages, resulting in said ice cream mishaps.
4. Fresh strawberries: They’re finally in season! I’ve been enjoying them all week. I’ve eaten them whole, sliced them onto yogurt and ice cream, and thrown them into different dishes. Which brings me to…
5. Strawberry Fields Oatmeal Cake: I whipped up a new oatmeal cake this week to take advantage of the pound of fresh strawberries I picked up. It was absolutely delicious, the sweetness and tartness of the strawberries blending with the hearty oats and creamy topping. Try one and see for yourself!
- 1/2 cup gluten free oats
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt – plain, vanilla or strawberry
- 1 egg white (substitute applesauce if desired)
- 1/4 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- Pinch salt
- For topping: 2 tsp each of Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and strawberry jam or preserves
- For ramekin: 1 tsp butter (can substitute olive oil or cooking spray)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl, then add in wet ingredients (only use 2 Tbsp of yogurt here) and strawberries and mix well.
- Melt butter or other oil in 1-cup (8 ounce) ramekin to coat inner surface.
- Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then set oven to high broil for an additional 5 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, mix 2 tsp each Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and strawberry preserves – or, as an alternative, use 2 tsp of a strawberry Greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp cream cheese.
- Use a knife to carefully pry the edges of the cake from the ramekin (easy as long as it was greased well!) and flip upside down into a dish.
- Top with icing and additional strawberries if desired. Enjoy!
What’s your favorite way to enjoy strawberries?
What kind of berries do you like most?
© 2015 Renaissance Runner Girl. All rights reserved.
renaissancerunnergirl 
Yum, yum! I have a soft spot for strawberries–my grandpa used to grow a bunch of them in his garden and I remember helping him harvest them when I was little. Very fond memories of those strawberry plants and time spent with my grandpa. I loooove strawberries and champagne! Such a great combination. 🙂
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Strawberries are certainly one of my favorites too! I loved going to London and testing the strawberries + cream all over 🙂 I have heard of the strawberry fields and have yet to find them in this city. I also have thought about berry picking and will get to that one day. But for now, I’ll put this cake on my list of things to do!
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Holy crap, that cake looks amazing and I have everything I need to make it! (Tis a rarity right now because I refuse to buy any groceries til I use up everything at home! 😡 ) Looks like I have a weekend baking assignment! :]
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I love strawberries when they are in season! That cake looks delicious!
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mmm, now I want strawberries!!
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That cake sounds delicious! My friend makes strawberry bread that also sounds amazing. I’ve never had it yet but maybe this summer i’ll ask her for the recipe!
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Wow, that looks delicious! It doesn’t look like a very large cake though. Is it a single-serve size? Could I make a large one, or would it not bake properly?
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