Page 10

Focus Summer 2015

Page 10

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup sugar
One 750-millilitre bottle chilled Prosecco
2 pints vanilla ice cream

"Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but

doubtless God never did." (Dr. William Butler, 17th Century
English Writer) Dr. Butler is referring to the strawberry.
Strawberries are the best of the berries. The delicate heart-
shaped berry has always connoted purity, passion and
healing. It has been used in stories, literature and paintings
through the ages.

In Othello, Shakespeare decorated Desdemonda's

handkerchief with symbolic strawberries.

Madame Tallien, a prominent figure at the court of the

Emperor Napoleon, was famous for bathing in the juice of
fresh strawberries. She used 22 pounds per basin, needless
to say, she did not bathe daily.

In parts of Bavaria, country folk still practice the annual

rite each spring of tying small baskets of wild strawberries
to the horns of their cattle as an offering to elves. They
believe that the elves, who are passionately fond of
strawberries, will help to produce healthy calves and
abundance of milk in return.

The American Indians were already eating strawberries

when the Colonists arrived. The crushed berries were mixed
with cornmeal and baked into strawberry bread. After
trying this bread, Colonists developed their own version of
the recipe and Strawberry Shortcake was created.

In Greek and Roman times, the strawberry was a wild

plant.

The English "strawberry" comes from the Anglo-Saxon

"streoberie" not spelled in the modern fashion until 1538.

The first documented botanical illustration of a strawberry

plant appeared as a figure in Herbaries in 1454.

In 1780, the first strawberry hybrid "Hudson" was

developed in the United States.

Legend has it that if you break a double strawberry in half

and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will fall
in love with each other.

The strawberry was a symbol for Venus, the Goddess of

Love, because of its heart shapes and red color.

Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII had a

strawberry shaped birthmark on her neck, which some
claimed proved she was a witch.

To symbolize perfection and righteousness, medieval

stone masons carved strawberry designs on altars and
around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals.

The wide distribution of wild strawberries is largely from

seeds sown by birds. It seems that when birds eat the wild
berries the seeds pass through them intact and in
reasonably good condition. The germinating seeds respond
to light rather than moisture and therefore need no
covering of earth to start growing.

Medicinal Uses

The strawberry, a member of the rose family, is unique in

that it is the only fruit with seeds on the outside rather than
the inside. Many medicinal uses were claimed for the wild
strawberry, its leaves and root.

The ancient Romans believed that the berries alleviated

symptoms of melancholy, fainting, all inflammations, fevers,
throat infections, kidney stones, halitosis, attacks of gout,
and diseases of the blood, liver and spleen.

Strawberry Fields Forever …

Method

In a bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar and let
stand until the sugar is dissolved, about 30 minutes.
Spoon the berries and any syrup into glasses and top with
the Prosecco and a scoop of ice cream. Serve right away.

Strawberry Facts

Strawberries are the

only fruit with seeds on the
outside

The average strawberry

has approx. 200 seeds

Strawberries are a

member of the rose family

Strawberries are grown

on a vine

The plants have a white

flower with a yellow centre

History & Lore

Perfect Prosecco