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IX maltatoday, Sunday, 10 May 2015 Food Fine food of the week You know spring has arrived when all vegetable and fruit vendors start displaying boxes upon boxes of these luscious, vibrant, juicy fruits. Although strawberries can be bought all year round, they really taste best and sweetest from around the end of March to the end of May. Fresh strawberries must be one of the most popular, refreshing and healthy treats on the planet. Wild strawberries have been popular since Roman times and were used for a wide variety of medicinal purposes, such as alleviating inflammation, fever, kidney stones, bad breath, gout and more. Today there are over 600 varie- ties of strawberries. They are so delicious it's hard to think of them as a super healthy fruit, but these sweet, slightly tart berries rank among the top 10 fruits (and vegetables) in antioxidant capacity and are believed to help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. They are low in calories and high in vitamins C, B6, and K, and fibre, folic acid, potassium and amino acids. Strawberries are rich in the essential nutrients, Vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and fibre. One cup of fresh strawberries con- tains 160% of your daily needs for vitamin C, for only 50 calories. As strawberries are very perishable, they should only be purchased a few days prior to use. Choose berries that are firm, plump, free of mould, and which have a shiny, deep red colour and attached green caps. Since strawberries, once picked, do not ripen further, avoid those that are dull in colour or have green or yellow patches since they are likely to be sour and of inferior quality. Full ripe berries will not only have the peak flavour and texture, but will have more nutrients. Eaten raw or added to a fruit salad is the perfect way to eat strawberries but for variety you could add them to fruit punch, cheese and fruit platters, sorbets, ice creams, tarts, cakes, sauces, crepes, waffles or served over breakfast cereal. Cooked, they may be added to stewed fruits or made into jam. Pineberries Pineberries, an ancient variety of the strawberry we know today, have seen a revival over the last few years, with some being grown locally. What makes a pineberry (also known as a white strawberry) stand out is the white coloured flesh and their red seeds. They are much smaller than the strawber- ries we see today and are sweeter, with a hint of pineapple flavour accompanying the strawberry aromas. Michael Diacono Ingredients • 1 marrow • Handful fresh spinach leaves • 200g strawberries • 1 avocado • 200g blue cheese • 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted Dressing • 1 tbsp honey • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar • 3 tbsp olive oil • Salt and pepper Method: 1. Cut the marrow into thick slices, season with salt and pepper and fry in some olive oil for a few mins on each side. 2. Prepare the dressing by mixing the honey, vinegar olive oil and salt and pepper. 3. In a serving dish, cut the fresh spinach leaves and place in the dish. 4. Hull and chop the strawberries in half and place in the dish. 5. Peel and cut the avocado into large slices and place in the dish. 6. Top with blue cheese and toasted sesame seeds. 7. Top with the dressing and serve. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 1 May, 2015 Recipe of the week Strawberry and blue cheese salad with marrows, avocado and sesame seeds Strawberries – The taste of spring Pineberries, also known as white strawberries, are known for their white flesh and red seeds. This ancient variety is being grown locally and is available from some supermarkets