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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 APRIL 2017 35 STRAWBERRIES are symbolic of the Maltese spring. Although strawberries can be bought the year round, they really taste best and sweetest from around the end of March to 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 ancient Roman times and were used for a wide variety of medicinal purposes such as alleviating inflamma- tion, fever, kidney stones, bad breath, gout and more. Today there are over 600 varieties 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 vegeta- bles) 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, K, 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 contains 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 fla- vour 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, sor- bets, 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 – hence their name – accompanying the strawberry aromas. Fine food of the week Food Ingredients • 250g fresh strawberries, hulled • 2 eggs • 125ml fresh cream • 75g icing sugar • Tuiles • ½ cup sugar • ½ cup flour • Vanilla extract to taste 1½ large egg whites • 2½ tbsp finely ground almonds Method 1. To make the tuiles, pre-heat oven to 200°C. Grease a bak- ing tray. 2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly. 3. Using a spatula dipped in cold water, spread mixture thinly in small round shapes on the prepared baking tray. 4. Bake in the preheated oven for 6 minutes or until gold- en brown around the edge. 5. Remove with a spatula. Form into tuile by gently and quickly folding the bis- cuit over handle of a wood- en spoon. 6. Remove from handle. Push centre of unfolded edge downward to form tuile shapes. 7. Allow to cool. 8. To make the ice cream, wash and dry prepared strawberries and purée in a food processor or liquidizer. Do not over process – leave some texture. 9. Separate the two eggs and beat the egg yolks in a small bowl. 10. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and gradually beat in the sugar, a spoonful at a time. 11. Lightly whip the cream. 12. Add the beaten egg yolks, whipped cream and puréed fruit to the egg whites, fold- ing in lightly. 13. Pour the mixture into a plastic container and freeze. 14. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving and serve in glass goblets topped with a fresh strawberry and a sprig of fresh mint. Recipe of the week Strawberry ice-cream with tuiles 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 available from some supermarkets