Paper Palate

I love Body + Soul. I love that half of the magazine is short and to-the-point pieces that get to the heart of a subject in just a few brief sentences. The June 2006 issue is no disappointment in that respect.

The Whole + Living section really caught my eye this month because it featured a nice large picture of strawberries - a fruit I have loved since childhood. As a little girl, my grandmother and I would go strawberry picking every summer and I would leave the hot field covered in red from all the fresh berries I ate while picking. At home, I would dunk the berries in confectioner’s sugar (which I fondly called powdered sugar). It was a delight.

That, to me, is comfort food since it brings me back to a simpler time when school was my only job and my hobbies included playing with my Cabbage Patch dolls and dancing. Back then, I hadn’t learned about the hollowed loss that death brings or how life isn’t always fair.

Well anyway, it turns out that the berries I would gorge on are really very good for you. According to the article, strawberries are rich in antioxidants. What’s so great about antioxidants? They are believed to help prevent cancer, heart disease and other ailments - a definite good thing.

Body + Soul suggested that strawberries might be tasty with a dash of balsamic vinegar and a little sugar. I decided to give it a try, although they didn’t offer an exact recipe. I devised my own to make it easier to repeat.

As it turned out, it was awesome. The tangy-ness of the balsamic contrasts with the delicate sweetness of the early strawberries and the all-out sweetness of the sugar. I definitely recommend giving it a try.

Balsamic Strawberries
serves 1

1 cup strawberries, hulled and chopped
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat.

***Body + Soul suggests the combination is good with fresh whipped cream, although I didn’t try that. It’s worth a shot in the future, for sure.