Ripe for the picking

It’s time to get picking. Strawberry season has arrived and baskets of berries await to be picked. So gather up the family and venture out to one of the many u-pick growers for a day in the berry patch.
For Long Islanders, strawberry season reaches its peak with the transition from spring to summer, as the fruit grow and ripen throughout May and June. There’s no better strawberries than the ones from our area farms, so skip those California and Florida berries from the supermarket and head out to one of the many farms nearby where you can pick your own.
It’s always best to always call ahead. A large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so be sure to check first.
When you return with your bounty, settle in to whip up some yummy strawberry treats. These fresh gems are always terrific on their own, of course, but when used in a recipe, they’ll jazz up any meal. Be sure to use them quickly, of course, berries do not last long.
Get inspired with these recipes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb are a winning combination.

Crust:
2 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2⁄3 cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons cold milk

Filling:
1 1⁄4 cups plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
3 cups halved and hulled strawberries
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 400°. For the crust: Sift together flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Measure oil into a measuring cup, then add milk, but don’t stir together. Pour oil and milk into flour mixture. Stir until dough just holds together. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 balls, and flatten slightly. Roll out each ball between two sheets of wax paper into 12” rounds. Transfer one pastry round (discarding wax paper) into a 9” pie plate, and set other pastry round aside.
For the filling: Mix together 1 1⁄4 cups of the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, then add rhubarb and strawberries, tossing well to coat evenly.
Fill bottom crust with rhubarb–strawberry mixture and scatter butter on top. Cover with remaining pastry round (discarding wax paper) and crimp edges together to seal. Score top to allow steam to escape, brush with milk, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tsp. sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes. If edge of crust browns too quickly, cover edge with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Allow pie to cool for 1 hour before serving.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
A terrific treat to get everyone moving in the morning or as a nutritious snack.

1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
1/2 peach
1/2 ripe banana
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup crushed ice

Place strawberries, peach, banana, orange juice in blender and blend until fruit is puréed. Add crushed ice and blend until smooth.

Strawberry-Vanilla Smoothie
A tasty, refreshing drink and healthy too!

1⁄2 cup vanilla soy milk (or your preferred milk)
1⁄2 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries
6 ounces non-fat vanilla yogurt (any flavor will work)
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

Where To Pick:
You’ll find the majority of the region’s u-pick farms on the North Fork.
Before going picking make sure the fields are open and not over-picked. Remember to wear comfortable clothes and prepare to get messy!

Anderson Farms
1890 Roanoke Ave., Riverhead
9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (no u-pick on Tuesdays)
(631) 727-2559

Condzella’s Farm Stand
Route 25A, Wading River
10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
(631) 929-4697 or www.condzellasfarm.com

Garden of Eve Organic Farm and Market
4558 Sound Ave., Riverhead
9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
(631) 722-8777 or
www.gardenofevefarm.com

Glover Farms
633 Victory Ave., Brookhaven
10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
(631) 286-7876

Lewin Farms
812 Sound Ave., Wading River
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily, except Tuesday
(631) 929-4327 or www.lewinfarm.com

May’s Farm
6361 Route 25A, Wading River
9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
(631) 929-6654 or www.maysfarmny.com

Patty’s Berries & Bunches
410 Sound Ave., Mattituck
9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily
(631) 298-4679 or
www.pattiesberriesandbunches.com

Rottkamp’s Fox Hollow Farm
2287 Sound Ave., Calverton
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday
(631) 727-1786

Wickham’s Fruit Farm
28700 Main Rd., Route 25, Cutchogue
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Saturday
(631) 734-6441 or www.wickhamsfruitfarm.com

Windy Acres Farm
3810 Middle Country Rd., Route 25, Calverton
9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily
(631) 727-4554