STRAWBERRY SEASON HAS ARRIVED! YEAAAAAA!!

STRAWBERRY SEASON HAS ARRIVED!! YEAAAAA!

FINALLY!!! It is strawberry season on the East Coast! I’ve waited five long years for this day…five years of being away during East Coast strawberry season…five very long years. There is nothing so tasty, juicy and sweet in all the world, as a freshly picked - right off the plant - strawberry. It is divine.

My son and I were driving to town to run some errands and we passed by a farm and there at the end of the drive, to our wonderfully pleasant surprise, was a wagon hooked to a tractor that had beautiful quarts of big, bright, crimson strawberries for sale - strawberries patiently waiting for someone (ME!) to buy them. We were so excited – we ended up placing our money - with a tip for our gratefulness - in the jar for two of those amazing, long awaited for, quarts. As soon as we got them in the car, we couldn’t resist, we had to taste them and we ate them right from the bag, dirt and all….that first sweet, juicy bite….ahhhhh….like heaven on earth. What a wonderful Spring moment. The best end to a five year period barren of a good strawberry. Since then we have bought four more quarts – we just cannot get enough.

I wanted to do something special with the strawberries for my husband so I came up with this simple dessert that is easy and delicious….sinfully delicious. This is a fabulous dessert to make at any time….it would be great for a special occasion, romantic dinner, birthday party….anything….or even just to give yourself a treat! Of course, you can use any fresh strawberry that is available, but I, obviously, prefer east coast, farm fresh strawberries but this dessert will be delicious with any fresh strawberry.

Simply Scrumptious Chocolate Strawberry Parfait

½ - ¾ cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh strawberries, pureed

4 oz. cream cheese

1/3 – ½ c. confectioner’s sugar (depends on sweetness of berries)

1 cup whipping cream, whipped until very thick – but not butter!

1 tsp. vanilla

1 row of Oreos, processed into crumbs

½ c. milk chocolate chips, melted, drizzled on wax paper and cooled

Have four regular sized wine glasses available. FIRST STEP: slice the ½ to ¾ c. of strawberries. Set aside. SECOND STEP: Puree 1 c. fresh strawberries. Set aside. THIRD STEP: Process Oreos in food processor until fine crumbs. Set aside. FOURTH STEP: In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. FIFTH STEP: Add pureed strawberries to cream cheese mixture and mix on low until fully mixed together. SIXTH STEP: Fold whipped cream into strawberry puree and cream cheese mixture.

Assemble into wine glasses as follows:

Place about 2 T. of Oreo crumbs into the bottom of each wine glass.

Place 3 – 4 heaping Tablespoons of strawberry/cream cheese/cream mixture on top of crumbs

Place one layer of five or six slices of fresh strawberries on top of cream mixture

Sprinkle another 2 T. of Oreo crumbs on top of sliced berries

Place 3 – 4 more Tablespoons of cream mixture on top of crumbs

Top with fancy cut or sliced strawberries

Place 2 broken pieces of cooled, drizzled milk chocolate into cream mixture around strawberries.

There you have a work of delicious art and beauty. Eat and Enjoy!