CALENDAR 2020 - VICTORIAN STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE - Victorian Strawberries
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V I C TO R I A N S T R AW B E R R Y C A L E N DA R 2 0 2 0 VICTORIAN STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
JANUARY 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Strawberry, Ginger and Lime Icy Poles 1 New Year’s Day 2 3 4 5 Serves 8 Ingredients: 2 x 250g punnets Victorian Strawberries, washed and hulled 1 cup ginger beer 1/2 cup lime juice 1 tablespoon honey 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Method: 1. Set up icy pole mould on the bench. Make sure you have ample room in the freezer ahead of time. 2. Slice strawberries and place 1-2 slices in each mould. 3. Blitz remaining strawberries in a blender until finely puréed, then add in ginger beer, lime juice and honey. Blitz again until combined. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 4. Pour into moulds and place in freezer overnight. 5. When ready to serve, place mould under warm water for a few seconds before easing icy poles out. Mix It Up! Play around with your favourite flavours — try replacing the ginger beer in this recipe with lemonade or store- bought kombucha or go completely off script with these delicious combinations: 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Australia Day 1. Freshly sliced strawberries and Greek yoghurt. 2. Strawberries, bananas and honey blended with coconut milk. Mick Grillo and grandchildren KNM Berries, Cobram, Vic “I have been growing strawberries since 27 Australia Day holiday 28 Term 1 begins, VIC, QLD, SA, 29 30 31 1980, was President of the Victorian Strawberry Grower’s Association for 4 NT, NSW years and have been on the committee for approximately 22 years. My grandchildren love eating strawberries straight from the plants, and whilst Nonna was packing them, they were always eating them. However, these icy poles would surely be popular in summer. We now sell our strawberries Cobram directly to the public at weekend markets in Northern Victoria and ✁ Southern NSW.”
FEBRUARY 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Why We ❤ Victorian Strawberries 1 2 Chocolates and sweets might be traditional Valentine’s Day fare, but strawberries are a great addition to your Valentine’s treats. Not only are they the colour of love and naturally heart-shaped — they’re incredibly good for you, too! 3 Term 1 begins, WA 4 Term 1 begins, ACT 5 Term 1 begins, TAS 6 7 8 9 Here’s some more reasons to LOVE Victorian Strawberries: 1. Strawberries are fat-free, low in sugar and an excellent source of vitamin C. 2. They’re incredibly versatile. Eat them raw, roasted, puréed, frozen or made into a 10 11 12 13 14 Valentine’s Day 15 16 delicious jam — the choice is yours! 3. Strawberries add a wonderful dimension to savoury dishes. Try them in a salad, made into a salsa to serve with fish, or on our Strawberry and Prosciutto Pastry Tartelettes (see August for recipe). 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 4. They’re perfect for entertaining: spring picnics, Christmas dinners, New Year’s Eve celebrations, Easter lunches and Mother’s Day breakfasts. 5. Strawberries are members of the rose family, making them an even more appropriate addition to your Valentine’s 24 25 26 27 28 29 Day celebrations! ✁
MARCH 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Corn Fritters with Strawberry Pico de Gallo 30 31 1 Serves 4 Ingredients: Corn Fritters 6 cobs corn 1 bunch chives, finely chopped 1/2 bunch coriander stems, finely chopped 2 eggs 2 Labour Day, WA 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 teaspoon sea salt Cracked pepper to taste 1 cup self-raising flour 4 tablespoons olive oil 50g butter Pico de Gallo 2 x 250g punnets Victorian Strawberries, washed, hulled and finely diced 9 Labour Day, VIC Adelaide Cup 10 11 12 13 14 15 1/2 bunch coriander, leaves picked 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped Day, SA 1/2 red onion, finely diced Canberra Day, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped ACT Eight Hours Day, 1 lime, juiced TAS 1 tablespoon olive oil Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste 1 avocado, quartered 1 lime, cut into cheeks 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Method: 1. Remove kernels from 3 corn cobs with a knife. Grate kernels from the remaining 3 cobs using a standard kitchen grater. 2. Mix corn kernels, herbs and eggs to make the fritter batter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Leave to rest while making the Pico de Gallo. 23 24 25 26 27 Term 1 ends, VIC 28 29 3. Prepare all ingredients for the Pico de Gallo and gently toss together. Taste for seasoning and place in a serving bowl. 4. To cook fritters, add oil and butter to a medium hot frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Keep warm until ready to serve. 5. To serve, divide fritters between plates and garnish with Pico de Gallo, avocado quarters and fresh lime cheeks. The kids will love the left over cold fritters in their ✁ lunch box!
APRIL Whipped Ricotta, Strawberry and Dark Chocolate Bruschetta Recipe by Joel Feren (aka The Nutrition Guy), Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist. Follow Joel on Instagram: @the_nutritionguy Smothered in whipped ricotta and strawberries, scattered with walnuts and drizzled with dark chocolate, this indulgent bruschetta offers a healthy dessert option when you feel like something sweet.
APRIL 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Whipped Ricotta, Strawberry and Dark Chocolate Bruschetta 1 2 3 Term 1 ends, QLD 4 5 Serves 2 Ingredients: 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 cup Victorian Strawberries, quartered Small handful of walnuts, roughly chopped 6 7 8 9 Term 1 ends, ACT, WA, SA, 10 Good Friday 11 12 Easter Sunday 25g dark chocolate, melted TAS, NT, NSW 2 slices sourdough bread, toasted Method: 1. Add ricotta cheese, vanilla extract and honey to a mixing bowl. Gently whip the ricotta and other ingredients with a whisk until light and fluffy. 2. To melt chocolate, add 4cm of water to a medium 13 Easter Monday 14 Term 2 begins, VIC 15 16 17 18 19 saucepan and bring to a very gentle simmer. Add chocolate to a heat-safe bowl and place on top of the saucepan. Stir chocolate with a spatula until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool. 3. Spread ricotta mixture on toast and top with strawberries, walnuts and dark chocolate. 20 Term 2 begins, QLD, NT 21 22 23 24 25 Anzac Day 26 Strawberries + Chocolate = ❤ Strawberries and chocolate are a match made in heaven, so what better way to celebrate Easter than with strawberries dipped in melted chocolate? Try the classic single dip in milk, white and dark, or add some texture by rolling freshly dipped chocolate strawberries in chopped nuts. 27 Anzac Day 28 Term 2 begins, 29 30 Feeling extra creative? Add some colour to melted holiday, WA WA white chocolate and use a piping bag to decorate your Term 2 begins, ACT, SA, TAS, dipped strawberries like Easter eggs. NSW ✁
MAY 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Spoil Mum with Strawberries 1 2 3 Victorian Strawberry season comes to a close in May but luckily there’s still time to spoil mum with some of the luscious strawberry recipes in the 2020 Victorian Strawberry calendar! Let mum sleep in and serve her breakfast in bed — think fresh fruit salad with ripe 4 May Day, NT Labour Day, QLD 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mother's Day red strawberries, Strawberry Bruschetta (see April for recipe), or pancakes topped with sliced strawberries and maple syrup. Celebrate mum with a morning or afternoon tea complete with scones fresh from the oven, homemade strawberry jam 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 and clotted cream. Try Corn Fritters with Strawberry Pico de Gallo (see March for recipe) or Strawberry and Prosciutto Pastry Tartelettes (see August for recipe) for a sumptuous Mother’s Day lunch. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Finish off with a decadent dessert such as Easy Strawberry Tiramisù (see December for recipe). 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 ✁
JUNE Victorian Strawberry Jam
JUNE 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Save and Savour All Year Round 1 Reconciliation 2 3 4 5 6 7 Victorian Strawberry season might be over Day, ACT WA Day, WA but that doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying everybody’s favourite little red berry. If you’ve got strawberries to spare, why not preserve them to use off-season? Freezing You can halve them, you can slice them, you 8 Queen’s Birthday, ACT, NSW, NT, 9 10 11 12 13 14 can freeze them whole. You can even purée SA, TAS, VIC them and pour them into ice cube trays. However you choose to freeze your strawberries, you’ll be glad you did because it means you’ll be able to use them all year round to make muffins, smoothies, sauces, cakes and other tasty strawberry treats. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Jam Another great way to make the most out of your strawberries is to turn them into jam. One and a half kilos of strawberries will yield around 6 x 250g jars of jam, keeping you well stocked for the winter months. 22 23 24 25 26 Term 2 ends, 27 28 VIC, QLD, NT Dehydrating If you have a dehydrator handy, this is another great way to save your strawberries. Dried strawberries can be added to muffins and cakes, stirred through cereal or eaten as a snack on their own. 29 30 ✁
JULY Strawberry Crumble and Peanut Butter Bars Recipe and image by Chloe Munro @the_smallseed_
JULY 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Strawberry Crumble and Peanut Butter Bars 1 2 3 Term 2 ends, ACT, 4 5 WA, SA, TAS, Serves 2 NSW Ingredients: 2 x 250g punnets Victorian Strawberries, washed, hulled and diced 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder 3 cups gluten free oats 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup coconut sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Crumble 1 cup gluten free oats 1 tablespoon peanut butter 13 Term 3 begins, VIC, QLD 14 15 16 17 18 19 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup 1 tablespoon coconut sugar Drizzle of vanilla extract Method: 1. Preheat oven to 170oC (fan-forced). 2. Place diced strawberries and arrowroot powder in a bowl and mix well. Put aside. 20 Term 3 begins, ACT, WA, SA, 21 Term 3 begins, NT 22 23 24 25 26 3. Place oats, baking powder and salt into a processor and pulse into coarse flour. TAS, NSW 4. Mix in peanut butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Place mixture into a lined baking tin and press down. 5. Place strawberries on top of base and gently press down. 6. Place crumble ingredients into a processor and 27 28 29 30 31 pulse until mixture resembles large crumbs. Scatter over the strawberries and gently press down. 7. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool. 8. Slice into squares and enjoy! ✁
AUGUST Strawberry and Prosciutto Pastry Tartelettes
AUGUST 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Strawberry and Prosciutto Pastry Tartelettes 31 1 2 Serves 8-12 Ingredients: 1 x 375g roll of Carême Puff Pastry (defrosted) 1 egg, whisked to make an egg wash 200g crème fraîche Sea salt and pepper to taste 3 x 250g punnets Victorian Strawberries, washed, 3 Picnic Day, NT Bank Holiday, 4 5 6 7 8 9 hulled and sliced 100g shaved excellent quality prosciutto NSW 1/2 small red onion, finely sliced 3 teaspoons balsamic glaze 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil Micro-herbs or baby rocket for garnish Method: 1. Preheat oven to 200oC and line a tray with baking 10 11 12 Royal Queensland 13 14 15 16 paper. 2. Place pastry on tray. Using a sharp knife and a ruler, Show, QLD cut pastry into equal lengths to fit the tray, leaving 2cm between strips. 3. With a small paring knife, make a shallow incision around each strip 1.5cm from the edge, to create a frame (be careful not to cut all the way through). Brush frames with egg wash and prick the centre of the pastry liberally with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 4. Once baked, leave pastry to cool on a wire rack. 5. Mix crème fraîche with salt and pepper, then spoon into the tartelettes. Add sliced strawberries and fill any gaps with shaved prosciutto and onion. Immediately before serving, drizzle with balsamic glaze and olive oil, then scatter with micro-herbs or baby rocket. Mick and Pina Molluso 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Sweet Berries, Silvan, VIC “This is a wonderful summertime favourite of mine to share around with family and friends, great for picnics or especially around Christmas. It can be served cool with a lovely chilled sparkling wine and the delicious combination of prosciutto and strawberries makes this recipe a delight Silvan ✁ for the tastebuds.”
SEPTEMBER Frozen Strawberry and Pimm’s No.1 Cup Drink
SEPTEMBER 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Frozen Strawberry and Pimm’s No.1 Cup Drink 1 2 3 4 5 6 Father's Day Serves 4 Ingredients: 2 x 250g punnets Victorian Strawberries, washed and hulled 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges for serving 1 cup store-bought kombucha 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 cup Pimm’s No.1 Cup 2 cups ice 5 mint leaves Edible flowers for garnish Method: 1. Keep 4 strawberries aside and slice for garnishing. 2. Blitz remaining strawberries in a blender until finely 14 15 16 17 18 Term 3 ends, VIC, QLD 19 20 puréed. Add orange juice, lime juice, kombucha, Pimm’s No.1 Cup, ice and mint leaves, then blitz until very smooth. 3. Pour into glasses and garnish with fresh sliced strawberries, lime wedges and edible flowers. Danny and Anna Hasan Farmer Dan’s, Wandin East, VIC 21 22 23 24 25 Term 3 ends, NSW 26 27 Danny and Anna have over 65 years of strawberry growing experience in their family. Starting as a market garden, they have now been solely strawberry growers for the last 25 years. Anna loves all aspects of the strawberry growing process, from the initial planting to end picking and seeing the final beautiful, red sweet strawberry. And seeing the enjoyment 28 Queen's Birthday, WA 29 30 on adults and children’s faces as they bite into her Farmer Dan’s strawberries brings her so much joy. And when it comes to this delicious Pimm’s Strawberry drink, Anna believes, “It is so refreshing and delicious, on a warm day settle in with friends and make a chilled batch while you watch the world go by. Great for parties and gatherings. Highly recommend Wandin East ✁ you try!”
OCTOBER Chocolate Protein Pancakes with Strawberries Recipe by Joel Feren (aka The Nutrition Guy). Follow Joel on Instagram: @the_nutritionguy Joel's food philosophy is that all foods fit. Any dish can be made more nutritious by using healthier ingredients or by employing different cooking methods. These pancakes are a case in point — made with teff flour, protein powder and topped with Greek yoghurt and strawberries, they're both delicious and healthy.
OCTOBER 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Chocolate Protein Pancakes with Strawberries 1 2 3 4 Makes 12 pancakes Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1/2 cup wholemeal teff flour, sifted (regular wholemeal flour can be used as a substitute) 1/4 cup caster sugar 40g chocolate protein powder 5 Labour Day, 6 Term 4 begins, 7 8 9 10 11 1 cup milk ACT, NSW, SA QLD 1 egg, lightly beaten Queen’s Birthday, QLD 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1/2 cup Victorian Strawberries, washed, hulled and Term 4 begins, VIC quartered Greek yoghurt to serve Method: 1. In a mixing bowl add egg, milk and vanilla essence. 12 Term 4 begins, ACT, WA, SA, 13 14 15 16 17 18 2. In a separate bowl, combine flours, sugar and protein TAS, NT, NSW powder. 3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and slowly add wet mixture. Gently fold together. 4. Heat a frying pan and lightly spray with oil. 5. Place small amount of mixture in pan and flip when bubbles appear on pancake surface. 19 20 21 22 Royal Hobart Show, TAS 23 24 25 6. Remove from pan when both sides are golden brown. Serve with Greek yoghurt and fresh strawberries. Want more recipes? Visit the Victorian Strawberries website at www.vicstrawberry.com.au for more delectable strawberry recipes like Classic Strawberry Cheesecake, 26 27 28 29 30 31 Glazed Salmon Fillets with Strawberry and Avocado Salsa, and Toffeed Strawberries. We’d love to see your favourite strawberry recipes, too! Use the #vicstrawberries tag on social media to show us your strawberry creations. ✁
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday 30 1 Victorian Strawberry season begins 2 Recreation Day, TAS 3 Melbourne Cup Day, VIC 4 5 6 7 8 Pick Your Own Celebrate the official start of the 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Victorian Strawberry season with a day trip to the country for some strawberry picking fun! If in Victoria, visit www.vicstrawberry.com.au to find a Pick Your Own strawberry farm near you. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
DECEMBER Easy Strawberry Tiramisù
DECEMBER 2020 Monday Tu e s d a y We d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y Friday Saturday Sunday Easy Strawberry Tiramisù Serves 8-12 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ingredients: 3 x 250g punnets Victorian Strawberries, washed and hulled 600ml thickened cream 250g mascarpone 2 tablespoons caster sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste 1 packet of sponge finger biscuits (savoiardi) 7 8 9 10 11 Term 4 ends, QLD, SA 12 13 1/2 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon orange zest 1/4 cup Grand Marnier (optional) Method: 1. Slice 2 punnets of strawberries in half. 2. Add sugar and vanilla to cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Gently whisk in mascarpone. 14 15 16 17 Term 4 ends, NT, TAS, WA 18 Term 4 ends, ACT, NSW, VIC 19 20 3. Line a loaf tin with foil and cling film, making sure there is plenty of overhang. 4. In a long shallow bowl, mix the orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier, then place 3 sponge fingers in the mixture at a time, flipping to coat. Lay sponge fingers in the lined tin, running lengthwise. Once the bottom of the tin is covered, top with one third of the vanilla mascarpone cream and strawberry halves. 21 22 23 24 25 Christmas Day 26 Boxing Day 27 5. Repeat process once more, finishing with a sponge finger layer on top. Keep the last third of the cream to decorate. 6. Chill overnight. When ready to serve, place serving plate over top of tin and flip, carefully removing foil and cling film. 7. Use the back of a knife to spread with remaining cream, then halve the last punnet of strawberries 28 Boxing Day holiday 29 30 31 New Year’s Eve and scatter over tiramisù. Luci and Heather Corallo Strawberry Springs, Millgrove, VIC While nothing beats the taste of strawberries straight off the plant, Yarra Valley strawberry growers Luci and Heather love creating traditional desserts — like this tiramisù — for Millgrove ✁ family and friends.
KITCHEN TIPS Selecting Strawberries Cooking Conversions The perfect strawberry should be fully coloured, firm, bright, Oven plump and shiny. Make sure the temperatures cap (calyx) is attached, green and fresh-looking. Slow - 120oC = 250oF Moderate - 180oC = 350oF Hot - 200oC = 400oF Storing Strawberries Very Hot - 250oC = 500oF Store strawberries in the crisper drawer of your fridge, between 2oC and 5oC. 1 litre 4 cups Washing strawberries adds moisture and can cause berries to spoil faster, so it’s best to wash strawberries just before you use them. Strawberries are at their sweetest when eaten at room temperature. If possible, remove your strawberries from the 1 tablespoon 4 teaspoons (20mls) fridge around an hour before eating. 1 dessert spoon 2 teaspoons (10mls) Garnishing with 1 teaspoon Strawberries 5mls Strawberries look wonderful whole, halved or sliced, but if you’re feeling fancy, try garnishing with a strawberry fan. 1 cup 250mls Start with a whole, washed strawberry and make several lengthwise slices just beneath the hull, then use your fingers to gently fan the slices apart.
FROM PADDOCK TO PLATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 In autumn, the The beds are In winter, the The newly planted When the The picking trays The berries are The punnets are Supermarkets and paddocks are covered in black bare-rooted runners grow strawberries are are then loaded placed in the put into trays and greengrocers ploughed and the plastic and holes strawberry plants during winter. In ripe, they are onto a trailer and coolroom to then on to pallets, purchase the soil is hilled up to are cut in are planted by October and picked and packed taken to the reduce their ready to be loaded strawberries from form beds. readiness hand into the November, they into trays. packing shed. temperature. The on to a truck and the market, so you for planting. pre-cut holes. begin to flower best berries are taken to market. can enjoy fresh, and produce fruit. then hand-packed delicious Victorian into punnets. strawberries. ABOUT THE INDUSTRY Strawberries were first commercially to Wodonga in the north east, although Things have changed a lot since then, grown in Victoria during the early 1900s. most are still located in the Yarra Valley, a and Victorian strawberries are now short 45-minute drive from Melbourne’s distributed to markets across the eastern The Yarra Valley was the first place to CBD. Victorian strawberries were only seaboard and exported throughout Asia. experience strawberry production as distributed through the Melbourne Gone are the flat tray trucks — the migrant families began to settle on the market until the 1960s, when Gordon strawberries are now transported in outskirts of Melbourne, particularly in Chapman used a flat tray truck to refrigerated vehicles to ensure they reach those areas with rich fertile soils. Today transport the first consignment of consumers in perfect condition. there are close to 100 strawberry farms in strawberries to Sydney. Victoria, from Portland in the south west
2020 VICTORIAN STRAWBERRY CALENDAR Celebrating Victorian Strawberry growers and their delicious harvest JANUARY APRIL JULY OCTOBER FEBRUARY MAY AUGUST NOVEMBER MARCH JUNE SEPTEMBER DECEMBER A selection of tempting recipes and mouth-watering images from the Victorian Strawberry Industry Development Committee. VICTORIAN STRAWBERRY INDUSTRY With helpful cooking tips, fun facts and information on Victorian Strawberries, this calendar’s large, clear grids will keep you DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE organised and on track. www.vicstrawberry.com.au @vicstrawberries @VictorianStrawberries
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