life
FOOD & DRINK
monthly flavours June/July
Superfood - Berries!
by Mark Young
With the summer months
upon us, the greenhouses and
gardens of the Island are
festooned with the glorious
sight and smell of berries and
the pressure of what to offer
for pud is finally eased.
Indeed, what could be better
than a bowl of sun warmed
raspberries or strawberries, a
dollop of Calbourne classic
clotted cream and a slab of
home made shortbread? It’s
simplicity and perfection and
coupled with getting thrashed
at Wimbledon, it’s what makes
an English summer English.
It would seem we have the
Romans to thank for the
introduction of these jewels
to our tables, they brought
raspberries from Asia into
Europe and early varieties of
strawberries were known to be
96
growing wild in Italy around
234 B.C. By the 1600’s, both
fruits were regularly being
cultivated in England.
The less sweet but just as tasty
gooseberry has its roots here at
home, reference to wide spread
cultivation was recorded from
the 1600’s and it would seem
this was the century of the
berry in England.
On a health note, the vitamins
and minerals in these fruits
are renowned for their positive
affect on us, it truly is a rarity
that something so sweet and
decadent can actually be good
for you as well.
If you excuse the pun, when it
comes to berry consumption,
you would be a FOOL not to
indulge.
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