Mr. Fix-it has a saying, "Any day I can pull a trailer is a good day." My version is, "Any day I can drive in the country is a good day." Our first week of summer started out with a great day of driving in the country in pursuit of the first berries of the season. I was in my happy place.
Unfortunately, my big kids were busy with all their big kid stuff, but sister came through to add some cute kids to the near-perfect day. Because there's just something perfect about cute kids sitting in the middle of a field of juicy, red strawberries.
Chatty Cathy was a little impatient with the whole process, "I can't find any good ones for my bucket." But she definitely ate her way through the rows. Little Boy Blue loved his first-ever strawberry and cried for more, red juice staining his face and fingers.
The rows did not disappoint. The berries were the biggest I've ever picked, and although they weren't as sweet as the tiny ones of previous years, the ease and joy of picking large berries, along with their juicy-ness made the long drive well worth the effort.
The overcast sky and little breeze made for a perfect day. No squinting needed. I love the multi-generational appeal of families kneeling in the field, picking home-grown produce. Babies crying, toddlers complaining, moms taking pictures, little hands comparing their largest find, and grandmas and grandpas anticipating strawberry pie. So All American.
This was really my first day of summer after a very busy spring, and it felt good.
We had so much fun picking these big, beautiful berries, we didn't want to stop. We took home our fair share.
The Strawberry Basket in Monticello is a family run berry picking operation, located behind their home. The fields were clean and organized, and everything ran smoothly with the gracious family overseeing. The teens were passing out buckets and showing us which rows to pick from and where to put our flag when we had enough. Mom was greeting pickers with a smile and helped us carry our buckets to the car, and grandpa was weighing the berries and collecting our checks.
This was the "first pick" of the season, so there should be plenty left for pickers for the next week or so. Blueberries and raspberries should be ready in a couple weeks. Not only do I love a drive in the country, I love to support family-run small businesses like this, and people who are growing local produce.
Once we got back to my kitchen, we fed the troops and put the babes down for naps, so the big girls could get hulling and jam making. Sister brought her half of the freezer jam home for quite a few months of PB & J sandwiches, and we sliced and froze the rest.
Of course, our Father's Day treat had to be Strawberry Shortcake...
Yum! My favorite.
If you've got a strawberry field anywhere remotely near, go picking this week!
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