Picking strawberries at one of the many “pick your own” fields is a summer tradition for Peter and me. That tradition just went out the window with a crash when I found myself with my foot in a cast for six weeks. (Kneeling is next to impossible in this contraption!) So we dug a little deeper into our pockets and bought (horrors!) a few baskets of berries — some for shortcake while family was visiting, some for cereal, and some for a batch of strawberry jam, which is on today’s to-do list.

We all know that a fresh, juicy, just picked strawberry is one of summer’s best treats, but did you know that this beautiful berry also scores well in the nutrition department? Eight medium sized berries contain about 50 calories, and contain 140 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. They have three grams of fiber and 240 mg of potassium. Don't forget to freeze a few quarts for winter enjoyment.

To prepare fresh whole berries for freezing, simply remove the stems, submerge berries in a bowl of cool water and swish gently with your hands to remove any dirt. Lift the berries out of the water with your hands and spread out on a paper towel to dry. Pat gently to remove excess water and then spread them out on a rimmed sheet pan, spacing them so they aren’t touching. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze several hours or until berries are firm. Slide them off the pan into air-tight, resealable plastic bags or other containers and freeze up to four months.

When figuring out quantity of berries for a recipe, here’s a handy cheat sheet:

1 quart strawberries = about 1-1/2 lbs. = about 4 cups sliced

1 pint strawberries = about 3/4 lbs. = about 2 cups sliced

And FYI: if you ever come across a double strawberry, legend tells the story that if you break it in half and share it with a select member of the opposite sex, you’ll soon fall in love with each other!

Strawberry lemonade

• 6 cups water
• 2-1/2 cups chopped strawberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 11 lemons)
• Garnish: fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Combine water, strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer and cook stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture turns a deep pink. Let cool completely.

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher; discard solids. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, pour over ice in a tall glass and garnish with mint. Yield: about 2-1/2 quarts.

Strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing

For the dressing:

• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. fat-free milk
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

For the salad:

• 10-oz. romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 2 Tbsp. slivered almonds, lightly toasted

To prepare the dressing: Combine sugar, mayo, milk, poppy seeds and vinegar in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.

To prepare salad: Place lettuce in a large bowl; add strawberries and almonds, tossing to combine. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad and toss gently to evenly coat. Yield: 6 servings (each serving about 1-1/2 cups).

Strawberry cheesecake cupcakes

For the crust:

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

For the cheesecake/cupcake:

• 4 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh strawberries

For the icing:

• 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3-3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Fresh strawberry slice for garnish

Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

To prepare the crust: Combine cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a food processor; using on/off turns, process until fine crumbs form. Press a tablespoon of mixture onto bottoms of each of the liners in cupcake pan and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

To prepare the batter: Put egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In another large bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla; set aside.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the butter/sugar mixture alternately with the sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Beat egg whites with clean beaters until stiff peaks form. Fold a third of the egg whites into the batter and then fold in the remaining egg whites and the strawberries.

Fill muffin cups three-fourths full with batter and bake (oven still at 350 F) 18-22 minutes or until tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the icing: Place cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl and beat on medium high speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost tops and garish with strawberry slice. Yield 2 dozen. (Store leftovers in refrigerator.)

The following three desserts are part of my “fast and furious” section of recipes. (As in: Oops! unexpected company and what to serve for dessert?) and they are perfect for strawberry season.

Strawberries with creamy dip:

• 2 Tbsp. vanilla yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. Cool Whip whipped topping
• 1 tsp. mild flavored honey
• 2 tsp. dry instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2-3 tsp. Grand Marnier liqueur or other orange flavored liqueur
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and left whole with stems on, if possible

Combine yogurt, Cool Whip, honey and pudding mix in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add liqueur a little at a time to achieve desired consistency. Serve with berries for dipping. Yield: 4 servings.

Strawberries with double dip:

• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup dairy sour cream
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned left whole with stems on, if possible

Put brown sugar in a small bowl; put sour cream in a small bowl. Let guests spoon some of each onto a dessert plates. Dip whole berries first into sour cream and then into brown sugar and pop into your mouth! Yield: 4 servings.

Strawberries with creme de cassis and mint:

• 1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 2 Tbsp. crème de cassis (black currant liqueur)
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 6-7 large fresh mint leaves, slivered into thin ribbons

Combine berries with cassis; refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Just before serving, add the balsamic vinegar and toss gently. Add fresh mint leaves and toss again. Delicious served with a sugar cookie or a dollop of crème fraiche. Yield: 4 servings.