Strawberries Redux

Today started off with a torrential downpour here in the Windy City.  At the Green City Market I notice some vendors didn't show up.  In this number I am including Hoosier Mama Pie Company who makes the sausage hand pies that I eat every time I'm here.  No sausage pies. I feel hollow like a windsock.  I sigh, hum a Smith's song and stare at the ground.

Whoa, I don't even like The Smiths and now my coffee is kicking in.  Better.  Also, the weather is really not that bad now as all the storms have passed.  The market has some amazing vegetables on hand but after getting strawberries I am really on the look out for fruit or maybe herbs.  But still just a lot of strawberries around not much else until I hit up Seedling farms who are know for growing cool varieties.  They had these....

Perspective might be lost here but each of these funky Fraises des Bois are about the diameter of a penny and they have a flavor I would place somewhere in between a raspberry and a strawberry.  So, I consulted this weird little reference site called Wikipedia to learn more about these little guys.

The Alpine strawberry (aka the European strawberry) grows sparsely all over North America.  Known for it's strong flavor the berry originated in Persia and was spread via the silk road.  Anyway, Peter Klein from Seedling sold me on them.  Also, if you are at the market try one his smoothies...very good for hangovers.  Peter also made me realize the advantages of working for a Chef who uses small producers like Peter's Seedling Farms...I can just charge stuff at the market back to my work.  Just sign a piece of paper....

...and voila.  I also added on some of Peter's rhubarb preserves to my cart and am already thinking of using the Fraises des Bois and rhubarb together.