This recipes comes to us from Aida Mollenkamp from her work with Attune Foods and The Honeybee Project. I stumbled upon the recipe on Pinterest one day and contacted Aida to see if we could share it with you all. If you haven’t heard of The Honey Bee Project, you should definitely check it out. It is a collaboration between Attune Foods and the Rodale Institute’s Honeybee Conservancy to spread awareness about the importance of honeybees in communities.

It isn’t something many of us think about, especially those outside of the agriculture industry, but our food supply relies on honeybees. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these workers pollinate 80% of the nation’s flowering crops which constitute 1/3 of everything we eat. There have been several articles and even a documentary about just the importance of honey bees and the dangers their dwindling population brings to head.

Colony collapse hit us pretty hard last year when nearly 1/3 of all honeybees in America died. Thankfully there are organizations and foodies like Aida doing what they can to turn this around.

For The Honeybee Project, it only seemed natural to remake lemon bars with a bit more elevated flavors. So I whirred some pistachios, grahams, and coconut oil together for a crust with depth and whisked together honey, lemon, and strawberries for a bright, sweet, tart fruit curd that’s as gorgeous as it is tasty.

These lemonade bars are sure to be an instant hit with your family and a perfect pairing to a summer barbecue.

Honeyed Pink Lemonade Bars with Pistachio-Graham Crust

For the base:

•  1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 ounces / from 10 to 12 whole crackers)
• 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil, plus more for coating the dish
• 1/4 cup clover honey

For the filling:

• 2 cups strawberries (about 10 ounces // for about 1 cup puree)
• 1 cup unrefined cane sugar
• 1/2 cup clover honey
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 10 to 12 lemons)
• 6 large eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Powdered sugar and/or toasted coconut flakes, for serving

For the base:

Heat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with coconut oil and line the pan with 2 pieces of parchment that overhang each side of the pan by 1 inch.

In a food processor, finely grind pistachios with graham-cracker crumbs and salt until it resembles a fine meal. Add honey and coconut oil and process until mixture is thoroughly moistened and it begins to lump together, about 30 seconds. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.

For the filling:

Place strawberries in the food processor and process until they’re a super smooth puree. Pass strawberry puree through a fine mesh sieve and press on the sieve with a spatula to extract as much of the puree as possible; discard any seeds.

Combine puree with all ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pour filling over baked crust and return to the oven, and bake until just set in the middle, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cover and place in refrigerator to set up for 2 to 3 hours.

Using a knife dipped in hot water, cut into squares then, as desired, top with powdered sugar or toasted coconut flakes and serve.

Originally posted by Aida Mollenkamp for Attune Foods The Honeybee Project in the Kitchen.

Aida Mollenkamp is a Food Network star and host of the Cooking Channel‘s FoodCrafters. There she’s on a mission to “discover and celebrate the absolute masters in independent food production around the USA” as well as to promote her message that handmade, fresh, seasonal, whole food-based cooking is the key to deliciousness.

But before FoodCrafters, and her celebrated cookbook, Keys to the Kitchen, Aida was just a California girl with European roots and a passion for all things food. Educated at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, and later at the venerable Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Aida honed her culinary skills and cultivated her cooking philosophy.

I operate on the belief that food tastes better when it’s prepared by hand and made with healthy, whole ingredients. I value the rich artisanal culture and the effort and skill required to produce each element at the table. I believe a successful meal consists not only of good food, but also thoughtful design, artful presentation, and of course, fabulous company!

In 2005 she joined the editorial staff at CHOW magazine writing recipes, styling food and even creating instructional videos. Three years later she had her own shown on the Food Network, Ask Aida, followed by FoodCrafters.

Last year Aida published her first cookbook, Keys to the Kitchen.

This comprehensive manual collects more than 300 innovative, contemporary recipes as well as color photographs, plenty of informative illustrations, a substantial technique primer, and helpful how-to information on subjects as wide-ranging as rust removal, throwing a cocktail party, and knife skills.

For members of the tech-savvy new generation who can’t cook but want to, this essential reference guide makes an ideal starting place and for those already at ease in the kitchen it’s full of “who knew” moments for expanding their repertoire of great recipes.

I encourage you to sharpen your knives and follow Aida’s culinary adventures on her blog, Pairs Well With Food. Aida says her blog’s quest is to “inspire creativity in the meals you craft, the gatherings you design, and the food adventures you embark upon.” Her recipes are European and Mediterranean inspired, universally delicious and feature absolutely  stunning photography sure to make your stomach growl. But don’t take my word for it, check out some her latest recipes.

Avocado Toast with Soft-Boiled Eggs, Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Spicy Chorizo, Seared Lamb Chops with Green Harissa Sauce, Carrot-Cumin Farro Risotto and Strawberry & Rhubarb Shortcakes with Orange Flower Whipped Cream.

Recently Aida partnered with Attune Foods to promote The Honeybee Project. The Honeybee Project is a collaboration between Attune Foods and the Rodale Institute’s Honeybee Conservancy to spread awareness about the importance of honeybees in communities. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, honeybees pollinate 80% of the nation’s flowering crops which constitute 1/3 of everything we eat.

As part of The Honeybee Project, Aida shared her recipe for Honeyed Pink Strawberry Lemonade Bars and was kind enough to let us share it with you here on Strawberry Sue.

Aida currently lives in California, dividing her time between San Francisco and Los Angeles. She spends her free time trying new restaurants, building out her home bar, shopping for antiques, honing her photography skills, dancing, and, of course, cooking.

You can follow Aida on Twitter, like her Facebook page and her delicious Pinterest page.

Faith Gorsky is the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind the blog, An Edible Mosaic. She lives in Upstate New York and loves to travel, especially to places steeped in rich culture and history.

Her favorite thing to do is go into the kitchen hungry, open the fridge, and start creating. Faith also enjoys reading (cookbooks mostly), vintage shopping (especially in old markets), watching movies (of all genres), and is enamored with ancient cultures (especially Rome and Egypt).

I lived in Florida for three years during law school, and I used to love going to the Florida Strawberry Festival – Florida strawberries are fantastic!

Her blog, An Edible Mosaic, explores food in such a way that no matter what your tastes, no matter what your skills, everything is approachable. It’s the sort of food blog that feels as much today a staple in the kitchen as the classic Better Homes and Gardens cookbook did starting in 1930. Here is how Faith describes her blog.

Our recipes don’t focus exclusively on any one cuisine or type of food, but instead embrace the foods of many different cultures. So much can be learned about people through what they eat, and how, when, and why they eat it. It’s our goal to inspire you to get into the kitchen and try something new.

Her first cookbook, An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair (Tuttle Publishing), which is a collection of authentic Middle Eastern recipes handed down to her from her husband’s family, was released in November 2012.

Faith shares with us her recipe for Strawberry Grilled Cheese, our latest featured recipe! Faith can also be found on her online photo gallery, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

The following recipe comes to us from our latest featured blogger, Faith Gorsky. She creates delightful recipes that are as delicious as the food photography that accompanies them.

Grilled cheese, the iconic American sandwich, is a favorite of most kids growing up and never stops being comfort food, even to adults. Crisp and buttery outside and gooey with melted cheese inside, it’s the perfect sandwich, even in its most basic form.

For this sandwich, Faith took a cue from her mom and went with her favorite: strawberry jam and cheese, with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. It tastes like a cheese Danish; a fresh, piping hot, lovely cheese Danish.

If you like this recipe, you should check out some of Faith’s other amazing recipes from her blog, An Edible Mosaic.

Strawberry Grilled Cheese with Strawberry Balsamic Relish

• 1 teaspoon honey (preferably raw, local honey)
• 1 teaspoon good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup (75 g) diced fresh strawberries
• 4 slices of your favorite bread
• 4 teaspoons butter, at room temperature
• 3 slices American Cheese
• 3 tablespoons strawberry preserves
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)

Mix together the honey and vinegar in a small bowl and stir in the strawberries; set aside for the berries to macerate while you make the sandwiches.

Spread 1 teaspoon butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Place 1 slice of bread (butter side down) on a cutting board; top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons strawberry preserves and 1 1/2 pieces of cheese. Place the remaining slice of bread on top (butter side up).

Grill the sandwiches in a large skillet (or on a griddle) over low heat until golden on both sides.

To serve, transfer each sandwich to a plate and sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar if desired. Serve the sandwiches hot along with the macerated strawberries to spoon on top.

Chef’s Note: Faith prefers this recipe with fresh sourdough bread

Originally posted at An Edible Mosaic.

Popsicle season is just around the corner. When I think of popsicles I think of hot summer days and of a freezer full of these icy treats. Invented in in 1905 by an eleven year old boy, over two billion popsicles are sold every year. In a way, they’ve become one of the official summer treats here in America.

Little Frank Epperson accidentally left a cup of homemade soda on his front porch one evening. The next morning he found it frozen solid with its stirring stick sitting in the middle. This was the first popsicle, though Frank called it an “Epsicle.” 18 years later he patented the Epsicle as a Pop Sicle, pointing out that it was made from soda pop.

These days popsicles have grown up into gourmet foods and companies like Zoku have entire lines of popsicle making tools. Time to get creative for another hot summer! Here’s a recipe to start you off.

Florida Strawberry-Yogurt Freezer Pops

• 1 pound Florida strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 10 freezer pop molds and sticks

In blender or food processor add half of the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Purée ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture into a small pitcher or container and add the rest of the chopped strawberries.

Fill each freezer pop mold by alternating layers of strawberry mixture and yogurt. Insert handle or stick into each freezer pop and freeze at least 5 hours. To serve, run warm water over outside of molds until pops come out easily.

If you don’t have freezer pop molds, use small paper cups. Cover tops of cups with plastic wrap and poke the sticks through the plastic to keep them standing upright while in the freezer.

Florida Strawberry Growers Association hosts 31st annual Agritech trade show.

As a vendor you will meet with growers and industry representatives, and enjoy great food. There are 50 booths available on a first-come first-serve basis. To exhibit, Associate membership is required. Gold Associate members get a free booth with membership. This is one event of the year where we have almost 90 percent of the industry in one room.

Click here to download the 2013 Agritech registration form. Online registration coming soon.

This year’s theme is Hunting. Ribbons will be given out to the top three booths that participate in the theme by decorating their booth. New this year is a Clay Shoot and dinner on Monday night. After the exhibitors set up at Agritech we head to the Fish Hawk Sporting Clays in Lithia for a fun event!

Agritech guest speakers and sessions are currently being lined up. Topics will include food safety, immigration, fumigant alternatives, trace back, and labor issues along with the latest information on research and technology.

This recipe comes from Shannon Kohn, winner of the professional division’s starters/salsas category in theFlorida Strawberries — A Taste of Summer All Winter Long recipe contest last year. Her entry, Floridian-Style Strawberry Shrimp Ceviche, garnered Kohn a $500 cash prize!

Gluten-free diets are all the rage in Hollywood it seems. Many restaurants now have gluten-free sections, along with low carb and heart healthy options. But do you know what gluten is or why someone would follow a gluten-free diet? Let’s see what the Mayo Clinic has to say about the subject.

A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).

A gluten-free diet is used to treat celiac disease. Gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of people with celiac disease. Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with celiac disease control their signs and symptoms and prevent complications.

Initially, following a gluten-free diet may be frustrating. But with time, patience and creativity, you’ll find there are many foods that you already eat that are gluten-free and you will find substitutes for gluten-containing foods that you can enjoy.

Ceviche (sometimes spelled seviche) is a popular Latin American seafood dish often made up of raw fish, marinated in citrus juice. The citrus acid works to cook the raw fish. Once marinated, the fish is tossed with spices, fresh onions and peppers and served as an appetizer. In Shannon’s recipe, she has substituted raw fish for cooked shrimp and jazzed it up to match the culinary styles of Florida.

The types of endive.

We’ve posted this recipe before as a bruschetta-style dish. This time around we’re replacing the toasted, gluten-rich bread with endive. Endive is a slightly bitter-flavored green rich in vitamins and minerals, such as folate and vitamins A and K, and is also high in fiber.

You might hear endive pronounced “in-dive” or “on-deev” but did you know that there is actually a difference between the two? Yes, both pronunciations are correct but in this case we’re working with “on-deev”. The “on-deev” variety has leaves shaped into scoop-like petals while the “in-dive” varieties are curly and leafy and what you will often find in a spring-mix salad.

Gluten-free Floridian-Style Strawberry Shrimp Ceviche

• 1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) container fresh florida winter strawberries, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1⁄4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fresh key-lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• endive leaves
• garnish: fresh cilantro leaves

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, strawberries, onion, coconut and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Add to shrimp mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover ceviche and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Spoon ceviche into endive leaves. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Yield: about 6 servings

Florida Farm Bureau’s 2013 Annual Legislative Days were held this March. The activities started with a briefing dinner for Farm Bureau members on March 18 at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum including Governor Scott’s State of the State address.

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association, with the help of Sue Harrell, Morgan Boykin, Miranda Mayo, and Glenda McNary, dipped over 1,000 strawberries and served them to Farm Bureau guests and state legislators at the annual Farm Bureau Legislative Reception in Tallahassee on March 20.

A legislative reception, including a 4-H awareness auction, was held at the Tallahassee/Leon County Civic Center on March 19.

These events provide an opportunity for Farm Bureau members to discuss public policy issues with state lawmakers and executive department officials in an informal setting. Popular topics of discussion were:

Representative Jake Raburn with Florida Strawberry Growers Association Ambassadors Morgan and Miranda.

Agritourism:

• SB 1106 – Sen. Alan Hays, Senate Committees of Reference: Agriculture, Community Affairs, Rules
• HB 927 – Rep. Holly Rasche, in House Committees of Reference: Agriculture & Natural Resources, Civil Justice, State Affairs

This legislation seeks to prevent local governments from regulating agritourism activities on land that is classified agricultural and provide limited liability protection for injuries caused by inherent risks. These bills link agritourism activities specifically to bona fide agricultural operations and stipulate that signs warning the public of inherent risks must be visable.

Water Supply

• SB 948 – Sen. Denise Grimsley, Senate Committees of Reference: Environmental Preservation and Conservation
• HB 1063 – Rep. Travis Hutson, House Committees of Reference: Agriculture & Natural Resources, Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations, State Affairs

This legislation seeks to balance the expanding role of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) in the regional water supply planning process. Specifically, these bills would allow FDACS to collaborate with federal agencies and universities to provide estimates of agricultural acreage and crop water use, putting agriculture on a level playing field with municipalities and utilities. Additionally, these bills require that water management districts consider data provided by FDACS when determining the needs of agricultural supply.

Participants were given the opportunity to enjoy local food and network with Florida agricultural producers in honor of National Ag Day.

National Ag Day is a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agrilculture. Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corportaions, universities, government agencies and counteless others across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture.

In related news, the tenth annual Florida Agriculture Literacy Day is scheduled for Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc., invites Florida agricultural producers and other volunteers to read its newest storybook, Florida’s Farm History, to elementary school children to help students understand agriculture. The book helps celebrate 500 years of Florida Agriculture History.

This recipe is in the spirit of April Fools’ Day but it is no joke! Strawberry Fool is an old fashioned British dessert. It’s simple, elegant and delicious. The gist of it is blending fresh fruit with whipping cream. Sometimes it’s the simplest of recipes that last the test of time. In fact, Strawberry Fool (or Foole) dates back to the 16th century! Think of this as a light and fluffy strawberry yogurt.

Some recommend using mascarpone or fromage frais (a soft, unaged, creamy fresh cheese made out of whole or skimmed milk and cream popular in France) instead of whipping cream. If you want a richer more cheesecake like dessert you can go that route. But for the classic light and fluffy treat, feel free to stick with whipping cream.

Florida Strawberry Fool

This isn’t the first time we’ve shared a recipe including the difficult to say but delicious to eat mascarpone. First there were Jillian Uhl’s Strawberry Turnovers, then the Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse cake and most recently a Strawberry Mascarpone Tart from Jamie Schler. By now I think it’s clear,  mascarpone and strawberries are a great pairing.

I have always been a fan of serving strawberries hot but it isn’t something most people think about. Heating up strawberries actually helps boost their flavor. It’s why I always recommend people store their strawberries in their fridge but serve fresh berries at room temperature. This recipe warms up those delicious berries and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to share it with you. Thanks to Chef Justin Timineri for creating little treat!

Strawberry Mascarpone Panini

• 8 slices fresh bread (1/2 inch thick)
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 pound Florida strawberries, hulled and sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Heat a panini press or griddle over medium heat. Spread a thin layer of mascarpone on top of each bread slice.

Add an even layer of strawberries to four bread slices. Use the other four slices of bread to top the sandwiches.

Brush sandwiches with butter and grill or press until golden, about five minutes. Transfer panini to cutting board and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm.