CHOCOWINITY — One of the tastier harbingers of spring is a crop of fresh strawberries, and what could be more delicious than ones straight from the field?

The mouth-watering red fruits are at their peak at Southside Farms in Chocowinity. But there is only a small window of time to get the freshest of the fresh.

“We always try to get six weeks of strawberry picking,” said Shawn Harding, whose family owns and operates Southside Farms. “We always tell people, think of strawberries on Mother’s Day. Sometimes we get a couple weeks in June, depending on when those 90 degree days come.”

The Harding family began planting strawberries in 1999, eventually replacing tobacco plants that grew there previously. They presently grow three acres of strawberries; when one figures each acre contains roughly 14,000 plants, that amounts to a lot of berries.

In the spring, strawberries are a big draw for Southside Farms, although the Hardings also sell their crops during Saturday Market in Washington and Uptown Market in Greenville, as well as stationing a produce truck at Pamlico Plaza in Washington.

Three generations of the family presently work the farm, and their labors are supplemented by other employees.

“A lot of people don’t realize how big a payroll it takes to get these strawberries picked,” Harding said.

Southside offers fresh-picked strawberries, but customers may choose to enjoy the full experience and pick their own. The farm also offers spring field trips with a strawberry theme, hosting local school, day care, preschool and church groups.

Along with strawberries, Southside Farms is well known for its tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries and blackberries in season. Bedding plants, hanging baskets and rose bushes are other customer favorites.

“We just try to grow any vegetable that comes along,” Harding said.

The family is especially proud that the same piece of land has been farmed by five generations.

“We’re doing different things than they did, but we’re still here,” Harding said.

Southside Farms is open Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 252-946-2487 or visit www.southsidefarms.org. The farm also has a Facebook page that offers regular updates.

 

***RECIPE SIDEBAR***

 

Get creative with fresh strawberries!

Try these yummy recipes, courtesy of the Daily News’ collection of local fundraising cookbooks. Enjoy!

 

STRAWBERRY PIE

Pat Axness

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

Sister’s Pie Crust: 2 cups sifted flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup shortening; 6 tablespoons ice water.

Mix flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, using only enough to make a workable paste. Too little will leave pastry crumbly. This pastry is very rich — handle deftly. Thoroughly chill before rolling to make for easier handling. Makes two (nine inch) shells.

Strawberry Pie Filling: 1 1/2 cups white sugar; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 4 cups fresh strawberries (cut large ones in half); 2 tablespoons butter.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place one crust in a nine-inch pie pan. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon together. Mix lightly through the berries. Pour filling into pastry lined pan and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, cutting slits in pastry. Seal and flute edges. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until crust is slightly brown.

 

STRAWBERRY, CUCUMBER & BASIL SALAD

Ricky Clayton

Chocowinity Primary School

4 cups hulled strawberries, quartered (about 1 pound); 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil; 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced (about 2 cups); 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently to coat. Cover and chill for one hour. Combine cucumbers and juice. Toss to coat. Add cucumber mixture, salt and pepper to strawberry mixture and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately. Yields four servings.

 

STRAWBERRY PUDDING

Barbara Rowe

Smyrna Original Free Will Baptist Church

1 quart strawberries; 1 (6 ounce) package strawberry jello; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 (3 ounce) boxes instant vanilla pudding; 3 cups milk; 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream; 1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip; 1 box vanilla wafers.

Combine strawberries, sugar and jello and heat until the sugar and jello melt. Mix instant pudding and milk; add sour cream and 3/4 of the Cool Whip. Layer vanilla wafers, pudding mix and strawberry mix. Make two layers and top with Cool Whip. Garnish with a few strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.