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The Food Party!

By Laura Stec

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About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and en...  (More)

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Strawberry Brownies

Uploaded: May 7, 2017

We’ve all been a bit worried about the berry season; admit it. With the rain and cold - I’ve been eyeing those phony berries on the shelves and pining like a Southern belle whose man has gone off to war….Oh my love, will you ever return? And will you have any flavor when you finally get here?

Fresh berries have started to show at farmers markets, but I’m still waiting for authenticity and satisfaction. So when Strawberry Brownies crossed my path they got my attention. What a combo – fudgy chocolate brightened up by strawberries picked just at the right moment and preserved just for me! The strawberries came from Rigoni di Asiago, a food producer based 90 miles north of Venezia, Italy. Food Partiers by heart, this family-owned company stuffs their fruit spread jars with 3 pounds of quality organic fruit (and no added sugar), grown “with respect for the environment and biodiversity.”

Hmmm, biodiversity - that’s the word of the day, isn’t it? Look around the natural world. It doesn’t all look the same. Variation in nature creates balance and makes systems stronger. So why do humans have such a hard time seeing how we fit into this bigger picture?

But I digress - back to the berries - check out this Food Party! recipe to hold you until the really good strawberries come galloping back into your arms.

Strawberry Brownies

1 package your favorite brownie mix (the fudgier the better)*
½ - 1 jar Rigoni di Asiago Strawberry preserves
½ pint (or so) fresh strawberries, sliced ¼” thick

Make the brownies according to the package. Butter or lightly oil an 8 X 8 glass baking pan. Put in ½ the brownie mix and spread flat. Freeze 10 minutes. Spread on strawberry preserves,



layer on berries, and top with remaining batter. Bake according to package. YUM!



* I think there are two packaged dessert products that the processed food industry executes really well; one is the frozen pie crust, and the other is box brownies. I usually like boxed brownies more than those made from scratch.
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Comments

Posted by Tiny Seeds, a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood,
on May 8, 2017 at 2:22 pm

Years ago I made a plain old chocolate cake in a 9x13 pan and after frosting it, I shingled the top with fresh sliced strawberries. It was INSANELY good, but it wasn't something that would last. The berries would quickly turn if left out at room temperature, and ooze if put in the fridge. Still lots of fun from a box cake.

Also...sliced strawberries in a turkey sandwich. Your welcome ;)


Posted by Laura Stec, a resident of another community,
on May 8, 2017 at 3:34 pm

Good point Tiny Seeds, these brownies are not meant to stick around. But guess what? They probably won't :)


Posted by Brownie Lover, a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park,
on May 11, 2017 at 1:18 pm

This is what I'm talking about - yum!


Posted by Michael O., a resident of Stanford,
on May 14, 2017 at 10:31 am

You cannot possibly have had decent homemade brownies if you think boxed taste better. Yikes. Try these: Web Link You will spit out boxed brownies after trying these.


Posted by Laura Stec, a resident of Portola Valley,
on May 15, 2017 at 8:47 am

Michael, You know I always feel homemade brownies are not fudgey enough for me. There's only one homemade brownie I can even remember - it was made by a past boss of mine and it still sticks in my head. But I haven't spent my life making brownies - I'm not a trained pastry chef, nor do I have children :). You raise a question - maybe I am just unexposed to this finer thing of life? Hmmm - in search of a memorable brownie. That could be a Food Party! couldn't it?


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