Strawberry Bruschetta

            As we are sure you all have noticed, strawberries have made their way into the Wismer’s fruit bar! We know you are as excited as we are (because who doesn’t love strawberries?) so this week’s recipe features the little ruby gems.

Did you know that Pennsylvania is one of the country’s top producer states of strawberries? It is important to note, however, that although strawberries are coming into season, it is still very early for Pennsylvania producers to be harvesting them. This means that the strawberries available to us in PA right now are most likely from other states with warmer climates, like California. Therefore, having strawberries in April comes with a toll on the environment due to the transportation required to ship them to us. Since transportation most often requires the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon emissions into our environment, the farther our food must travel, the more it contributes to the climate change. This is why sourcing our food as locally as we can is an important part of having an environmentally sustainable diet.

Ursinus’ dining service, Sodexo, makes an effort to buy locally, with a goal of 20% local sourcing of the food they distribute by 2020. A regional producer that Sodexo already collaborates with, Amoroso’s Bread & Rolls, provides Wismer with the majority of its bread. This is why we feature bread in today’s menu item.

The best time in Pennsylvania to enjoy strawberries varies slightly each year. Strawberry plants can produce their fruit as early as May, but this typically peaks in June, and then the fruit stays in season through the remainder of the summer months. Though eating strawberries in PA is not ideal for the environment now, we recommend ample amounts of strawberry consumption in a few months! In the meantime, you can take advantage of this rare treat in Wismer, and the recipe below can help you do so while simultaneously spicing up your dining hall meal options.

Strawberry Bruschetta

What you’ll need:

• Strawberries (~2 or 3)
• Bread of choice
• Feta cheese
• Spinach
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Soup bowl, plate, knife, and fork

Instructions:

1. Grab some strawberries from the fruit bar, a soup bowl, a knife, and a fork.
2. Head over to the deli to pop one or two slices of bread into the toaster. If you wish to make your bruschetta on a roll or other type of bread behind the deli, ask the deli worker to toast the desired bread for you.
3. While your bread is toasting, take a seat to slice your strawberries into pieces of your size preference with the knife.
4. Put the strawberry pieces in the soup bowl and bring it to the salad bar. Cover the strawberries in balsamic vinegar. While you are here, get some spinach leaves.
5. Retrieve your toast, place it on a plate, and head over to the Mediterranean bar. On the way, stop at the salad bar again to drizzle some olive oil on the toast. At the Mediterranean bar, get some feta cheese and place it on top of the toast.
6. At your seat, use the fork to smoosh down and evenly disperse the feta cheese on the toast.
7. Place several spinach leaves on top of the cheese.
8. Next, scoop out the now marinated balsamic strawberries using your fork, letting the excess vinegar drip back into the bowl before placing them on top of the spinach.
9. As a final touch, sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on top of the bruschetta. If you prefer a more authentic pepper than the one in the shaker provided on your table, a pepper grinder is provided near the dressings at the salad bar!
10. Enjoy!

Tip of the week:

If you were wondering what is currently in season in PA, the answer is asparagus, lettuce, and tomatoes. Perhaps these three would work nicely together with strawberries in a salad! Happy eating!

Sources:

https://uvfdining.sodexomyway.com/planet/local.html

http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-alternatives/horticulture/fruits/strawberry-production

http://www.simplesteps.org/eat-local/state/pennsylvania