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Get Breaking News on your cellPicking Texas strawberries and spring onions at Gnismer Farms
1:42 PM Wed, Apr 23, 2008 | Permalink |
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July 2008
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I feel so dumb. Gnismer Farms in Dalworthington Gardens has been a pick-your-own for 11 years - and I've only just discovered it. Last night I went to check it out. It's this tidy little farm in amongst a neighborhood of bungalows. I couldn't have picked better weather, with just a hint of coolness in the air. They give you a nifty little box with a handle that holds about 5 pounds and turn you loose in the strawberry patch, rows and rows of strawberries at all stages of ripeness. The trick is to pick the ripest ones you can, the ones that are almost turning maroon, that burst with strawberry intensity in your mouth. We also got some field-fresh spring onions, and patriach Lynn Gnismer (say "NEYES-mur") told how to turn them into a side dish with the consistency of buttah. Farmer Gnismer emphasizes that you can't do this with a "dry" onion. It has to be a spring onion with the green top still attached. So I tried it when I got home. You trim the top and root off, set it in a bowl and add a pat of buttah. Then cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave on High (100 percent power) for 5 to 7 minutes. I did it for 6, with a tennis-ball-size bulb, just long enough to begin caramelizing the onion. I let it sit for a few minutes, then added some salt. Yes, the flesh was like buttah, as silky and soft as it gets, and suffused with mild onion goodness. I had no trouble eating it on its own, but you could also use it as a base for fish, chicken or pork. It's fantastic. As the season continues, Gnismer says he'll have strawberries for about three more weeks. But he's also got a blackberry patch that should be ready for picking around May 15. And he has melons, tomatoes, and more coming. Gnismer Farms is at 3010 S. Bowen in Dalworthington Gardens. It's open most afternoons into the early evening.
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Comments
Posted by Tara @ 3:15 PM Wed, Apr 23, 2008
Thanks to your recent blog post, we headed to the farm on Saturday and had some good fun picking. The berries weren't as sweet as I had hoped, but can't beat the freshness. I made a strawberry sauce with a touch of balsamic vinegar that has been delightful over angel food cake with a bit of whipped cream on top!
Posted by Melody @ 3:55 PM Thu, Apr 24, 2008
My daughter and I went today and filled both baskets in less than 30 minutes. Strawberries are ripe, beautiful, and lucious. They had only a few strawberry baskets left and we snared a couple. Worth many many return trips!