We’re over the moon in June because our gardens are popping and berries are starting to burst. Strawberries start the parade and it just gets better with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and more. Wikipedia tells us that a berry is “a fleshy fruit from a single ovary” and is an important part of the ecology. A berry’s bright hues lures the birds to eat them, digest them and scatter the seeds far and wide from the sky, fulfilling the beautiful cycle of life. We’ve tracked down the yummiest and most interesting berry incarnations around. Be sure to get your fill; lest we forget, the season is fleeting.
Mesquite Grilled Salmon Salad
Bonfire
Berries are a wonderful addition to salads, adding bright color and a touch of sweetness. Bonfire’s mesquite-grilled salmon salad is showered with fresh mixed berries in hues of red and blue, which are dazzling alongside the pink salmon and emerald green spinach. This being Bonfire, the grilled salmon is a smoky masterpiece, with nice char marks, bits of crispiness and a tender center. A white maple balsamic vinaigrette adds a lovely woodsy tang. $13.95. 1424 Weir Drive; 651.735.0085.
Baked Brie with Cherry Chutney
Craft Beer & Kitchen
Cooked berries often end up in desserts. As for condiments, there is jam and syrup of course, but don’t forget chutney, which is more of a relish but with less sugar, more spice and eaten in a savory application with meats and curries. At Craft, a luscious cherry chutney jazzes up a creamy brie, which is baked until soft. It also comes with apple slices and crunchy crostini. A perfect app to share. $10.25. 700 Commons Drive; 651.735.1997.
Roasted Duck Breast with Cherries
Cravings Wine Bar and Grille
More cherries in a savory setting; in this case, with duck. Duck meat is dark, rich and permeated with luscious streaks of fat; its rarified texture and flavor places it firmly in delicacy land. A good duck likes its sugar; Cravings pairs port wine with cherries to make a velvety sauce for a harmonious accompaniment. Parsnip puree, roasted Brussels sprouts and smoked hazelnuts complete the plate: an inspired gathering of fire, earth, water and sky. $24. 755 Bielenberg Drive; 651.528.6828.
Krispy Kale and Craisin Salad
Kowalski’s Market
Kowalski’s nutritional powerhouse of a salad is simplicity itself: crunchy, ruffled kale, dried cranberries, golden raisins (grapes are berries too), pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil and pepper. You can feel good about all the antioxidants and vitamins within, and it looks dynamite to boot. A pretty pile of this salad makes an inspired little lunch or a dazzling side dish to a hunk of roasted meat. It’s available in the to-go case and in the bulk deli case. $13.99/lb. 8505 Valley Creek Road; 651.578.8800.
Strawberries and cucumbers are the stars in Cowboy Jack's strawberry feta salad.
Cranberry Curry with Scallops
Thahn Do
The 1980s brought a wave of Vietnamese immigrants to Minnesota, much to the benefit of our local cuisine. One of the first to open a restaurant here was Thom Pham with ThanhDo—a unique blend of classic Asian cuisine and Minnesota flavors. Happily a new branch has opened in Woodbury. The signature menu item is the cranberry curry—“Asian spice meets Minnesota nice,” a brilliant marriage of curry-coconut broth and tart cranberries. The usual protein choices apply: chicken, beef and shrimp, but there are also scallops which are tender and elegant and make a silky counterpoint. $17.99. 10060 City Walk Drive; 651.705.7075.
Raspberry Chantilly Cake
Dorothy Ann Bakery and Café
We love a good bakery, and Dorothy Ann’s sweetly satisfies. When it’s time to get a big cake, go Chantilly, their specialty. A classic sponge cake dating back to 1800s England, it’s filled with creamy mousse and frosted in whipped topping. The luscious cake is served chilled; light and almost refreshing, berries are an ideal companion. A raspberry mousse is dreamy for summer. Half sheet, $54.99. 710 Commerce Drive; 651.731.3323.
Frozen Yogurt
CherryBerry Yogurt Bar
The very name of this self-serve fro-yo joint bar promises a frenzy of berries including blackberry, raspberry and strawberry. As for the yogurt, select from non-fat, low fat, dairy free, sugar free and Greek. Help yourself to a swirl of yogurt (there are so many flavors from which to choose), then add berries from the dazzling array of toppings: fresh cut strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. Kiwis are berries too--better include some of those. How about a chocolate accent? Nuts? Some whipped topping? Don't get too outrageous with your creation; you pay by weight, and it adds up quickly. $0.46 per ounce. 8390 Tamarack Village; 651.528.7229.
Strawberry Feta Salad
Cowboy Jack's
Even cowboys like a nice salad now and again, especially one that’s laden with luscious red strawberries. Sliced strawberries are a pretty contrast with the pale green cucumbers, not to mention ferociously rich in the all-important antioxidant vitamin-C. Doubling down on the berry, it comes with a sweet raspberry vinaigrette, a popular choice that arrived on the scene with nouvelle cuisine in the ‘80s. Crumbled feta cheese adds a salty punch and slivered almonds amp up the crunch. Add protein: Amish chicken (+$3), steak or salmon (+$5). $11. 1690 Woodlane Drive; 651.493.8887.
