Tempting treats rank high on Strawberry Festival menu

Despite the sprawling midway with more than 80 rides, despite the agricultural and country craft exhibits and despite the affordable shows that include such popular performers as Sarah Evans, Patty Loveless, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Darius Rucker and Julianne Hough, the true star of the Strawberry Festival is a succulent fruit that fits in the palm of your hand.

"The strawberry is king," insists Paul Davis, general manager of the Strawberry Festival. "The festival began in 1930 to celebrate the bountiful harvest of the area's strawberry farmers. Aside from a few years' hiatus during World War II, it has been getting bigger and better each year. Hillsborough County has more than 8,000 acres of strawberries and supplies 90 percent of the strawberries in Florida and 15 percent of the strawberries in the U.S."

The crowds may line up for the rides, meander through the exhibits and pack the stadium for the musical performances, but don't let those distractions fool you. The main reason most people come to the Strawberry Festival is to eat. The most popular item on the menu, according to Ellany Johnson, the festival's vendor manager, is strawberry shortcake.

Limited to three booths, each with a slightly different take on the classic treat (and all providing generous helpings) more than 300,000 strawberry shortcakes were served at the 2009 festival, according to Davis.

"Plus we have fresh strawberry milkshakes, strawberry sundaes, strawberry ice cream, strawberry pie, strawberry cheesecake, strawberry cobbler, chocolate dipped strawberries, strawberry pizza and quarts and flats of fresh strawberries," Davis continues. "We even have strawberry plants for those with a green thumb to take home."

"Also, for those with diabetes, we have bowls of plain strawberries," Johnson adds. "All of the strawberries at the festival are grown locally, and we guarantee you are getting the best."
Most of those strawberry-based treats are familiar to the average person, but the strawberry pizza sounds a bit unusual.

"First they make a big cookie the size of a pizza pan; then they put a mixture of whipped cream and cream cheese in a thick layer on top, with pureed strawberries and sugar," Johnson explains. "It is cooked until the topping is almost like a pudding. Then they top it with sliced strawberries and whipped cream and slice it like a pizza. It's a really good dish."

A new treat being offered at the 2010 Strawberry Festival is the strawberry churro. The baked churro is baked with a strawberry filling, dipped in chocolate and served on a stick.
"I like churros, but I wasn't sure about the cinnamon and strawberries together," Davis says. "I tasted one and it was fabulous."

For those who can't get enough strawberries, vendors at the festival have a wide variety of homemade strawberry jam, jelly and even salsa. An on-site bakery offers "every kind of strawberry pastry you can imagine," Johnson insists.

Those who want to take home quarts or flats of fresh strawberries might want to consider purchasing the Strawberry Festival's annual recipe book, which features numerous recipes from local folks. Each day of the festival, area farmers continuously bring fresh strawberries straight from the fields.

Of course, as tasty as the strawberry-flavored treats at the festival are, some folks might want something more substantial during their day, and Johnson says that along with typical fair food such as hot dogs, cotton candy and candied apples, visitors can find "almost every kind of food there is."

Festival patrons can choose from turkey legs, grilled pork chops on a stick, apple dumplings with ice cream, fried sweet potatoes and regular potatoes on a stick, seafood, Mexican food, Chinese food and full meals.

"We have three different concessionaires who offer full meals, including things like meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and vegetables," Johnson adds. "We do have a lot of spaces for people to sit. Nobody likes to have to stand up to try to eat a meal."

"We have one vendor who has a two-story booth this year," Davis says. "He makes fresh ice cream on the top and serves it down below. The booth is all glass, so people can watch the ice cream being made."

Spending a full day at the Strawberry Festival might be reason to sit down for a full meal during the visit, but Davis says he can eat regular food at home any time.

"At the festival, I like to enjoy all the tasty fair food. A strawberry has a lot of antioxidants and vitamins, so it's a healthy food. Of course, when you start adding the cake and whipped cream, it's not as healthy, but it's still delicious," he adds.

Davis says people should bring a healthy appetite when they come to the Strawberry Festival and to be sure to try the strawberry shortcake.

"It's phenomenal," he says. "The strawberry pie and strawberry cobbler are good, too. It's a very relaxed atmosphere, so people should come prepared to have a good time."