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Returning to Wild Strawberries

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My first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains from my seat at 35,000 feet always evokes deep emotion. It’s a feeling of renewed wonder, childlike excitement, and a sense of homecoming so strong I have to duck my head to hide my tears. This quickening of my pulse and butterflies in my stomach almost make up for the last five hours of Mateo using my face as a motorcross course, my thighs as a trampoline, and my clothes as sponges for juice. It’s been a long flight and I am returning to my hometown in Northern British Columbia.

The Bulkley Valley is nestled between three major mountain ranges, has several rivers that divide the rolling farmland, and boasts clear blue, glacial-fed lakes. I could write a whole travel brochure on how picturesque it is and still never do it justice; however, I have traveled a lot and declare this some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever known.

My parents property is a magical, overgrown 23 acres tucked under the shadow of a huge mountain and near a private lake. The setting effortlessly encourages a reversion back to childhood; for who wants to do grown-up things when one can chase ducks, climb trees, catch minnows, gather flowers and pick berries?


Ah, the berries.
I had barely dropped my suitcase on the front porch before I was out in the hillsides, on hands and knees, picking wild strawberries. They were everywhere and they were big. The first taste brought back so many memories of being a little girl, when I would pick handful after handful and eat them all myself, my hands stained with the juice.

Wild strawberries can hardly be compared with domestic. They are intensely sweet, powerfully fragrant and so juicy it requires a delicate hand to gather them. They are probably among my top five favorite things to eat ever, and it’s rare that I get a chance to eat a whole bowl of them.
So I had two.

There was even enough left over for Noah’s cereal in the morning. How decadent!

We’re off to a great start here in beautiful B.C.

Note: Excerps from this post were previously published on July 12, 2007

Cooking has always been Aimée's preferred recreational activity, creative outlet, and source of relaxation. After nearly ten years in the professional cooking industry, she went from restaurant to RSS by trading her tongs and clogs for cookie cutters and a laptop, serving as editor here at Simple Bites. Her first book, Brown Eggs and Jam Jars - Family Recipes from the Kitchen of Simple Bites, was published in February 2015.

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21 Comments

  4. I've never seen or obviously eaten wild strawberries. I'd love to be digging into that bowlful.

    You're right it does seem like a excellent start to your vacation!
    ~ingrid

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  5. Oh, gosh! I can just taste those. Your parents property sounds fantastic… and it sounds like the PERFECT start to a vacation!

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  10. I went on a walk in Germany recently, and we only managed a small handful of (albeit delicious) wild strawberries. The bowl of yours looks utterly beautiful, but I doubt it was around long after its photo shoot 😉

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  20. Beautiful! I love wild strawberries so so much. There are lots in Russia. Right now I live in NY state but there are not that many wild strawberries here. I miss collecting a lot of them and then eating all of them at once!

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