Strawberry Spinach Salad Adopted by Strangeheart, Astronauts, etc and Old English

Plant City, Florida, which is about 30 minutes outside of Tampa, is the winter strawberry capital of the world. The town begins pumping out berries in late January/early February and continues doing so until sometime in March. The high point of the season is celebrated with a festival that features music, games and the best strawberry shortcake around. In a normal year J-Fur and I will eat a few flats of berries together. This year she decided she was going to take part in the adopt-a-migrant farmer program and so she ate flat after flat all on her own. But a falling out with the company that runs the adopt-a-migrant farmer program (they used her money to get Arsenio Hall to sponsor) brought her strawberry eating to a sudden halt. This wouldn’t have been an issue except we had a flat still sitting in our refrigerator. I waited patiently, thinking her stubborness would pass. But it didn’t. Berries started to rot and discolor. Juice began leaking on our fridge bottom. I needed to get ride of a bunch of berries in a short time. So I sought out an appropriate recipe. I found this one.

Strawberry Spinach Salad (adapted slightly from Allrecipes)
(printable version)

-1 Tbs. Poppy Seeds
-1/2 Tbs. Black Sesame Seeds
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/8 cup white vinegar
-1/8 tsp. vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce
-1/2 Tbs. white onion, minced
-10 ounces spinach
-1 quart of strawberries, cut into fourths
-1/4 cup almonds

1. Mix the seeds, sugar, oil, vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce and onion. Set aside.

2. Wash the berries, remove the stems and cut them into fourths. Place in a large metal bowl. Pour the dressing over the berries. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.

3. Spoon the berries over a bed of spinach. Toss to combine. Sprinkle almonds on top. Eat it.

Strangeheart is a Hollywood duo who put out the song “In Another Life” about three weeks ago. The track combines 70′s style pop magic with electro beats and a catchy chorus. I figured I’d post it just in time for their new song as tonight they will be unveiling a new track on the radio (LIVE 105) between 7-10.

Also berry worthy is the new Astronauts, etc track. “Sideswiped” captures the beauty of those few peaceful moments one experiences before falling asleep after a long day of stealing commodities from bargain bins.

I’ve sat on Old English’s album Prose & Kahns for a few weeks. Perhaps it was because the band has been working on the album for three years (in 6 cities and 3 countries with over 20 collaborators) and I didn’t want to not give it the justice it deserved. 27 total songs were written for the album. Each song needed to relate to the previously completed tracks. As a result we have in front of us an album that is transparent in design but varied in its influence. Inside you’ll find moments of brit-rock, shoegaze, electro-pop, and folk meticulously detailed and seamlessly layered in the same order that they were written. My favorite track is the oozing pop haunt of “Lotteries and Tents”