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; Strawberry plants give a big, fruitful harvest \ One advantage of having your own strawberry garden is know­ ing that you can use fresh, ripe berries for those special des­ serts. Ortho's "Adventures in Italian Cooking" includes a recipe for torta difragole (strawberry shortcake), which is made of sponge cake, split and filled with vanilla custard cream and 2 cups of ripe strawberries. Strawberries arc a versatile fruit that can be as beautiful as they are useful. They are also among the easiest plants to work into available space. In containers such as straw­ berry jars or moss-lined wire strawberry trees they can even grow quite comfortably on an apartment terrace with a southern exposure. Strawberry gardens can be grown in either the matted-row or hill system, according to the Ortho book "All About Grow­ ing Fruits & Berries." Matted-row planting can be handled in two ways, hither all runners arc left to grow or only the early runners are grown, spaced about 8 inches apart The latter method of spaced- runners results in both a larger berry and a larger total yield. Visit YOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOOTHS No. 44 & 45 PAGE 14 • PLAINDEALER - If you plant more than one row of fruit, place the rows about 3 to 4 feet apart. The hill system of planting lends itself best to everbearing varieties of strawberries or sin- glc-crop kinds that don't send out many runners. Here, plants are set a foot apart and all run­ ners are removed. Rows are spaced 12 to 15 inches apart in groupings of three. For easy access among the plants, each group should be separated by an aisle of approxi­ mately 2 feet. Plant strawberries in soil with good drainage The new leaf bud in the center of each plant should sit exactly level with the soil surface. Before the fruit ripens, the plants should be screened to safeguard them from passing birds. To keep fruit insect-free, multipurpose insecticides like Ortho's Diazinon Soil & Fo­ liage Dust or Ortho's Fruit & Vegetable Insect Control are ef­ fective. Winter protection is needed where alternate freezing and thawing of the soil occurs. This may cause plants to heave and break their roots. Straw is one of the best mulch materials for this purpose. In dry. cool climates a plastic mulch helps soil retain moisture and warmth. Gardeners who grow straw­ berries in containers have the advantage of fifcing able to en­ sure a disease-free soil mix thereby avoiding verticillium wilt and red stele (root rot), which are common soil-borne fungi. It's particularly important to keep container plants well-fed. If leaves are yellow, this sug­ gests a lack of nitrogen. But if they are exceptionally dark, it means you are overfeeding. If you remember to feed your strawberries diligently, they will soon be feeding you. WEDNESDAY. MARCH 25,1981 Get down to basils Herbs and spices add more than flavor to foods. They arc very nutritious, and can be used as the main ingredient rather than a filler. For example, pesto is made of freshly ground basil and can be used instead of meat sauce with pasta. BROADCASTING LIVE FROM THE McHEHRY TRADE FAIR SflUIMV U1EMMI Liven up a traditional Western dish with a sparkling taste of the Orient The cooking's best when East meets West! That's what many Ameri­ can home economists found when they were asked to prepare traditional Western- style meals using Sake. Japan's light rice wine and the most often used ingredient in Oriental cooking. The results were superb and deliciously different. Whether it's used with fish, fowl or meats, Sake helps to bring out the natural flavors of food, while adding an interesting" taste all its own. Discover the delightful BEEF DISH TAKES A BOW--Exciting things happen when Western cooking absorbs an Eastern influence. For a deli­ ciously different meal, try Beef Stroganoff a la Sake--a treat to both the taste buds and the eye. difference a touch of the Ori­ ent can add to classic Beef Stroganoff. It's easy to pre­ pare and will please both the palate and the eye. BEEF STROGANOFF A LA SAKE 1 Vi lbs. beef cut iato % ^ inch cubes (round sirloin, or lean chuck) 2 Tbs. flour Salt and pepper to taste 3 Tbs. oil I medium onion, diced 1 cup Sake 2 Tbs. tomato paste or catsup I (4 oz.) can mushroom caps '/i cup plain yogurt (optional) I cup fresh alfalfa sprouts or parsley sprigs Toss meat with flour, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet. Brown beef cubes, re­ duce heat, and add onion. Sake, tomato paste or cat­ sup, and liquid from mush­ rooms. Cover and simmer I hour. Add mushroom caps and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt if de­ sired. Serve over brown rice or noodles. Garnish with alfalfa sprouts or parsley. Serves 4-6. Summer life: outdoors, hospitable and spirited "Good living". .. friends and family at a backyard bar­ becue, wedding celebration or together for impromptu hos­ pitality. Menu inspiration that reflects your guests' tastes, the season and your budget. Many hosts arc serving light, smooth, mixable rum, the fastest growing type of spirit. These rum drinks and rum- based snack are ideal for all occasions. TROPICAL ISLE QUENCHER 1 Vi oz. Ronrico Gold Label Rum '/i oz. Leroux Cherry Flavored Brandy 2 oz. fresh lemon juice 2 oz. pineapple juice 1 teaspoon sugar Shake rum, juices and sugar with ice. Pour into on- the-rocks glass filled with ice. Pour Leroux Cherry Flavored brandy over drink. Garnish with fresh fruit. PINEAPPLE SLING 1W oz. Ronrico Gold Label Rum 4 oz. pineapple juice Pour rum over ice. Add pineapple juice and fill with water. Decorate with pine­ apple chunk and lemon or lime wedge. . . or a sprig of mint. STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI DELIGHT IW oz Ronrico Silver Label Rum Vi oz. Leroux Grenadine Liqueur 5-6 Fresh or frozen straw­ berries juice pf Vi lime 1 teaspoon sugar Vi cup crush ice Place all ingredients in an electric blender. Blend for 15- 20 seconds. Pour into any at­ tractive chilled glass. CHEESE SNACK A LA RONRICO V* lb. grated cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons Ronrico Gold Label Rum V* cup chopped walnuts I 3 oz. package cream cheese (softened) Place cheeses and rum into medium bowl Stir with fork to combine. With hands, shape mixture into a ball. Roll ball in walnuts to cover com­ pletely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Serve on crackers. Serves 4 to 6. To serve a larger group, double recipe.. For a free copy of "Fun- Wlith-Rum Recipes from Ronrico," send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Ronrico Rum, Metro Dept., General Wine and Spirits Co., 375 Park Ave., New York, NY 10022. McHENRY COUNTY CETA Is still in operation with emphasis on providing employment and training in the private sector. For more information contact McHenry County CETA 666 Russell Ct. (Across from Courthouse) Telephone 338-7100 Ask to speak to a job developer SEE US AT BOOTH N Equal Opportunities M/F