This week on the Gadget Guru, Ian suggests a few gadgets for the summer, something for the long warm evenings, then something for those more challenging summer days, and finally an item for every kid, big or small. 
Sue Style - Strawberry Picking and Recipes
Our food guru Sue Style tells us all about strawberries! Strawberries are vitamin C bombs, containing twice as much as citrus fruits. Most fragrant are the Gariguette variety - originally from Provence, small, pointed, paler than most, usually more expensive, but worth it for the flavour. It's fun to go pick your own. Take or borrow some kids (they can taste the berries for you...) - keep an eye out as you drive around the countryside for billboards advertising "Erdbeeren selber pflücken" or, in France, "cueillette de fraises".
Farms around BL that do PYO:
Beeriland in Bottmingen (strawberries, redcurrants, raspberries, blackberries - good practice getting to know the names in German!)
Llama farm in Allschwil/Schoenenbuch
Farm in Füllinsdorf (strawberry fields between Giebenach and Augst)
In Alsace:
Schneider/Hésingue, on RH side driving from Hégenheim to Hésingue - big advantage of strawberries grown on tables so you don't have to bend down to pick
Paradis des fraises - Riespach (near Ferrette)
In Baden:
Bioland Hoch-Reinhard (organic farm)/Fischingen - near Fünfschilling farm shop and restaurant
Rüttehof, Kandern-Wollbach
RECIPES
Strawberry daiquiri
500g strawberries, hulled (i.e. leaves removed) and quartered
200g crushed ice
100ml rum
juice ½ lime
Garnish
1 strawberry, halved
2 slices of lime
Put strawberries, crushed ice, rum and lime juice in a powerful blender and blend till smooth - add a little sugar if the strawberries are a bit sour. Pour into 2 glasses, float a half strawberry and lime slice on top of each one and serve.
Strawberry smoothie
Makes 1 litre (4 cups) – enough for 4 people
1 cup hulled, chopped strawberries
2 cups fruit juice
1 banana
2 scoops strawberry sorbet
2 tablespoons natural or strawberry yogurt
1-2 teaspoons honey or lemon juice, or lime juice
mint sprigs
Put the chopped fruit in a blender (or in a straight-sided plastic jug, if using a hand-held blender). Add the fruit juice, sliced banana, ice cream or sorbet, yogurt and honey. Put the lid on, hold it down tightly and blend till smooth and frothy. OR if using a hand-held blender and jug, blend the ingredients carefully, keeping the blender well immersed in the smoothie mixture. Taste the smoothie – add a little more honey if you like it sweeter, or some lemon or lime juice if it’s too sweet. Pour the smoothie into glasses and top with some mint sprigs.