Sweet Abundance

They bring with them the rite of spring..the ritual of the Passover seder. Dessert - always in my memory and today - includes these luscious fruits. Fresh and simply whole..dipped in chocolate..or found folded within the layers of flour-less sponge cake.

Symbols of purity..sensuality..fertility..abundance..humility...and modesty. Perfect goodness - in flavor and fragrance and every which way.

As tonight marks the first in the 8-day celebration of the Jews being freed from slavery and their exodus from Egypt - it seems most fitting to mark it with the simple strawberry. Rich and red. Lush and bright. Filled with new life.

Along with the other symbols that mark this holiday - the strawberry deserves its own special spot on our plates. A reminder to us all of all that we've endured..and that we continue to survive and thrive. And that along with the seasonal harvest of this exceptional fruit - we are graced with the gift of gorgeous sweet abundance.

Year after year.