Hmmmm, I have an idea for #1 and #3, need clues for the rest. Good morning all :).

Annette

I also have a thought for #1 and I am pretty sure of #3. Thinking of unlikely spots for #4, but will need clues.

Cynthia

If you think about it, #2 makes sense and #5 ties in with one of those continents, in an oblique way!!

Nancy - who is just back from the farmer's market, with fresh local strawberries, asparagus and a home-made pie and loaf of bread - yum.

Whoops, meant unlikely spots for #5. So, thinking one continent is pretty obvious for all of us?

Cynthia

Yes, Cynthia - pretty much obvious for us!! In the early 1400's western European monks were using the wild strawberry in their illuminated manuscripts. The strawberry is found in Italian, Flemish, German art, and English miniatures. The species is fragaria, which seemed obvious today at the market, as the fruit available at the many stalls perfumed the air.

I am brining some chicken breasts to cook on the bbq. I always thought that brining was an affectation, not really of any use, till I did some a couple of weeks ago -- then I got thinking about the NCIS Thanksgiving episode where Ducky brines his turkey - now would David MacCallum steer me wrong??

Nancy.

Sorry I haven't contributed yet. I took a quick look this morning and thought it was very garden-appropriate, but didn't know if I was up for five questions. After Saturday errands and chores, I'm still in that boat. We're about to head out for a slightly early anniversary dinner (47!) so I probably won't improve my trivia situation any time soon.

I'll check back later to see what the smart people have said.

TM

I bought a 4-quart basket of the strawberries. Right now, they are washed, still in the basket, sitting on the kitchen side-board. I think we are all feeling pretty good about just popping one in our mouths as we pass by!!

The asparagus I snapped the way Jamie Oliver showed me on this 30-Minute Meals show, then halved them and put them with cooked cubed potatoes and fingers of red pepper into the bbq basket. I made a sort of chimichurri sauce with parsley, basil and thyme, from the garden and some garlic olive oil which has been liberally spread on the veg and some chicken breasts, which are slowly cooking up on the que!!

Nancy.

Happy anniversary, TM! It is ours, too, today, but only 17 (second go-round here). Hope you have a lovely dinner.

Sounds to me as if we should all be heading to Nancy's for dinner!

I think I need less subtle clues. :)

Cynthia

I'm in the same boat, well not literally, with TM. Busy day and not up to five questions, especially as I have no idea on the answers. All I know about strawberries is that I see tiny ripe berries on my alpine strawberries and will pick them for our dinner when I go out.

Happy anniversary TM. We celebrated 45 years last month.

Your dinner sounds delicious, Nancy. DH is going to grill something late tonight for us. Missed our farmers market this week but picked up fresh peaches at Costco.

Just got home from multiple errands and am tired but need to get a few annuals planted before rain again tonight and tomorrow. Too wet and hot to dig and move perennials. Most of the garden plants appreciate the abundance of rain though my perennial gypsophila did not and looks dead. Think I will dig it up and pot it to keep in an area where it won't get any rain. Maybe it will come back.

Les fraises sont dans le nouveau monde.

We rearranged our back deck to suit the new gazebo structure. We have a nice little rocker coach. I want a nice chair with an ottoman!!

Nancy.

I do not speak or read French though recognize a few words from reading literature. Authors love to make quotes in French.

1. While working outside I decided that it is France because fragaria sounds French to me.

2. North America and Europe

That's all I've got. If there were clues to 3-5 I missed them.

1. France
2. North America and Europe
3. Seeds on the outside of the fruit
4. No clue
5. Argentina (if chimichurri was a clue)

Cynthia

Thanks for the fun!

#1 France
#2 North America And Europe
#3 Seeds on the outside of the fruit
#4 ???????
#5 All I could think of is Mexico

Annette

Thanks, Cynthia and Bobbie, for the anniversary wishes. Happy Anniversary back at you. :-)

If ottoman was a clue, then could Turkey be one of the answers? Maybe the answer to number 5? (My one meager contribution.)

TM

Shoot... I meant to say a big Happy Anniversary to you and your wife TM, may you have many more. Ours comes up in August (58) going for 60, hopefully a few more :).

Annette

Thank you, Annette. I hope we do have many more, and I wish you the same. :-)

TM

Ohh, TM, ottoman for Turkey good catch. Think you are right and Turkey must fit #5.

Chimichurri for South America.

Need to change answers as missed that one too.

1. France
2. North America and South America
3. Seeds on the outside sounds good to me.
4. Guess here. How about heartburn which a banana just gave me?
5. Turkey

OK, well, you all did quite well!!

1. The garden strawberry was first bred in Brittany, France, in the 1750s via a cross of Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America and Fragaria chiloensis, which was brought from Chile by Amédée-François Frézier in 1714. Cultivars of Fragaria àananassa have replaced, in commercial production, the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), which was the first strawberry species cultivated in the early 17th century.

2. Which means this is North and South America.

3. Technically, the strawberry is an aggregate accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. Each apparent "seed" (achene) on the outside of the fruit is actually one of the ovaries of the flower, with a seed inside it.

4. The entire strawberry plant was used to treat depressive illnesses. I'll take the fruit, thank you.

5. Yes TM, Ottoman was a clue. In 2011, Turkey produced 302,416 tons of strawberries, a very distant 2nd. Spain produced 262,730 tons. Canada did not even make the list, I suspect because of our climate and the fact that locally produced strawberries tend to be consumed locally and not counted!!

OK, so 5 was too many questions. I guess I'll have to keep the info. I found till Fall, cause I found a corker in Saturday's paper.

So, for Annette, Bobbie and Cyn, who got 2 1/2 correct:
{{gwi:599307}}

For TM, with one correct, but the hardest of all:

Thanks for playing, see you all next week!!

Nancy.

Oh-oh - Bobbie I missed your last post - I owe you a star!!

And TM, I forgot to wish a wonderful anniversary - wow, 47!! Even if I started yesterday I couldn't catch up!! Many more for you my friend!!

Nancy.

Thanks for the stars. Quite generous of you since I was mostly wrong.

Lots of fun as always.

Cynthia

Holy moly, how many ovaries does one fruit need? That was as surprising as the fact that Turkey is number two. I'm glad you threw the ottoman clue in or I would have struck out completely.

Thanks for the star and the fun, Nancy.

TM

I needed both TM and Cynthia's help to get the country and continents answers. Figured out France on my own. Fun to put the clues and other's suggestions together.

Ate half a dozen tiny alpin strawberries while working in the garden on Saturday. Little treasures to be savored.

Thanks for the fun, Nancy. You have me anticipating your next question.