I've been putting off writing this column on strawberries because I never quite get the proper inspiration to proceed on such an important topic--certainly far more important than afternoon talk shows or reality-based TV anyway. The wonderful strawberry is the favorite fruit (actually berry) of the Martin household, especially of my spouse, Joyce, who never suffers a full flat of berries for very long. Sometimes I affectionately call her the "Strawberry Girl." She could also be called the "Raspberry Girl," but that's another story.

Having grown up in the country, I certainly enjoy the tangy, ineffable sweetness of wild strawberries. However, the finest berries I ever ate were hybrids of wild and cultivated plants. My mother would buy strawberries from neighbors and throw the hulls away in a field that bordered our house that was also filled with the wild variety. The cultivated and wild ones mated and produced an awesome berry that retained the sweetness and tang of the wild berries with the size and mellowness of the cultivated variety.

Strawberries may have been cultivated in ancient Rome. It is said that the leaves, roots and fruits of certain varieties of strawberry are useful for a digestive or skin tonics. Internally, the berry was used for diarrhea and other digestive upsets, while the leaves and the roots were used for gout. I remember gathering and drying the leaves of wild strawberries for my mother. We would brew a delicious tea from the dried leaves.

By the way, to store strawberries, sort and remove any bruised or damaged berries as soon as possible and use in sauces, purées or jams. Place the berries in cool, well ventilated containers (32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit; 0 to 5 degrees Centigrade). The moisture content of fresh strawberries is high, so store uncovered or loosely covered. Hull strawberries and rinse gently JUST before serving. Careful storing and handling will maintain their maximum flavor, color and texture.

According to tradition the name strawberry derived from the observation that the berries seem to be "strewn" among the leaves of the plant. The plant first had the name "strewberry," which later was changed to strawberry.

Anyway, the strawberry perennials are blooming in our little log-enclosed garden plot, and, indeed, some of the blooms are now small, green strawberries. We look forward to this time every spring, and take much delight in this rather small, but extraordinary event.

 In parting, I must tell you that it is rumored that certain extra-terrestrials (ETs) love strawberries, especially strawberry ice cream. This just proves that whether ET's exist or not, the taste of strawberries is certainly out of this world.