They might not look like much, being a fraction the size of the strawberries on offer at farmer's markets and the grocery store. But the wild strawberries of our fields and woods edges pack a lot of flavor and sweetness into a small package. Is there any wild fruit tastier? And best of all is the price.

Wild strawberries don't last long. As soon as they ripen at our place in late June and early July, birds called cedar waxwings arrive in hordes to pluck them out of our shaggy lawn. I'd be a liar if I didn't admit begrudging the waxwings their feast, at least a little. They consume far more of the precious fruits than we do. But heck, I guess waxwings have been picking here far longer than we have, so maybe the real thieves are the frugivores we see in the mirror.

A favorite way to devour wild strawberries is to toss a handful in a bowl some cool summer evening and drizzle a little heavy cream over the top. But it's not easy getting the fruits to the bowl. The picking is a slow process, giving you just enough time between fruits to run a quick cost-benefit analysis for each. This may lead to the idea that it's better to live in the moment and devour on the spot than save for a later which may never come. Think of it. A giant asteroid hurtling through space could strike the earth at any moment. If this happened, would you want to leave any wild strawberries in your possession uneaten?