Sweet, strawberries sweet
Ten ways to slip local berries seamlessly into your summer
Local berries are just coming into season, which means it’s time to eat them in every way imaginable. Jam, pie and smoothies are great, but here are some new ideas to add delight to this year’s bounty. 1. Avocado-Feta Salad with Chicken and Strawberries Make a salad of baby spinach and thinly sliced red onion. Top with sliced grilled chicken, sliced ripe avocado, crumbled feta and sliced strawberries. Driz- zle with white balsamic vinegar, extravirgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. 2. Spicy-Sweet Cucumber Salad Stir equal parts chopped English cucumber and sliced strawberries. Season with chopped fresh basil and mint, a drizzle of seasoned rice vinegar and a pinch of hot red chili flakes. Serve with grilled shrimp and jasmine rice.
3. Strawberry-Vanilla Butter Mash chopped strawberries with a drizzle of honey and a few drops of vanilla. Mash in about double the amount of room-temperature unsalted butter. Chill to set then spread on toast or scones. 4. Rosewater Cream Dessert Combine vanilla Mediterranean yogurt with a few drops of rosewater and a pinch of cinnamon. Spoon into small dessert bowls and top with sliced strawberries. Sprinkle with coarsely crushed amaretti cookies. 5. Strawberry Lemonade Slushies Combine frozen concentrated lemonade with equal parts chopped strawberries, water and ice in a blender. Puree until smooth. Serve immediately. 6. Chocolate-Strawberry Icebox Cake Layer chocolate wafer cookies with sliced strawberries and sweetened whipped cream in a large circle on a large serving platter. After three layers, top with a final layer of sliced berries. Cover and chill for six hours then slice and serve. 7. Strawberry Poppyseed Salad Combine a few strawberries with one part red-wine vinegar and two parts extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt in a small blender. Puree just until smooth. Stir in a spoonful of poppy seeds. Drizzle over Boston lettuce, and garnish with chopped strawberries and chopped toasted almonds. 8. Strawberry Sangria Fill a large pitcher halfway with small whole strawberries. Pour in a bottle of dry rosé wine, a glass of apple juice, the juice of one lemon and a generous splash of orange liqueur (such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier). Chill four to six hours before serving. 9. Ice Wine Berry Cakes Stir chopped strawberries with a little ice wine (or any sweet white wine) and a spoonful of sugar. Let stand at room temperature two hours. Stir and spoon over toasted sliced pound cake and top with fresh basil leaves. 10. Strawberry Barbecue Sauce Combine almost overripe strawberries with store-bought barbecue sauce in a small blender. Puree until smooth. Brush over grilled chicken during the last two minutes of cooking, and serve additional sauce on side.