Nothing better than fresh strawberries
Strawberry season has arrived! Is there anything better than perfectly pretty, vine ripened strawberry fresh from the garden? Me thinks not (although a warm peach is a close second!) If you are not growing your own strawberries, thankfully we have many local farmers who have a supply ready for you at the Farmers’ Market.
There are so many wonderful ways to use these delicious berries. I love slicing them onto salads, especially fresh spinach salad, with goat cheese and sliced almonds. Since they freeze so well, do make sure to preserve the season. Simply hull (destem) and freeze into containers to have at the ready for baking and smoothies.
While you are at it, freeze some whole berries to drop into your glass of wine or water – it looks beautiful and keeps it cool.
Another way of preserving this precious season is to make strawberry jam. I love to macerate my fruit in the fridge before making the jam with a vanilla bean to make strawberryvanilla jam. Seriously, the touch of vanilla with the strawberry tastes like a strawberry sundae. If you don’t feel like making jam the old-fashioned way, why not try a batch of freezer jam? Easy and delicious, it is a great way to capture the freshness of the season to enjoy in the winter months.
You may have noticed that I am totally into tarts. Puff pastry is going to be your new best friend in the kitchen. So super easy and versatile, from savoury tarts like the asparagus tart recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago to a delicious heirloom tomato version I make late summer, this sweet strawberry tart makes for a perfectly delicious and easy dessert that just screams al fresco dining and picnics!
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