Gretchen’s table

Is there anything more wonderful than strawberry season?

The crop has started to come in at local farms and if you’re like me, the race is on to eat and preserve as many of these sweet and luscious berries as possible in the coming weeks. Ripened under Pennsylvania sunshine and picked at the peak of freshness, local berries are a far cry from the mass-produced strawberries you find throughout the year in plastic clamshell containers at grocery stores.

Because they’re sweet, strawberries lend themselves toward dessert. Shortcake is a given, along with strawberry crisp, strawberry pie and strawberry freezer jam.

In this recipe, the berries stand in for tomatoes in a sweet and tart bruschetta appetizer.

Most bruschetta is made with toasted bread, but I like to fry the ciabatta slices in a little olive oil so they’re super-crispy. You can use either fresh ricotta or shredded fresh mozzarella as the base and a tangy balsamic glaze sweetened with honey drizzled on top. (My little sister has an apiary in her backyard in Bethesda, Md., so I lucked out).

Chopped fresh mint and shredded fresh basil add a pop of green. The end result is both bright and fresh and a perfect way to kick off a summer dinner or happy hour. Truth be told, they also make a mighty fine breakfast.

Local strawberries often sell out quickly at farmers markets and can be fairly expensive. (I paid $10 for a quart of Freedom Farms berries at the Bloomfield Saturday Market.) So if you have the time and don’t mind working your knees and back, consider picking them yourself at one of Pittsburgh’s u-pick farms. Soergel Orchards in Franklin Park (724-935-1743), Trax Farms in Finleyville (412835-3246), Simmons Farm in McMurray (724-941-1490) and Triple B Farms in Forward (724-258-3557) all offer pickyour-own strawberries, with prices starting at $4 a pint. Hours vary and may change depending on the weather, so it’s best to call first for updates.