Strawberries truly are the anytime fruit.

They’re for breakfast, appetizer and meals

The coronavirus outbreak has changed many of South Texas’s springtime traditions — including a rescheduling of the beloved Poteet Strawberry Festival until the fall. But those sweet rubies are still abundant on area shelves, and we’ve cooked up a strawberrybased breakfast, appetizer, dinner and dessert to celebrate that bounty.

Texas’ strawberry season is in its waning days and will dry up completely when temperatures get too hot. Fortunately, a year-round supply of domestic, international and hydroponically grown strawberries means these recipes can be enjoyed any time of the year. All of them are easy to make, requiring 30 minutes or less of active time, and will appeal to a wide range of palates with both sweet and savory flavors.

If you’ve never made a

Dutch baby pancake, sometimes called a German pancake, you’re in for a treat. This breakfast delicacy is essentially a large, sweet popover that puffs up in the oven. They’re often served with a dusting of powdered sugar and lemon juice, all of which create a perfect canvas to layer with fresh strawberry slices.

Many people have tasted crostini smeared with creamy cheese and piled with a mixture of tomatoes and basil. We’ve traded the more familiar tomatoes for diced strawberries and a healthy pour of balsamic vinegar for an appetizer both savory and sweet. A

layer of pungent goat cheese gives each bite depth and character, but a simple smear of cream cheese is just as enjoyable if goat cheese is hard to find in your usual store.

Our main course pairs the mild gaminess of lamb chops with a bold strawberry sauce that gets a fiery bite from a pinch of cayenne. It’s a showy dish with that seared meat sitting atop a pool of bright red sauce, and surprisingly simple to make. If you’re having trouble finding lamb — we picked up packages of chops at the H-E-B Plus! location in the McCreless Corner Shopping Center at 4100 S. New Braunfels Ave. — the sauce would pair well with smoky grilled chicken or help cut the richness of roasted pork belly or shoulder.

For dessert, we’ve kept things classic. For many, strawberry shortcake means piling fruit on a spongy, mass-produced Twinkielike base with little flavor. Our scratch-baked shortcakes are an easy and fuss-free recipe that bake in a pan and get cut into individual portions. The first thing you’ll notice is the cake’s texture — these are more biscuitlike and silky thanks to a cup and a half of cream folded into the dough. The results feel classy and elegant, while only requiring about 10 minutes of effort.

Paul Stephen / Staff Classic Strawberry Shortcake gets a much-needed upgrade with a simple recipe for homemade shortcake. It’s especially tasty now while the local fruit is plentiful.