The arrival of strawberry season is momentous for me since strawberries are the delicious bridge from early spring to tomato season. They’re the signal that the wait for something new and good is over. The growing season has started back up and it’s glorious.
Down the line, we'll take fresh fruits and vegetables for granted. But not yet. Right now, a toss of sugar, lemon, or maybe a moment sizzled with balsamic, is all strawberries need to be extraordinary.
Selecting and Storing Strawberries
Grocery store strawberry are bred to look pretty and make the long journey from California or Mexico without expiring. Even so, they can have decent flavor. But the best strawberries are the ones at the farmer’s market, since they’re grown for flavor and ripen on the vine.
Especially on the East Coast, fruits are hard to grow without pesticides. If you can find organic, go for it. Otherwise, look for growers that use integrated pest management or low-spray techniques. As always, talk to your farmer if you have questions.
Strawberries are best enjoyed as soon as possible, but will keep a few days in a single layer on a paper towel and loosely covered with plastic. Wash your strawberries right before eating. They can be sandy, so I like to give them a good swish in a bowl of cold water.
The Recipes
This week’s recipes keep things very simple with snacky strawberry ricotta toasts and a peppery strawberry-balsamic sauce for ice cream. Both are unfussy, adaptable, and take about 5 minutes to make.
Strawberry Ricotta Toasts
Strawberry ricotta toast is more than a recipe, it’s a map for spring eating. Start with good bread, drizzled with lots of olive oil. Add creamy ricotta – the kind with whole milk and no additives. Top with sliced berries, black pepper, a few flecks of salt, even more olive oil, and little bits of mint or basil. Swap in blanched asparagus or fava beans, lightly dressed peppery greens, a runny steamed egg, sliced radishes with salt, fresh peas, whatever. Later, the full range of berries and stone fruit will be perfect, too. Ricotta toast is endlessly adaptable and somehow perfect with every single spring (and summer) ingredient.
Strawberry Ricotta Toasts
Makes: 2 toasts
Ingredients
2 slices thick-cut sourdough or other crusty bread, toasted
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/4 cup whole milk ricotta
Flaky salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
Torn mint or basil leaves, optional
Directions
Drizzle the toast with olive oil. Split the ricotta between both slices. Drizzle with more olive oil, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Add the strawberries, just overlapping, in a single layer. Top with a tiny pinch of salt, a generous pinch of black pepper, another drizzle of olive oil, and the herbs (if using). Slice toasts in half and serve.
Strawberry-Balsamic sauce with Ice Cream
This simple strawberry-balsamic sauce is a variation on one of my absolute favorite recipes, strawberries in red wine sauce. For this variation, the berries are sizzled with a splash of balsamic, sugar, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper, and then spooned over vanilla ice cream. Add mint or flowers, or a strawberry leaf for garnish, and voilà. Now you’re an amazing dinner party cook who can actually spend time with your guests.
Strawberry-Balsamic sauce with Ice Cream
Makes: Enough sauce for 4 - 6 bowls of ice cream
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or more!)
Good quality vanilla ice cream for serving
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the strawberries, sugar, balsamic, and pepper. Bring to a vigorous boil, and then turn heat down to a gentle simmer for 3 - 5 minutes, until visibly thickened. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool – it will thicken even more. Scoop ice cream into bowls, top with warm sauce, and serve.
Store any leftovers covered in the fridge to spoon over ice cream, cake, yogurt, or oatmeal.