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Recipe Sat Jun 29 2013
In Season: Strawberries
The farmer's market is quickly picking up speed, with more and more fruits and veggies showing up every week. Right now, the undisputed star of the show is the strawberry-- if you haven't bought a pint yet, do so this weekend at your local farmers market.
Strawberries are at their peak sweetness right now, and practically beg to be baked into a crisp, sliced into salads, or eaten whole on the way home. Here are some ideas to get you started...
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Savory Strawberry Salad
Spread a cup of pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet and top with a few tablespoons of olive oil and plenty of salt. Roast at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until they are toasted and fragrant. Combine fresh mixed greens (or a bitter green like arugula or mizuna if you like a sharper taste) with thinly sliced radishes, chopped dill, sliced strawberries, crumbled fresh feta or ricotta salata, and the toasted pumpkin seeds in a salad bowl. Toss with either very good olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar, or a simple vinaigrette of one tablespoon each of mustard and sherry vinegar, whisked slowly with 1/4 cup of very good olive oil.
Small Batch Strawberry Vanilla Jam
Don't be afraid of making jam at home! Contrary to popular belief, most jams are very easy to make and don't necessarily require any equipment besides a big stock pot. I cooked down a few pints of fresh strawberries with a cup of sugar and a vanilla bean until it was thick and syrupy, then added one packet of gelatin and ladled it into sterilized mason jars. To seal the jars, just drop them in a pot of boiling water for ten minutes. See? Not as hard as you thought. This recipe is a good place to start.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Fruit crisps are a true lazy man's dessert-- they ask for little more than chopping fruit and topping it with a super simple topping-- but look impressive and taste incredible. Try this easy recipe from Green City Market founder and cooking legend Abby Mandel. And in a few weeks when the strawberries are gone, just swap in blueberries or any other fruit.
