What to do with strawberries

It’s finally strawberry season, which means that locally grown berries are now available in farmers’ markets (and in your own garden, if you’re lucky). I picked up a couple of pints yesterday after work at my local market and… well, let’s just say they’re all gone now. Fresh berries don’t last very long in my house.

What always strikes me about local, seasonal strawberries is their texture—they’ve never been refrigerated, so they’re soft, and warm, and melt in your mouth. Between this and the flavour, you’d think they’re a completely different species from what we find all year in the supermarket.

I’m going to try and pick up more berries this weekend and actually prepare a recipe with them, instead of eating them straight out of the basket. We have a few delicious-looking recipes on the website that I’d like to try—I’m eyeing the Lemon Mousse with Strawberries, but the recipe for Caramelized Pineapple, Balsamic Strawberries & Orange Ice looks good too, and Muesli with Strawberries and Hazelnuts would make a tasty weekend breakfast.

Maybe I’ll have to get out of town and go strawberry picking…

What are your favourite ways to prepare strawberries? And what other seasonal delicacies are you looking forward to this summer?