Summer brings strawberries, and strawberries bring endless dessert options ranging from fluffy, light and refreshing to devilishly decadent. It’s been tough, but I’ve been sampling them all.
Ever tried sweet strawberry salsa? Now’s your chance! Natalie Miller of Huber Heights, Ohio is blurring the line between sweet and savory with her light and kicky recipe for berry fun.
“It’s a great summer salsa,” says Natalie who serves up her recipe for just about every barbecue and family gathering.
She showcases real seasonal flare by using fresh (and refreshing) ingredients that are at their peak of flavor this time of year. Fresh strawberries combine with colorful, vibrant cilantro, vine-ripened tomatoes and punchy jalapeno for an unlikely stunner of a dish. I regularly serve it up with a big bowl of traditional corn tortilla chips, but you can also sweeten the pot even further by making a batch of baked cinnamon-sugar tortillas! Equal parts appetizer and dessert, this recipe is a favorite from start to finish.
For something more decidedly decadent, Tina Reed’s Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Cake is just what your sweet tooth ordered. Fresh strawberries, cream cheese and wonderfully sweet yogurt?! What a delightful, delicious combo!
“This [dessert] is a personal favorite,” smiles Tina, a home cook in Salina, Kansas.
Imagine spongy yellow cake layered with fresh strawberries and a strawberry-infused filling of cream cheese and whipped topping. Tina even ups the ante of the cake itself by starting with store-bought cake mix and adding vanilla yogurt for additional flavor and fabulousness…a great tip for this and any other cake.
No time for lengthy prep? Have no fear, your berry bliss is still within reach. For a quick riff on more involved strawberry desserts, give Thomas Bohne’s Balsamic Strawberries with Honey Vanilla Ricotta a try. His fun play on a traditional parfait lets the beauty of fresh berries really shine.
“This is a fast, light, and easy dessert that is great for entertaining,” says Thomas, whose straightforwardly delicious recipe has a mere three steps.
First, toss fresh strawberries with Thomas’ easy sweetened balsamic sauce. Add a few ribbons of fresh basil, and serve atop a dollop of sweetened ricotta cheese. You will be amazed at how well these simple, bold flavors meld and show off the beauty of the berries. I like to think of it as serving up summer in dessert form.
Whether fresh from the garden or fresh from the produce stand, don’t forget to take time to enjoy the bounty of the season. Time spent savoring the season with family is always well-spent… no matter the calorie count.