In these early days of Summer, recipes for all manner of strawberry desserts show up everywhere. Farmers' markets, supermarkets and restaurants celebrate these little red gems with special events and strawberry menus. So alluring are these fruits the Greeks thought they were the heart-shaped tears of Aphrodite weeping for the mortal Adonis.
Sweet, yes. Bittersweet, maybe. But what about savory recipes? Oh yes, savory. Strawberries can really shine in savory recipes.
Lately, roasting strawberries has become popular. A wonderful gift of a savory strawberry jam with thyme and balsamic vinegar from the wonderful Denise Woodward of Chez Us was a reminder that strawberries can be delightful in savory recipes. Even if you’re not ready to try Martha Stewart’s strawberry marinara sauce (who has?), do try this easy and delicious salad.
Savory Strawberry Salad
This serves 2 hungry people. This is an easy way to introduce a non-dessert strawberry recipe to your family.
- 1 1/2 TBSP shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 TBSP Katz Sauvignon Blanc Vinegar
- 2 TBSP EVOO (proportions can be adjusted to taste)
- 1 1/2 C strawberries, rinsed, cored, quartered
- 3 handfuls of Olivia’s baby romaine, arugula, or spinach
- 1/2 C sprouts (optional)
- 1 TBSP toasted pine nuts
- fresh thyme leaves to taste
Variations:
- lemon vinaigrette
- balsamic vinaigrette
- add goat cheese
- diced sweet yellow pepper
Making an Emulsion: One Technique, Many Applications
When you make a vinaigrette, you are making an emulsion. You are combining two things: vinegar and oil, which typically don’t like to come together. With a couple of tips you can whisk the two into compliance and create a terrific vinaigrette. Understanding the basic idea behind a vinaigrette will give you confidence the next time you make a hollandaise or a mayonnaise.
First, you will need your vinegar or lemon juice. Choose an emulsifying agent. Here we'll use mustard. Egg is another common emulsifier. Many vinaigrettes begin with an egg yolk which contains Lecithin an emulsifying agent. For this vinaigrette we want to have a lighter consistency so we're omitting egg.
Whisk the vinegar and mustard together. A whisk, a flattened whisk, or even a fork will do. Once these first two ingredients are blended, begin incorporating the oil just a drop at a time. You'll need to keep whisking as you increase the oil drops to a drizzle. Keep whisking! You'll soon have a perfect and tasty vinaigrette.
Add your other ingredients (Shallots, pine nuts, thyme, strawberries) and toss with greens. Enjoy.
Strawberries - Sweet, Savory, and So Nutritious
Did you know - strawberries are not actually the fruit of the plant? The berry is really a sort of swollen stem, the seeds on the surface of the berry are the actual fruit, known as achenes.
Strawberries are nutritionally great fruits but they have a fair amount of sugar, why add more? They are loaded with vitamin C and a good source of folate, potassium, manganese, and fiber.
The deep red color is a sign they’ve got anthocyanin, antioxidants and are mildly anti-inflammatory.
Antioxidants are so important and healthy that they’re being studied in many different ways. To test our capacity for absorbing them, strawberries were chosen for a recent study trying to evaluate optimal values.
Strawberries were third (behind walnuts and blackberries) in antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants help us by neutralizing free radicals.
May lower LDL, even slow cancerous growths, and may even stimulate metabolism, and suppress appetite.
Other Ways to Enjoy Strawberries
- Classic Spring pie: Strawberry Rhubarb - strawberries rich sweetness is a natural complement to rhuabarb’s tart flavor.
- Try a strawberry salsa on fish, how about fresh from Alaska wild salmon.
- Margaritas, smoothies, daiquiris, granita are other tasty ways to enjoy these seasonal treats.
If you want to extend their season, freeze them by rinsing and coring, then halve them, place on cookie sheet in freezer. Once frozen, remove to a freezer container or ziptop bag and you’ll be able to enjoy strawberries long after their true season has passed.
And, if you're ready for another savory recipe how about a strawberry Syrah sauce for pork?
Jacqueline Church - Award-winning writer, speaker, teacher on topics at the intersection of gourmet and sustainable food issues.
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