Strawberry Season Recipes

As the days grow longer, dishes get brighter with red bursts of strawberry and brilliant yellow slices of heirloom tomato.  This is the time to linger over a meal and let the berries of the season carry you into eventual summer.  Since strawberries are a featured ingredient throughout Thirsty Radish, I gathered a few of my favorite strawberry recipes along with some new ones and tips.  They are the foundation for beautiful meals that are worthy of gathering over but also perfect for weeknights. 

Grilled Strawberry and Heirloom Tomato Salad

After a brief stay in the grill pan, strawberries become even juicier, which makes them the ideal salad addition.  This is the type of recipe that easily scales up or down based on the amount of produce you have on hand, but if you’re planning ahead, I recommend 1 ¼ pounds heirloom tomatoes, ½ pound fresh strawberries, a handful of basil, and 2 Fresno chiles to be quick-pickled (optional but so tasty). 

Warm weather meals are often at their best when loosely gathered but packed with flavor, so use more tomatoes if you have them and fewer when you don’t feel like making a trip to the market.  The same goes for the rest of the ingredients.  Keep meal preparation relaxed so your long lunch or laid-back dinner feels the same.

For quick pickling the chiles, slice them thinly then add to a mixture of ¼ cup apple cider or white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, and a generous pinch of kosher salt.  Stir the pickling liquid until the sugar and salt dissolve before adding the chile slices.  Let them sit for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Next, slice and season the heirloom tomatoes.

Hull the strawberries, keeping them whole, then brush with a light amount of oil.  Set in a grill pan preheated over medium-high and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until char marks appear. 

Let the berries cool slightly while you snip a handful of fresh basil.

Assemble the salad right before serving. Layer the tomatoes and basil, then add the strawberries and chile slices. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar or a bit of the pickling liquid for more heat.

Berry Upside Down Cake

The most gorgeous part of an upside-down cake bakes in secret until you make the glorious flip onto a serving plate.  When strawberries are at their peak, I combine them with blueberries to make this dessert.  Halve as many strawberries as you like, then scatter blueberries around them before pouring in the cake batter you will find in this recipe. 

This is a beautiful cake with no frosting needed, though you could serve it with whipped cream for a little added deliciousness.

Non-Alcoholic Tea Sangria

If you have taken a recent mocktails class with me, you may have made my non-alcoholic sangria.  Combining white tea with fresh fruit, both juiced and sliced, in a pitcher along with other ingredients results in a delicious batch drink that travels well to the backyard or a favorite picnic spot.  Reach out to learn more about taking one of my seasonal cooking classes and learn which fruit and spices work best in strawberry drinks.

Find more Thirsty Radish strawberry recipes below, and always remember to include some of the season’s best berries on even the most casual dessert plate, like this one I enjoyed over the sunny weekend.

A strawberry peach galette recipe allows you to free form pie crust and cook on a baking sheet.  No crimped edges or lattice tops are needed to create this colorful rustic dessert.

Fresh strawberry puree, tarragon, and pink peppercorn syrup make a delicious mocktail also known as my Pink Pepper Berry.

Tender muffins bursting with strawberries tuck so easily into a picnic basket.