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Turn your seasonal strawberries into a full brunch experience with these two recipes: Salad with Basalmic-Glazed Strawberries and Goat Cheese and Easy Strawberry Refrigerator Jam
Salad with Balsamic-Glazed Strawberries
Ingredients:
20-24 large, ripe strawberries (about 4 cups trimmed and quartered)
6 T. good quality Balsamic vinegar
6 T. packed brown sugar
1, 5-oz. clamshell mixed salad greens (spinach, mesclun, etc.) or 2-3 bunches fresh greens
¼ small red onion
8 oz. goat cheese
½ c. pine nuts
Olive oil, as needed (around ¼ – 1/3 cup)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pre-heat oven to 350°.
Trim strawberries and cut into quarters. Place in a heat-proof bowl.
In a small, heavy saucepan, heat vinegar and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, and simmer for a few minutes until starting to thicken. (Spoon some vinegar out of the pan, and put it on a cool plate. If vinegar moves like honey or maple syrup across the plate after cooling down, it’s ready). Remove pan from heat and drizzle vinegar over strawberries, tossing to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 – 60 minutes, stirring occasionally while juices form.
While berries are resting, place pine nuts on a dry sheet pan and toast in a 350° oven until golden brown. Check after the first 5 minutes and keep a close watch so they don’t burn.
Slice the red onion into paper-thin slices. Add the onion to the greens in a large bowl. Taste the strawberry mixture. Drain some juice out and add olive oil as needed to form a vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, then toss greens with the vinaigrette.
Slice goat cheese with dental floss or a very sharp knife. Place cheese on top of greens, grind black pepper atop goat cheese, top with strawberries and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8.
Easy Strawberry Refrigerator Jam
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. strawberries, hulled and cut into ½-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 cup sugar
3 T. lemon juice
Place a metal spoon in the freezer to chill.
Combine strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Mash the berries with a potato masher (or similar tool) until fruit is mostly broken down. Simmer vigorously until fruit mixture thickens and a spatula leaves a trail that does not fill in immediately, 15-25 minutes.
To test for proper thickness, remove saucepan from heat. Dip chilled spoon into jam and allow to run off spoon. Jam should slowly fall off spoon in one thickened clump. If jam is runny, return to medium heat and simmer for 2-4 minutes before retesting.
Transfer jam to clean jar and let cool completely. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Makes about 2 cups.
Learn how to make these recipes by watching the cooking class below
