Photo: Penelope Maguire As the weather warms, these sweet strawberry recipes are perfect to share with friends, making them ideal for the social season ahead, Penelope Maguire writes. Few foods conjure the excitement of spring and summer quite like a perfectly ripe, ruby-red strawberry — especially after a long, cold winter.Strawberries are incredibly versatile, shining in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Whether blended into smoothies, paired with cream cheese-stuffed dates and pistachios, or mixed into a bright vinaigrette for salads, their sweet-tart flavour is a welcome addition to many meals. I love folding strawberries into whipped cream and meringue or popping them atop sugar crusted puff pastry filled with pastry creme for an effortless dessert. Even for breakfast, a simple plate of strawberries with avocado toast and boiled eggs feels like a luxurious, but very balanced start to the day.
At the height of the season, I infuse strawberries with elderflowers, lemons and sugar to create a shelf-stable cordial, perfect for mixing with sparkling water or Prosecco. Nutritionally, strawberries are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. Low in calories but high in fibre and water, they hydrate and support digestion.
Interestingly, strawberry leaves and hulls are edible and have a long history of medicinal use. Their astringent properties make them useful in teas for upset stomachs or mouthwashes for oral health. They also add a pleasant bitterness to salads, but those trying the.
