We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the fresh juicy local strawberries and they are finally here!! Strawberries are a super fruit; they are packed with antioxidants and essential nutrients that can reduce inflammation. They also support heart health, boost cognitive function, aid digestion and help regulate blood sugar. Strawberries are also super versatile for adding some sweetness to snacks, desserts, and even main dishes.
If you have the opportunity to get fresh local strawberries, you definitely should take advantage of the opportunity. Farmers and strawberry producers agree on the benefits of purchasing your berries locally. Local berries definitely have more flavor, they are bright red, juicy, and sweet!
Local food is safer because it is handled less than conventional food from far away.
Purchasing and picking locally can lower your carbon footprint! Local berries come from practically your backyard.
Hope you will enjoy these recipes!

Strawberry BBQ Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons local honey
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

In a small sauce pot, melt the butter over medium high heat until it foams. Add the strawberries and diced tomatoes to the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are soft and starting to break down, 10-12 minutes. Berries should be super tender.
Scrape the berries and tomatoes into a blender and blend until smooth.
Return the berries and tomatoes to the pot and add the balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, honey, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bring the ingredients to a boil, reduce to a simmer over medium low heat. Allow the sauce to simmer until its volume is reduced by about a third and the flavor is sweet and tangy, but not too vinegary, 15-20 minutes. Taste frequently and add additional and pepper if needed.
Tastes great on chicken.

Best Strawberry Milkshake

• 8 fresh strawberries, capped and chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pint strawberry ice cream (or vanilla)
• Whipped cream, for serving

Additional strawberries for garnish
Place strawberries and about ¾ cup milk in a blender until strawberries are smooth.
Add remaining ¼ cup milk and ice cream and blend until combined. Add more milk, if needed, to thin the milkshake to your desired consistency.
Pour into glasses and top with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. Enjoy! Yields 2 servings.

Roasted Strawberries

(Roasting strawberries concentrates their natural sugars for a sweeter, deeper and richer strawberry flavor!)

• 2 pints fresh strawberries, capped and sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• 1 vanilla bean, or 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• Pinch salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse and hull strawberries. Leave tiny ones whole, halve or quarter the larger ones, try to get them all around the same size, so they will cook at the same rate.
Add syrup or honey, vanilla and thyme to baking dish with strawberries. Toss to coat evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes, stir at about 10 minutes.
Enjoy straight from the oven or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Great for using as a topping for yogurt, ice cream, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, cakes, cheesecakes, biscuits, toasts and more.

Strawberry Basil Quinoa Salad

• 3 cups water
• 1 ½ cups quinoa
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 11/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup, or honey
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups diced strawberries, I have used sliced berries
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Combine water, quinoa and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, oil, maple syrup, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
Add the cooked quinoa, strawberries, basil and feta to the dressing; stir to combine.
Serves 8, each serving contains; Calories 247, Fat 13g., Carbohydrates 26g., Protein 6g.

Strawberry Butter

• ½ cup sliced strawberries
• 1 stick softened butter

Combine strawberries and butter in a food processor. Pulse on and off until the butter is combined. Spread on toasted pound cake or fresh baked bread.

Strawberry Lemonade

• 1 pound strawberries, plus more for garnish
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups fresh lemon juice, strained and divided
• Ice, for serving
• Lemon slices for garnish

Hull and quarter the strawberries. Place the strawberries in a large bowl. Stir in sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice. Allow to sit, covered for 30 minutes.
In a blender, blend the strawberry mixture until pureed. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to get the seeds out.
In a large pitcher, combine the strawberry puree with the remaining 1 ¾ cups of lemon juice and 4 cups of water. Add up to 1 additional cup of water to taste if the mixture is too sweet or too strong.
To serve, stir the lemonade and pour it over ice. Garnish with lemon slices and strawberries.
**To cut the sugar, use a substitute.
Serves 6-8, each serving contains; Calories 1414, Fat 0g., Carbohydrates 358g., Protein 5g.

Strawberry Icebox Cake

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 20 graham cracker sheets
• 1 ½ pound fresh strawberries, sliced about ¼ inch thick, about 4 ½ cups

Beat together the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and add 1 cup of heavy cream and beat at low speed until smooth.
Add the remaining 2 cups of cream and beat at medium to medium high speed until soft peaks form, increasing the speed as the mixture begins to thicken. Fold in the vanilla and lemon zest.
Spoon ¼ cup of the cream mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch pan or baking dish, spreading into a thin, even layer.
Top with the graham cracker in a single, even layer, breaking them as needed to fit. Spread about 1 ½ cups of the cream mixture over the graham crackers, using a spoon or offset spatula to smooth into an even layer. Top the cream mixture with an even layer of strawberries, about 1 ½ cups.
Repeat once more, then top with a final layer of graham crackers, cream mixture and berries.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Serves 8-10, each serving contains; Calories 543, Fat 39g., Carbohydrates 41g., Protein 7g.