Enjoy the first strawberries of spring

I’ve always felt that strawberries and spring fever have something in common.

They both trigger an intense desire for all things new and fresh. Like horses that have been corralled all winter, I can’t wait to make that first run; in this case, for the first strawberries in the marketplace. One caveat: first is not always best.

With strawberries, the early ones may not have the sweetness that comes from a longer “hang time” in the sun. The strawberries that come later in the season may reward us with more intense flavor. But, still, who can resist those first little red gems?

The solution: use them in recipes that give you fresh strawberry flavor without requiring the berries to be perfect. While you wait a month or so for the ripe, sweetest strawberries, here are a few ways to enjoy the first berries of the season.

Strawberry butter

Serve this sweet, pink-flecked butter on pancakes, waffles or toast.

8-ounce basket fresh strawberries, stemmed and rinsed

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup whipped butter

Puree berries in a blender container. Pour puree into saucepan; add honey and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice; cool to room temperature. Put butter into a plastic container that has a lid. Swirl berry mixture into soft butter and refrigerate until ready to use.

Strawberries with raspberry and passionfruit sauce

Strawberries form a flavor partnership with two other delicious fruits. The result is an elegant dessert. Recipe from “Berries: A Book of Recipes;” makes 4 servings.

2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons superfine sugar

2 passion fruit

4 cups small strawberries, de-stemmed and rinsed

8 plain butter cookies

Place raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Soften over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until simmering. Cook gently for 5 minutes, then let cool. Halve the passionfruits; scoop out seeds and juice, reserve for another use. Put passionfruit pulp in a blender container; add raspberries and blend for a few seconds. Press sauce through a fine nylon strainer to remove seeds. Fold strawberries into the sauce, then spoon into four stemmed glasses. Serve with two butter cookies in each glass.

Strawberry
creme brulee

You don’t need a creme brulee torch to create this custardy dessert. It’s a perfect pairing for your fresh berries. Makes 6 servings.

1 quart light cream or half and half

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

8-ounce basket large strawberries, rinsed and de-stemmed

Powdered sugar

In a saucepan, heat cream or half and half with granulated sugar and vanilla, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add a little of the hot mixture to the beaten eggs, stirring constantly; carefully stir in the rest of hot mixture. Pour through a fine sieve or piece of cheesecloth, into a 1 1/2-quart mold or baking dish. Set dish into a large pan of hot water — water should come about half way up sides of dish. Bake in preheated 325 F oven for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Chill, covered, at least 3 hours. Sprinkle brown sugar over surface; a generous 1/4 inch. Preheat broiler; put the creme brulee dish on the lowest rack in oven and let sugar glaze and melt, watching so as not to burn. Cover and chill in refrigerator. Arrange strawberries on top; sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar and serve.

Strawberry granite

This easy recipe from Food & Wine magazine makes 4 refreshing servings. You can prepare it up to 2 days in advance.

1/2 pound strawberries, washed, hulled and halved

2 cups bottled still spring water

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Put strawberries in a blender container. In a small saucepan, combine water with sugar; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour hot syrup over strawberries; add lemon zest. Blend to a smooth puree. Pass puree through a fine strainer into a large glass baking dish. Put dish in freezer. Stir puree every 20 minutes with a fork, until fine frozen shards have formed. Alternatively, you can freeze puree overnight and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes, then crush with a potato masher until it resembles coarse ice. Serve granite in chilled glasses or cups.