Strawberry Recipes

26 PLANT CITY OBSERVER | MARCH 3, 2022 | 2022 FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL GUIDE THE ‘BERRY’ BEST

STRAWBERRY RECIPES

If the Florida Strawberry Festival doesn’t fill your appetite for strawberries, here are some fun recipes for you to try at home.

With the Florida Strawberry Festival off and running and trawberry season here, there’s no better time to get the best, most flvorful strawberries that Florida has to offer.

The Festival is sure to provide more than its fair share of delicious and strawberrythemed food, ranging from sweet to savory, but sometimes that isn’t enough and you have to take matters into your own hands, and your own kitchen.

Nobody knows strawberries like Sue Harrell of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. “Strawberry Sue” is not only the face and voice of the FSGA, she’s also an expert at whipping up a number of strawberry-based dishes. There are dozens of recipes to try out for yourself online, but here are some of our favorites from Strawberry Sue’s collection.

Photos courtesy of FloridaStrawberry.org

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC BRIE GRILLED CHEESE

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of strawberries, quartered • 6-8 ounces of Brie cheese • 3 tablespoons of basil, chopped or torn into small pieces • 4 slices of sourdough bread • 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar • 3 tablespoons of honey

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a bowl, gently mix together with a spoon the honey and balsamic vinegar. 3. Fold quartered strawberries into the balsamic honey mixture. 4. Spread strawberries on a sheet pan. 5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until berries are soft but not “mushey”. 6. Warm skillet or frying pan on medium heat. 7. Butter outside of each slice of bread. 8. Place brie slices on one side of each sandwich followed by a spoonful of the balsamic berry mixture and a sprinkle of basil. 9. Top each sandwich with a slice of buttered bread (butter goes on the outside of the slice). 10. Cook each sandwich 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.

CHICKEN FAJITAS WITH STRAWBERRYJALAPENO SALSA

Ingredients:

Strawberry Salsa • 1 1/2 cup Florida strawberries, chopped small • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped • 1/2 red onion, diced • 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped • 1 lime, juiced • salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Fajitas • 1 lb chicken breast • 1 tbsp cooking oil of choice (evoo, spray, etc) • 1 tbsp ground cumin

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• 1 lime, juiced • Kosher salt and pepper, to taste • tortillas of choice • avocado, optional • goat cheese, optional

Method:

1. To make the strawberry salsa, mix all ingredients well and allow to chill at minimum 1 hour. 2. For the Chicken Fajitas – to a bowl, add chicken, oil, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix well to coat chicken. Allow to marinate 30 minutes. 3. Heat non-stick skillet to medium heat. Grill chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes, and fli. If chicken resists, side is not done. Once done, flip and grill other side until don. Allow to cool. 4. Once cooled, slice chicken into strips and add to tortillas. Top with salsa, avocado, and goat cheese.

STRAWBERRY OATMEAL BARS

Ingredients:

For the filling • 1 quart Florida strawberries, washed and hulled • cup (142 grams) sugar • 1½ tablespoons (12 grams) cornstarch • 1 tablespoon (12 grams) lemon juice

For the bars: • 1 cup (143 grams) all purpose flou • cup (38 grams) oat flou • cup (28 grams) old fashioned oats • ½ teaspoon (4 grams) salt • 12 tablespoons (172 grams) unsalted butter, softened • 1 cup (211 grams) sugar • ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract • 1 egg • confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions

For the filling 1. Place the strawberries in a medium saucepan. Mash with your hands or a masher and add 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thick and translucent, stirring constantly. Cool completely.

For the bars:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. 2. Whisk together the all purpose flou, oat flou, oats and salt. Set aside. 3. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until light and fluy, about three minutes. Add the egg. 4. Blend in the dry ingredients. 5. Spread half of the dough onto the bottom of the parchment lined baking pan. Top this with the cooled strawberry filling Drop the remaining dough by the spoonfuls over the strawberry filling The entire top will not be covered. 6. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes. Cool in the pan. 7. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 8. Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut into 16 bars.

Dust with confectioners sugar.

SIMPLY SWEET FLORIDA STRAWBERRY PIE

• Chilled pie dough for one 9-inch pie • 5 cups of quartered and hulled strawberries, divided • 3/4 cup sugar • 1/4 cup cornstarch • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 1/8 teaspoon salt • Whipped cream

Pie crust

Heat oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet on a middle oven rack.

Roll out pie dough to fit pie dish. Press dough down into dish so that it lines the bottom and sides. Trim dough so that about ½ inch hangs over edge of dish. Crimp edges of dough around dish.

Pierce bottom of the crust with a fork (this prevent air pockets or bubbles from forming while baking). Place pie crust onto preheated baking sheet and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from oven and cool.

Filling

Add 2 cups of strawberries to a small saucepan. Mash strawberries until chunky. Add sugar, corn starch, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and glaze has thickened; 3 to 5 minutes. Cool completely.

Combine remaining 3 cups of strawberries with cooled strawberry glaze. Stir until strawberries are well coated. Spoon strawberry filling ino cooled pie crust.

Refrigerate pie at least 2 hours before cutting to allow filling o set. Top with whipped cream.

STRAWBERRY BEE’S KNEES COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

Cocktail • 2 oz Gin (Use vodka if preferred) • 4 ea Florida Strawberries • 1 oz Strawberry Honey Syrup (see recipe below) • 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice • Ice • Strawberry or Lemon Twist Garnish

Strawberry Honey Syrup • 1/4 cup Strawberry Raw Honey (unflvored natural honey can be used) • 1/4 cup Hot Water

Method:

Cocktail:

Prepare Strawberry Honey Syrup (see recipe below) 1. Place Florida Strawberries in cocktail shaker with strawberry honey syrup and muddle strawberries until juicy. You may let this mixture sit for a few minutes to extract more juice. 2. Add remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker 3. Shake until chilled 4. Strain into a martini glass or if you want to serve it 1920’s style, use a coupe glass.

If you want to go for rustic chic, serve it over ice in a mason jar. This is a cocktail you can dress up or down, and it will always be classy. 5. Garnish with a strawberry or a lemon twist

This recipe is easily adapted to your taste. Want it more tart? Add more lemon juice. Don’t want it as sweet? Just reduce the strawberry honey syrup.

Strawberry Honey Syrup: 1. Place ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously until honey is dissolved 2. Do not heat this mixture in a pot as you would when making a traditional simple syrup. Honey should not be heated.

3. 4. Store any unused syrup in the refrigerator

For more of Strawberry Sue’s signature recipes and more from other Florida chefs and home cooks, visit floridatrawberry.org/recipes.