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Chef John Foster: Yummmm, nothing like fresh summer strawberries to tempt the tastebuds


The image of the strawberry, bright red, plump and glistening with morning dew permeates early summer like a beacon. It says welcome to the warm weather, the summer vacation of mind and body, a sigh of relief that the cold grey weather has finally gone.

The first of many berries that will grace our tables this season it holds a place of dominance that few other fruits can.

With the exception of the apple and perhaps the raspberry, there is no more iconic dish than strawberry shortcake, nature’s equivalent to the s’more; social, identifiable, traditional and fleeting. The revered place that the strawberry holds in our consciousness is evidenced by the produce industries demands that strawberries populate the market year-round. There is little to no interruption of the berry in the market, it remains a staple throughout the year.

Prevalent around Valentine’s Day you can see it again in November’ produce aisle. As it’s sourced around the globe, the shape, color and outward appearance remain consistent. South American strawberries mix with Mexican and then with Florida to form an unbroken chain through the roughly 9 months the local berries are unavailable, leaving us little time to mourn the fast rise and fall of our own Kentucky crops.

What’s missing from the rest of the year, that small window within the local blackout zone is flavor and texture. The yearlong berry is a thing of science, perfectly designed to retain shape, color, and the essential strawberry symmetry.

The image is meant to excite, and entice, even in the dead of winter. The payoff is not so much. Generally, under ripe with a hollow center the global strawberry fails to deliver the full flavor potential for a variety of reasons, so we add sugar, we macerate in alcohol or we cook down into a coulis. Only a desperate person would attempt a strawberry shortcake in February, rather let’s cover some large berries in good chocolate and feed them to our true love.

If I sound cynical or sarcastic it belies my frustration with an industry that sometimes tries too hard to provide the consumer with all access items. Hard to get good flavor out of a January strawberry, but we are so used to having them, do go without would cause some outrage. It wasn’t always this way, I’m sure my mother was content to wait for the best product available in the spring. She appreciated the fullness of flavor, the sweetness developed over the ripening process and the ethereal aroma of a ripe berry, perhaps the first ones of the spring. If you’ve had kids, and dared to take them to a u-pick, then the memory of a strawberry soaked boy makes the flavors even richer.

To further burnish the shining reputation of the summer strawberry you need only open a cookbook to desserts and jams and jellies and even wine to fully appreciate the versatility of the berry. This is top drawer stuff with shortcakes, and pies, preserves, and chocolate covered leading the way. The flavors of strawberry are easily identifiable, a floral sweetness with a hint of tartness. It’s the tartness that waxes and wanes with the ripeness, and while most of the dishes that you are familiar with need a ripe berry, there are some more savory recipes that don’t mind a little bit of bite.

I’m reminded of a vinaigrette I did years ago at a Farmer’s Market demo. In the midst of a mystery basket challenge, I was left with some berries, honey, and green onion. I mashed the berries with some salt, pepper and a bit of balsamic vinegar and added in some honey. The berries gave up their flavor well to the vinegar, there is, after all, a wonderful Italian dessert that uses only berries and aged balsamic. The bite of the green onion brought out the tartness of the berry and the olive oil balanced out the base. It was a hit and prompted me to look for more savory ways to utilize the berry.

Strawberry shortcake

Salsas, pan sauces, even marinades utilized the unique floral qualities of the strawberry. I even based other berry sauces on the first one and found that blackberry and even raspberry worked well as savory additions. But this is a column on the strawberry and its versatility, so my focus remains solely on this berry in particular. Consider the pairing of red wine and strawberries, both as a dessert sauce for an herbal shortcake or scone and as the base for a savory sauce for beef and pork. This can’t be done effectively with an out-of-season strawberry. It makes a much better dish if you don’t have to coax flavor or cook texture into it.

Tomatoes and strawberries, both fruit, both floral and sweet find common ground in a salsa. The addition of fresh chilies heightens the floral qualities and plays into the notion of balancing five flavors on your palate. Add to this fresh herbs as the finishing ingredient in a lot of savory dishes, and you are introduced to tarragon and strawberries, fresh thyme and berries with a bit of sugar and salt, and of course citrus and acid with mint or basil on a canape or in a rub for chicken. Given the choice, I would go with the shortcake first, but exploring the world of the fresh local strawberry has led me down so many more avenues, and given me an even deeper appreciation of an iconic fruit.

Strawberry salsa

Strawberry balsamic vinaigrette

I like the ripe strawberries for this, even the overripe ones, full of sugar and not quite nice enough to present whole. I cup of hulled strawberries with a ½ tsp of sugar and salt mixed evenly to season is whisked into a ½ cup of apple cider vinegar or if available a white balsamic. Whisking until you break the berries up into a pulp check for overall seasoning before you add oil to emulsify. I would stay away from all olive oil or heavy olive oils in general as they will overpower the strawberries. If need be you can strain this vinaigrette but bear in mind that the berries give it body.

Salsa

Simple and direct I use firm berries for this, chopped into bite-size pieces. Season before with lime, lemon, salt and a touch of sugar or agave if needed. Mince a fresh green chili, 1 for every two cups of berries cut. Toss the chilies and the berries together and add 2 chopped green onion, a pinch each of cumin and coriander, and a tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro. Dress with coconut or avocado oil. This is better if made several hours before and chilled. The addition of some ripe tomato is surprisingly good, both with texture and flavor.

Pan sauce

This came about almost by accident as we were trying new sauces for a spring menu. Pan roasted beef tenderloin is removed from the pan to rest. Add in a half chopped shallot, 2-3 strawberries chopped and let them caramelize. Deglaze with red wine and a splash of balsamic, reduce and finish with some cold butter, salt and cracked black pepper. Good with beef, pork, and poultry.

John Foster is an executive chef who heads the culinary program at Sullivan University’s Lexington campus. A New York native, Foster has been active in the Lexington culinary scene and a promoter of local and seasonal foods for more than 20 years. The French Culinary Institute-trained chef has been the executive chef of his former restaurant, Harvest, and now his Chevy Chase eatery, The Sage Rabbit.

To read more from Chef John Foster, including his recipes, click here.


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