Fresh Strawberries With Balsamic Vinegar And Basil Food

BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY RICOTTA CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• For the balsamic strawberries. In medium bowl, gently toss the strawberries with sugar, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper. Set aside for 20 minutes.
• Toast the bread. In the meantime, slice the baguette into ½ inch pieces and brush olive oil over the top of each slice.
• Place the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 4-6 minutes (at 425 degrees F), until the bread is golden-brown and crispy. Check frequently to make sure the bread does not burn.
• Assemble the crostini. Spread the ricotta onto each piece of bread (divide evenly among the bread pieces) before topping with the balsamic strawberry slices. Drizzle a light amount of balsamic syrup (leftover from the bowl) on top of the crostini.
• Finish by topping with lemon zest and fresh mint if you like. Best served immediately.

STRAWBERRIES WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Hull the strawberries and cut them into quarters lengthwise.
• Place in a bowl and toss with the vinegar and sugar.
• Cover and allow to rest on the counter for about an hour so that the berries will "juice" then chill in the fridge for another hour.
• Toss again before serving.
• (I like a little more vinegar sprinkled on before serving but do this to your own taste.
• I should mention that these strawberries do not keep well so they should be prepared and eaten the same day. If made more than a few hours ahead of time they are mushy and texturally unappealing. Just thought I should mention that.

STRAWBERRIES WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Thirty minutes to an hour before serving, combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside at room temperature.
• Place a serving of the strawberries in a bowl with a scoop of ice cream on top and dust lightly with lemon zest.

BALSAMIC-MACERATED STRAWBERRIES WITH BASIL

Steps:

• In a large bowl, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar and vinegar. Let sit at room temperature until the strawberries have released their juices but are not yet mushy, about 30 minutes. (Don't let the berries sit for more than 90 minutes, or they'll start to collapse.)
• Just before serving, stack the basil leaves on a cutting board and roll them vertically into a loose cigar shape. Using a sharp chef's knife, very thinly slice across the roll to make a fine chiffonade of basil.
• Portion the strawberries and their juices among four small bowls and scatter with the basil to garnish, or choose one of the serving suggestions below.
• Serve the strawberries over grilled or toasted pound cake. Garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche.
• Put the berries on split biscuits for shortcakes; top with whipped cream and scatter with the basil.
• Layer the berries with ice cream or yogurt for a parfait. Garnish with the basil.
• Spoon the strawberries over a poached or roasted peach half.
• Use the berries as a filling for crêpes or a topping for waffles.
• Mash the berries slightly and fold into whipped creamm for a quick fool. Garnish with the basil.

STRAWBERRIES WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Place strawberries in a bowl. Drizzle vinegar over strawberries, and sprinkle with sugar. Stir gently to combine. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour but not more than 4 hours. Just before serving, grind pepper over berries.

RASPBERRY VINEGAR

Steps:

• Rinse the berries and air-dry on paper towels. Place berries in a 6-cup jar; set aside. In large saucepan, combine vinegar and sugar; bring almost to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Do not boil. , Pour hot vinegar mixture over berries; cover jar tightly and let stand at room temperature 48 hours. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a sterilized bottle or jar. Seal tightly with a cork or lid. Store in cool dark place.

SLOW-COOKER BALSAMIC ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Spray 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, stir together parsnips, carrots, onions and cranberries. Top with sweet potatoes.
• In small bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper with whisk; pour over vegetables in slow cooker. (Do not stir.)
• Cover; cook on High heat setting 4 to 5 hours or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

FRESH STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC BASIL DAIQUIRI

Steps:

• Place the ice cubes, strawberries, light rum, balsamic vinegar and basil leaves in the pitcher of a blender and blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with a small basil sprig.
• Cook's Note: If your strawberries aren't very sweet, add up to 1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar.

STRAWBERRY BASIL BALSAMIC MOJITO

Steps:

• Place chopped strawberries, basil leaves, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and a splash of club soda in a tumbler.
• Muddle well until basil is crushed and the strawberries are smashed. The liquid should look mostly red with hints of brown.
• Add 2 oz rum. Stir well.
• Add ice as desired. Top with club soda and garnish with additional strawberries as desired.

SALMON WITH STRAWBERRIES, BALSAMIC AND BASIL

Steps:

• The strawberry relish for this recipe is very easy to make, and can be made up to 1 hour ahead. First, stem the strawberries and chop them into small pieces. Place them into a bowl, then stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper, and fresh lemon zest. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the juices thicken and the berry flavor is sweeter and more vibrant. **
• Let the salmon come to room temperature - it will cook more evenly. I usually let the salmon sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while the strawberries macerate. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Season fillets generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat skillet over medium high for 3-4 minutes until drops of water sizzle on the surface. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into the skillet and swirl around to evenly coat the entire surface. Oil may begin to smoke lightly after a moment or two.Gently place salmon fillets into the skillet, up to 4 at a time (depending on the size of your skillet), making sure not to crowd the pan and that no fillets are touching. If using skin-on fillets, the skin side should be facing upward.
• Turn the burner up to high. Let the salmon sear for 2-3 minutes until a golden brown crust begins forms on the bottom edge of the meat. You can see the crust forming where the fish touches the pan - you shouldn't need to move it. Once you see that, there is no need to lift the fillets. The crust will continue developing in the oven. The less you disturb it, the better.Do not turn the fillets. Transfer hot skillet to the preheated oven. Let the salmon continue roasting in the oven for another 6-10 minutes. Cook time will depend on the thickness of the fillets and desired doneness. Some like salmon a little on the rare side. I like it fully cooked and flaking, but still moist. For a fillet that is 1-inch at its thickest point, It will usually take around 7-8 minutes in the oven. You may cut into the thickest part of one fillet with a sharp knife to check for doneness.When the salmon is done to your liking, use an oven mitt to carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Use caution, the skillet will be very hot.
• Remove the fillets from the pan carefully with tongs or a fish spatula and plate them crust-side up. If you're not serving the fillets immediately, you may want to take them out of the oven a little less-than-done, then leave them in the hot skillet to finish cooking before you serve.
• Give the macerated berries a stir and taste. If you've used ripe berries, the relish should be sweet yet tart, with a nice balance provided by the salt, pepper, and lemon zest. A touch of sugar can be added if your berries were not in season and less-than-sweet. If the relish seems overly sweet, stir in a bit more salt, wait a minute or two, then stir again. Adjust seasoning to taste, if desired.
• Chiffonade the fresh basil. First, gather ten large leaves together in a stack and squeeze between your fingers, with the biggest leaf on the bottom of the stack.
• Roll the basil leaves tightly lengthwise, like a cigar.
• Slice through the roll crosswise with a sharp knife to create long, thin shreds of basil. Discard stem ends of leaves.
• Spoon fresh berry relish over the seared salmon fillets, topped by equal amounts of fresh basil garnish. Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC BASIL BRIE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir together. Spoon over chilled brie and serve with your favorite cheese board additions.

FRESH STRAWBERRIES WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND BASIL

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, vinegar, honey, and pepper. Add basil and strawberries; toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 10 minutes and up to 1 1/2 hours. Serve chilled.

STRAWBERRY-BALSAMIC GALETTES WITH BASIL AND MASCARPONE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and then, pulsing a little bit at a time, cut in the chilled butter until it's evenly distributed (but still in chunky pieces). Continuing to gently pulse, slowly pour in the ice water until the dough just comes together (being careful not to overmix).
• Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disc, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before using, place the dough in the freezer for several minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the strawberry filling. In a large bowl, toss the strawberries with 1/4 cup of the sugar, the balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, the lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Allow the mixture to marinate at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 425° F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On a floured surface, divide the pastry dough into 2 halves and then divide each half into 8 even-size pieces. The dough should be slightly sticky with visible chunks of butter. Using your hands and additional flour as necessary, gently flatten each piece into a thin, rustic circle, about 6-inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick.
• Place the pastry circles onto the parchment paper and (using a slotted spoon so you get as little liquid as possible), evenly distribute a small portion of the strawberries into the center of each one. Reserve several marinated strawberries for finishing the dish as well as the marinating liquid. Gently fold up the edges of the pastry dough, creasing to keep the strawberries in place.
• Brush the edges of the galettes with the egg wash, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and then bake until the pastries are golden-brown about 20-25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the mascarpone cream. In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and remaining vanilla extract until blended. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks appear. Fold in the mascarpone mixture.
• Transfer the baked galettes to a wire rack to cool and then evenly garnish with a spoonful of the strawberry marinating liquid, several of the reserved marinated strawberries, a drizzle of the balsamic syrup, a dollop of the mascarpone cream, and the freshly torn basil. Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY-BALSAMIC-BASIL POP

Steps:

• Place 2 cups of whole strawberries in a glass or plastic bowl with 1 tablespoon basil. Top with sugar and balsamic vinegar. Toss and let marinate for 1 hour. Slice remaining strawberries and set aside. In blender, puree strawberry-vinegar mixture until smooth. Add strawberry slices and remaining basil. Mix well and pour into ice-pop molds. Insert sticks and freeze for about 8 hours.

BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY WALNUT PIZZA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a small pot mix the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Add the strawberries and let it cook for about 5-6 minutes.
• In a pan dry roast the walnuts until fragrant.
• Lightly flour your surface and roll your pizza dough into a 10-12 inch circle. Cover your sheet pan with parchment paper and transfer the rolled dough onto the parchment paper.
• Drizzle some balsamic reduction over the dough. Follow with the fresh mozzarella and walnuts all over.
• Arrange the strawberries all over and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
• Once it's done scatter fresh basil all over and drizzle some of the balsamic sauce.

STRAWBERRIES CHIPS, PARMESAN, BASIL, AND BALSAMIC PEARLS

Steps:

• Prepare the balsamic pearls(Recipe#500406). Pour the olive oil into a tall, clear vessel, like a large beer glass, and place it in the freezer to chill to about 38*F, about 30 minutes.
• Combine the agar agar and balsamic in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to completely dissolve the agar agar. Let cool for 5 minutes, to about 125*F. Then transfer the mixture to a large plastic syringe or a squeeze bottle. Carefully dispense frops into the olive oil to form "pearls", allowing them to sink to the bottom. Drain the pearls when ready to use, reserving the olive oil for another use.
• Make the strawberry chips:.
• Preheat the oven to 300*F. Thinly slice the strawberries lengthwise. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat, and arrange the slices evenly on the sheet. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar. Bake for 2 hours, or until the strawberries are dehydrated and crisp.
• To assemble, halve the fresh strawberries lengthwise. Top with the balsamic pearls, Parmesan shavings, basil flowers, and sprouts.
• Garnish with the dried strawberry chips. Dot with a little extra virgin olive oil.