Strawberry season for me is usually BIG! I love strawberries. In years past, I've eaten so many that I've even broken out in a rash! Some of my earliest childhood memories were heading out with my grandparents or my parents, with empty ice cream pails, to spend an hour or two in the hot strawberry fields picking berries. I'm not sure how much help I was, but I remember loving being on the farm. Now, in more recent years, we don't do the picking ourselves, but it's still family tradition, to head out to the berry farms in the Fraser Valley and buy a flat (or two!) when the strawberries are in season and at their peak. This year we were able to purchase berries that had been just picked the hour before.
Nothing compares to the juicy, sweet flavour of berries straight from the vine. While I also grow some of my own strawberries (see the garnish in the photos), I find that my needs require more than my little strawberry planter can provide. Every June, I tend to over-eat berries for about 2-3 weeks and then freeze all the leftovers for winter use in smoothies, desserts and compotes.
This year, aside from filling my belly with fresh berries, I decided to try a few different sweet/savoury recipes and to create a Strawberry Salsa. The red colours in the berries this year are so vibrant that I thought they would look beautiful with the other salsa ingredients. This salsa is so good, I've already made it three times this week! You can use it as an appetizer, to scoop up with chips, or in a savoury main dish, such as a topper on my Balsamic Glazed Salmon (recipe here).
I hope you like it as much as I do.
Here's to summer and strawberry season,
Krista
Strawberry Season Salsa
(makes about 1.5 cups)
Ingredients
12-14 strawberries, diced (+ a few whole berries for garnish)
1/4 red onion, minced
2 tablespoons jalapeño, diced (if you don't like spicy, only add 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped small
1 teaspoon honey (I like Honeybee Centre, Clover Honey)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
juice of one lime, freshly squeezed (+ additional lime wedges for serving)
Method
Add strawberries, red onion, jalapeño, green onion and cilantro to a bowl. Top with honey, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and allow to macerate for up to 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with lime wedges and a few whole strawberries.
Serve with chips or as a topping for savoury meat dishes.
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