The emblem of summer, strawberries can be the most alluring, perfumed and delicate of fruits, an exquisite fleeting expression of the season. Sadly, like the tomato, the strawberry has become the most banal of foods, a sour crimson lump garnishing restaurant platters year round.
Of all the exhortations to “eat local and seasonal” the most pertinent to heed is for strawberries. While billions of USDA dollars have been spent to grow strawberries year round and get them to market in perfect condition, they simply cannot compare to the just-picked, never-refrigerated varietals grown for flavor.

For centuries Americans cultivated the native Virginia strawberry growing wild in Eastern United States. In 1712 a French engineer brought a Chilean species back to Brittany, where a cross of the New World varieties established the line of strawberry cultivars from which hundreds of hybrids have been developed. Sweet Charlies, a well-known variety found throughout the mid-Atlantic, were developed at the University of Florida’s Research and Education Station, the nation’s premier strawberry research lab.

Strawberries are in season from early June to the first week of July. They cannot be picked green and later ripened; they must be picked fully ripe, and they will retain their peak flavor for only a few days. The berries should be all red, bright and shiny, and exuding their perfume. If you must store berries, do not wash them. Keep them refrigerated, very loosely covered. Bring them to room temperature before eating.

Fresh Goat Cheese Crème with Strawberry Sauce

This rich delicate sweet belongs to the family of fresh white-cheese desserts like Russian Pashka, French Coeur à la Crème, and Italian ricotta and honey. Fire Fly Farms’ Allegheny Chevre, a fresh, crumbly white goat cheese with a mild tangy flavor, pairs beautifully with fresh strawberries. Fresh ricotta may be substituted, but you may wish to pick up the flavor with a few drops of lemon juice. The dairy ingredients should be impeccably fresh.

The cheese mixture is typically spooned into in cheesecloth-lined molds and refrigerated for a day to drain off the whey. Coeur à la Crème is formed in heart-shaped molds, Pashka in clay flower pots, but tiny baskets or any perforated mold will do. Individual molds make the prettiest presentation. If you do not have cheesecloth, coffee filter paper works well. Dampen it slightly to help conform it to the inside of the mold.

1 cup fresh white goat cheese, about 7 ounces
1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Line individual molds with double-folded fine cheesecloth or coffee filter paper. Press the cheese and yogurt through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Sugar and stir until smooth. In a separate bowl beat the cream until just barely stiff. Whisk in the vanilla. Lightly fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the molds, tapping the molds gently to remove air bubbles. Cover the molds with plastic wrap to guard against “refrigerator odors.” Place the molds on a tray and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours) to drain the whey. To serve, unmold onto a serving dish, and carefully pull off the cheesecloth or coffee filter. Serve with strawberry sauce.

Strawberry Sauce

1 quart ripe strawberries, hulled
1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar (depending on berries’ sweetness)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch salt.

Puree half of the strawberries in a blender with 1/3 cup sugar, lemon juice and salt. Put the puree in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring for one minute, and set aside to cool. Slice or quarter the remaining berries and toss with a tablespoon of sugar. Combine with the cooked mixture and add more sugar if desired.

Strawberry Ice

A bright pink, refreshing dessert, perfect for a warm summer evening.
1 pint ripe strawberries, hulled
1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar (depending on berries’ sweetness)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or 2 tablespoons orange juice
Mint

Puree the strawberries in a blender with ¼ cup sugar, or more to taste, and lemon juice. Pour into a shallow glass or ceramic dish and freeze for several hours, stirring with a whisk every half hour to make a slushy texture. Decorate with mint.

Strawberry Ratafia

When strawberries are in full flush, capture the season with a batch of Ratafia, a sophisticated French sister of Sangria. The alcohol and acidity in this fragrant aperitif preserves the fresh fruit flavor for a month or so, but it is not shelf stable. As the season progresses, use different fruits alone or in complementary combinations with other fruits and herbs.

1 pint strawberries, hulled and washed
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise, or ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup vodka, or cognac
1 bottle red or white wine.

Crush the strawberries lightly with the sugar and place in a large glass container with a tight fitting lid. Stir in the remaining ingredients, cover, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 weeks. Strain through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. Pour into clean bottles and store in the refrigerator. Serve chilled in small glasses