Preparation
One of my great joys each June is watching my two young grandchildren, Jude and Truman, searching rows of bright-green plants in my garden to find sweet, red strawberries hiding among the leaves. Their squeals of delight-and the ensuing silence as they gobble up what they have found-are worth every bit of effort that goes into tending a sizable patch.
But there are many other reasons to grow this seasonal delicacy at home. You can choose your favorite varieties, from tiny, flavor-packed alpines to large, juicy classic ones. You can extend the season by planting early, midseason, and late-bearing cultivars. And most importantly, you can cultivate them organically. Strawberries top the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of conventional produce containing the most pesticides.
I grow them in raised rows about 20 inches apart, mulched with straw so the fruit can ripen on a nice, clean bed. I also fertilize and add compost annually, to maintain a healthy and bountiful harvest. To keep production up, every two years or so I refresh the beds by adding sucker plants I’ve propagated, or newly purchased seedlings.
I plant dozens of strawberry varieties, including ‘Mara des Bois’, ‘Seascape’, and ‘Quinault’. They stop ripening when they’re plucked, so I wait until they are fully red to do so. While my grandchildren and I love to eat the berries right off the stems, there are always plenty more to turn into delicious summer desserts, such as these favorites.
Homemade ice cream is always a good idea, especially when it’s loaded with ripe summer fruit. Here, strawberries pull double duty: They’re puréed for the base, then macerated with vodka or tequila and folded in after churning.
Layers of buttery puff pastry, sweet strawberries, and tangy, vanilla-flecked whipped cream come together in this impressive summer dessert that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Strawberries play a role in every component of this dessert: A purée flavors the light gelée and icy rosé granita, and sliced fruit is suspended in the gelée as well as scattered over the top.
