If you don’t like strawberries, you’re “weird.”
It’s true! According to a recent National Survey, people labeled strawberry lovers as “health conscious, fun loving, intelligent and happy.” Non-strawberry lovers, on the other hand, were described as “weird, boring, stuffy-picky, fussy eaters who avoid healthy foods.”
OK, so I’m not really sure about the credibility of this survey, and I, of course, would never say anyone is weird. But I found it on the Internet, and everything you find on the Internet is true, right?
I also found out that strawberries are the fruit of love, they are the only fruit to have seeds on the outside, and ironically are known to have a cooling effect…
an unexpected bonus today seeing as our air conditioning went out, on the hottest day of the year so far.
We weren’t feeling the love.
But, everything is better with butter, right? And when I think butter, I think bakery. So, we headed out to the bakery and loaded up on bagels and scones and a big loaf of French bread…
it couldn’t get much better, or cooler.
And neither can this week’s Sunday Supper. You see, this week, which is hosted by the lovely Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes, is all about Summer Berries.
So, this “health conscious, fun loving, intelligent and happy” strawberry-loving girl decided to try a recipe that I’d been thinking about for a while. I’ve always enjoyed flavored cream cheese, but I’ve never tried to make flavored butter. Turns out, it was just as simple and even more flavorful.
Because again, everything is better with butter. Yea, now I’m feeling the love.
But, why the roasting, when we’re in peak berry season? Because roasting adds an extra sweetness and depth of flavor from the carmelization, that you just don’t find with a fresh berry- a perfect balance to the richness of the butter. Add in some local honey and fresh herbs, and you’ve got a winning condiment that could rival bread baskets in the finest restaurants around the world.
And it doesn’t stop at strawberries.
Here are a few other fun combinations I came up with (all with honey and berries roasted):
– Blueberry and Thyme
– Blackberry and Rosemary
– Raspberry and Mint
– Loganberry and Lemon Grass
– Gooseberry and Basil
And for the “weird, boring, stuffy-picky, fussy eaters who avoid healthy foods” people out there- a non-berry option that I also thought sounded good…
– Lemon Zest and Cardamom
Roasted Strawberry Tarragon Butter
1 stick of butter, softened
4-5 strawberries, sliced
4-5 fresh tarragon leaves, chopped fine
1-1/2 teaspoons local honey
Olive oil
Place the strawberries in a shallow dish (I use a glass pie plate). Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and roast for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until softened and starting to caramelize. Cool completely.
In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, cooled strawberries, tarragon and honey. Stir to combine. Check flavors and adjust according to taste. Spoon mixture into a small dish, or to create a log (like above) spoon onto wax or parchment paper, and roll up to create desired shape. You can also press into cookie cutters to create fun shapes. Refrigerate or store in freezer.
