Yum Yum! A Couple {simple} Things to Make With Strawberries!

{cooking}

Strawberry Recipes.....

Yes, yes I know I was supposed to post this a couple days ago {oops :/ }, but better late than never right?! ....

As Strawberry season is winding down I hope you've gotten the chance to go strawberry picking and get lots of yummy strawberries (or at least gotten some yummy fresh local strawberries from somewhere in your area), and maybe even be having a strawberry potluck picnic ;)....... either way I'm sure you have your own favorite ways to eat those strawberries.  Today I'm going to share a couple of my favorite things I've done/do with strawberries.  One recipe I came up with a couple years ago and one that I just did this year: Strawberries and Goat Cheese on Garlic Naan, and Strawberries and Cream Cheese Mini Galettes.  I also had an attempt at making dried strawberries for snacking.  I was hoping I could add that to this duo, but..... it did not work the way I tried it the first time.... I did subsequently do a little more research on it and I found a few changes that I could make that might work better for a second attempt, but I ate up all the strawberries we picked before I could make that attempt, so I'll try it at some point with grocery store strawberries.

But on to the yumminess at hand....

Strawberries and Goat Cheese on Garlic Naan 

"Strawberries with garlic?!" you may be thinking and let me tell you a few years ago I probably would have said the same thing.  I actually found how well they compliment each other quite by accident, you see, one night a few years ago I had made something for dinner using fresh garlic, and I don't know about you, but when I use fresh garlic my fingers still smell/taste like garlic for at least the rest of the night.  Later that evening I was cutting up some strawberries (for dessert maybe? I don't remember) and the garlic flavor left on my fingers mixed with the taste of the strawberries and it was SO good! I knew then and there that I needed to come up with some sort of savory bread that combined garlic and strawberries. Originally I had planned more of a loaf type bread, or rolls or something like that, but I never really found a recipe I liked to use as a jumping off point. The next year I did find a recipe for Cherry Fucaccia and thought I could modify that for my strawberry garlic bread, but then one day I was at Wegman's looking at Naan and saw the garlic Naan and I thought.... "now that would be much quicker and easier"......... {I do still want to try to develop some sort of savory bread or rolls or savory cupcakes or something with the strawberries and garlic, but who knows when that will happen lol}

{Ingredients:}
Garlic Naan - Pre-made (or homemade if you want to be a little more ambitious)  {I use Wegman's Garlic Naan, as well as the Garlic it has some cilantro flavor too}
Strawberries - Sliced
Goat Cheese {chevre} Crumbles
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

{Instructions:} This one is so simple it doesn't even really need multiple steps.... brush the Naan with olive oil, and top with sliced  strawberries and goat cheese crumbles (however much you want to put on it), then bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes - or until the cheese has softened (it won't melt it just softens up) and the strawberries have softened and released some of their juices.  You can cut it into small pieces to use as an appetizer or eat the whole thing as a light meal.  It's super yummy, and so little effort! {I'm sure I have pictures somewhere of the finished product... in fact I probably have pictures from several different times, but I went back through pictures through last summer and couldn't find one.... so if I find it I'll update it  - or next time I make it I'll be sure to take a picture - in the meantime you can use your imagination! lol}

Strawberries and Cream Cheese Mini Galettes

{Ingredients:}
refrigerated pie crusts (or homemade if you'd rather)
2-3 cups sliced strawberries
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 oz. cream cheese {softened}
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons melted butter

{this should be enough for 8 tarts}

{Instructions:}

{1} In a bowl, mix sliced strawberries with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes up to 30 minutes. (this is called macerating.... it softens, sweetens and releases the strawberries juices)

{2} While the berries are macerating, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.  You're going to want to add the sugar in small amounts (especially if you are using an electric mixer) to keep it from ending up all over the place.  I like to beat the cream cheese just a little bit first then add in the powdered about 1/4 cup at a time beating well between them.  When you're done this should have the consistency of a soft frosting (I've used this as cream cheese frosting actually)

{3} Cut the pie crusts into quarters ( you'll end up with 4 tarts from each crust). Roll each piece into a ball and then re-roll it out into a flat round disk (roll it to about the same thickness it was before - or very slightly thinner to make it a smidge larger - that's what I did)

it doesn't have to be perfectly round.... this is a rustic style tart after all so a little unevenness adds to the charm

{4} Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the crusts, then put a small spoon full of the strawberries on top of the cream cheese mixture in the center or the crust.  (when I made these I put a pretty good amount of the juices from the strawberries on some of them and it kind of went all over the place in the oven, so I would suggest either thickening the juices with a little starch of some sort or just not spooning it up with the strawberries)

you might do better with a little less strawberries on each one than what I did... some of them the crust wasn't quite up over the filling enough to stay in place when it was baked

{5} Fold the edges of the crust up and over the strawberries, overlapping and pressing together as needed to hold in place and leaving the center open

a couple of these needed the crust a little more up over the filling... as they baked the crust didn't stay where it should have (they still tasted good when they were done, just didn't look pretty lol). it probably made my runny strawberry juice problem worse too - although as you can see on the top left of this picture it was dripping out even before I baked them..... haha

{6} Brush the crust (and over the strawberries if you want) with the melted butter.  I also sprinkled just a little more sugar over the melted butter, but that's completely optional.

{7} Bake at 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cooked through. {see picture at the start of the recipe)




Hopefully you will have ample opportunity to enjoy plenty of strawberries this summer, whether you try one of these recipes or another favorite recipe.  What are some of your favorite strawberry goodies to make and/or eat?

And soon it will be raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry season....... yum yum... can't wait!