Food on Fridays: Swimming in strawberries

Roasted strawberries make a delicious topping for ice cream or yogurt.

I don’t know if anyone else has had this problem, but I’ve been a complete sucker for the giant packs of strawberries that have been on sale at the Hen House: $4.98 for 3 lbs of luscious berry goodness seems like too good of a deal to pass up.

Then I bring them home and remember that I am the only one in my house who likes strawberries, and I am scrambling to eat them all before they go bad. It was during Round Two of this exercise in poor judgment that I found a recipe for roasting the little guys. At first, I was skeptical. Roasting is for root veggies, not berries, right?

Then I realized I had nothing to lose. I mean, that three pound carton in my fridge wasn’t getting any lighter or fresher. And, as evidenced by last week, I am a huge fan of roasting (it being pretty much the easiest and tastiest way to cook pretty much anything). I used this recipe from epicurious.com, and I’ve had a great time using this super flavorful creation as a topping for yogurt, ice cream and cereal. Feel free to cut out the black pepper if you’re not a fan – this recipe is easy to tinker with.

Roasted Strawberries with Black Pepper
Adapted from www.epicurious.com

1 lb strawberries, sliced 1/8 inch thick
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Sprinkle strawberries with sugar, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375.
Toss berries with black pepper and vinegar and place in ovenproof dish.
Roast for 8-10 minutes, until the juices are bubbling and strawberries are hot but not mushy.
If serving over ice cream, use immediately. Otherwise they will keep for several days in the fridge.