Strawberry season is the best season. Period. After a long winter of too many oranges and clementines — sorry, citrus, but you'll never be the best fruit group — I gorge off fresh strawberries all spring and summer. I love snacking on them plain, but I also try to top them on whatever I eat for breakfast (oatmeal, toast, cereal) or dinner (strawberry salsa!) and work them into desserts.
In a quest to improve on the already perfect fruit, I decided to turn up the heat and roast them. And then I nearly melted because roasted strawberries are even better than fresh ones. After hanging out in the oven for about 25 minutes, the berries caramelize, developing an intense sweetness, and break down and release their juices, which make an addictive candy-like syrup. Do yourself a favor and taste them from the pan when it's still warm.
Here's how to do it:
1. Gather strawberries (I used 1 pound), 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
2. Slice off the stems and hull the strawberries.
3. Transfer strawberries to a parchment-lined baking sheet (essential so you can easily pour off the syrup) and toss with sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Roast at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. (You can keep them in the oven for up to an hour; the more time they roast, the more syrup you'll get.)
5. Turn them into a parfait by layering roasted strawberries with plain yogurt and adding toasted coconut and pistachios.
6. Or top them on a salad with arugula, feta, olive oil, and black pepper.
7. Store roasted strawberries in a glass jar or container in the refrigerator up to one week.
Now you're ready to make this Pavlova With Strawberries and Rhubarb.
