Balsamic Vinegar Macerated Strawberries With Vanilla Ice Cream

Balsamic Vinegar Macerated Strawberries With Vanilla Ice Cream

Days pass by and Chicago is suddenly thinking of Summer when Spring is barely knocking on our door!  With the sun comes ever sweeter, fresher thoughts of summer food; and just like that - at the exact time we trade our high-heel boots for a pair of strapy sandals while still sporting a light sweater and a raincoat we start to day dream of fruits and cream and refreshingly juicy dishes that are intoxicating to the senses.  To celebrate the 0.5 days we get of Spring in this lovely windy city, I want to share with you a morphed, deliciously easy recipe.  I first came upon part of the idea through epicurious.  The recipe started to change based on the nice little surprises left on the fridge and on the need to either come up with a fresh 'dressed up' solution to dessert fit for company, or a 'dressed down' bite, 'let's chill with a taste of sweet' after an everyday dinner.  The idea of combining berries with balsamic vinegar and pepper is as ancient as the Roman Empire, and still as versatile and delicious as any other dessert.  Somehow, the strawberries bring out the balsamic vinegar's sweetness, and the pepper highlights the strawberries' spice - all perfectly enriched by hints of vanilla and cream.  Simplicity is definitely perfection!  One can creatively change this wonderful recipe by adding ribbons of lemon zest or other types of berries into the mix.  To me, it just satisfies this nagging berries and cream craving I seem to have in dangerously increasing waves.  A spoonful of peppery, sweet and slightly tart berries with ever velvety sweet cream and bang - you are in Heaven! - Connie.

Level:  Easy (Extremely Easy!)

Time to Cook:  10 minutes to prepare; 30 min - 1 hr to macerate

Servings:  2

Ingredients:

-  1lb fresh strawberries (can substitute or add mix of berries, including blackberries, blueberries and raspberries)

-  1 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar (better if aged)

-  1 Tbsp sugar (less if strawberries are very ripe)

-  Black pepper to taste

-  2 scoops of vanilla ice-cream per person (can be substituted for 2 scoops of Greek yogurt - which gives it a cream cheese consistency... Or if you are feeling truly decadent, a nice fat dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream will do the trick!)

Preparation:

1.  Clean the berries.  For strawberries, cut the tops and quickly rinse over cold water and dry.  Then cut each large berry in half and preserve the small whole berries (I love the differences in texture and love biting into whole juicy berries every now and then!)

2.  Pour the balsamic vinegar, sugar and a couple of grinds of pepper onto the strawberries (and/ or mix of berries).  Cover the bowl with plastic and keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes

4.  When ready, assemble the final desert by taking half of the berries into a serving dish and then spooning a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream (yogurt, whipped cream or creme fraiche) and pour some of the liquid on top of it

Dressing the Berries for Company:  To convert this into a truly easy 2 minute dinner party dessert, serve over a partly toasted slice of pound cake with a dollop of cream.  Your company will love it!  

Copyrighted delimilli 2011.