Seeing red

Strawberry season is here and I cannot control myself.

Look at me, sipping a kir royale adorned with strawberry slices at 3:00 in the afternoon for no reason whatsoever.

     
   

Oh, wait, there is a reason - summer vacation!

I wait for the once-a-year red berry madness and then gorge out of my mind.  I've been putting them in everything, including a spinach salad with Indian-spiced walnuts and plum vinaigrette that I made for a dinner party, and also in some fabulous mixed-berry buttermilk scones that were devoured before I could photograph them.

Um, yes please.

So of course I had to make strawberry jam, this time with a little help from my cousins Matt and Madhuri.

           

Tried a different recipe than the usual freezer jam, adding some lemon zest and a splash of creme de casis, just for kicks.  I highly recommend this recipe.  Check it out:

Naturally, there was also homemade strawberry ice cream.
I mean, it seemed like the thing to do.

Wish I could figure out how they do the strawberry balsamic ice cream at Bi Rite, but this was good too!
Whew, earned our treat!