slow living: balsamic-macerated strawberries with basil

‘tis the season for eating fresh things! my food palette definitely shifts with the seasons, and now that it’s nice out, all i want to eat is fresh food with lots of flavour. our family friends happen to make delicious meringues and i had a couple leftover, so i decided to make something with the strawberries ripening in my fridge and the basil growing in my aerogarden to go with them. a quick google search landed me with this recipe, and folx, we have a winner! paj enjoyed it, i enjoyed it, and willow enjoyed eating the strawberry tops i sliced off and the shred of basil i dropped on the floor (dogs are built-in vacuum cleaners, right?).

the recipe is super simple and doesn’t require much at all, so your primary concern is timing. you don’t want the strawberries to macerate too much (unless maybe you plan on spooning them on top of ice cream, which would also be a great idea), so be sure to make enough to avoid leftovers and don’t prep them too far in advance.

i love that it’s outdoor picnic season again! i have a stash of napkins that i dipped in an indigo vat a few years ago that always seem to come out this time of year. maybe i just like the blue matching the summer prairie sky. if you’d like to dye your own, come hang out with me at the beginning of august for the blue series of my nature’s rainbow dyeing series. or if blue isn’t your scene, we’ve got a whole rainbow of other options for you too.

i’m a serial hoarder of mason jars (and basically any other glass bottle), but the pretty ones usually manage to remain as drinking vessels while i use the old spaghetti sauce jars for preserving. i think they pair well with the ceramics that make up much of my cupboard thanks to my sweet coven witch, grace. the more goodies i have made by her in my house, the better, as far as i’m concerned. plus plating on her ceramic beauties immediately makes my food look more appetizing even if my plating skills are shit.