Every summer, after going strawberry picking, I get into a baking frenzy. How many ways can I use 5, 10, 20 lbs of berries? 20 is a lot but sometimes I get carried away in the fields. The obvious answer is jam, but I try to use the berries fresh or uncooked because they’re already so ripe and naturally sweet that it seems like a waste to cook them down.
One of my favorite ways to pair the berries is with sweet-tart creme fraiche ice cream. For the recipe, I turned to my favorite ice cream book The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. I highly recommend it.
David Lebovitz’s Creme Fraiche Ice Cream from Lottie + Doof blog
DIY Creme Fraiche from Serious Eats
It is so easy and inexpensive to make your own creme fraiche. When I did the math it was about 50% less expensive to make it. Note, you should try to get pasteurized heavy whipping cream. I’ve found it both at Whole Foods (Clover brand) and Trader Joes. If you use ultra-pasteurized, it will work but it will take longer to thicken, anywhere between 12-24 hours more, depending on the temperature of your room.
Balsamic Strawberries
3 cups sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Let sit 15 minutes for the berries to release a bit of juice. Serve berries on top of each scoop and spoon the juice over.
A note on flavor: I’ve kept the balsamic flavor pretty subtle. I didn’t want it to overpower the subtle creme fraiche flavor. Of course, this topping is easily adjustable so my best advice is to taste as you go and add a little more or less depending on what you like.
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