Strawberry recipes sought for Mother's Day brunch

May 8, 2013 8:56 AM

It's strawberry season again, and I expect to be receiving a large haul of local berries this Friday. I'm also planning to have my mother-in-law over for brunch on Mother's Day, and would like to incorporate strawberries into the meal. I've got some good recipes for traditional desserts like cakes/pies/ice creams, but those aren't things I want to serve in the morning. I'm stumped for recipes that seem appropriately brunch-y. What I'm hoping for are recipe suggestions for things that can be integrated into a larger meal featuring eggs, grits, etc. For example, if anyone has a tried and true recipe for strawberry scones or strawberry muffins, that could be good. Fruit salads featuring strawberries as a main ingredient with an interesting dressing? Some kind of strawberry butter to top French toast? Internet.com runneth over with recipes, but I am interested in your proven winners. Thanks!
posted by little mouth to Food & Drink (23 answers total)

A good pureed strawberry sauce is great on so many things.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:02 AM on May 8, 2013

I have personally eaten this strawberry-and-spinach salad, and it was delicious. Appropriateness might depend on how far your brunch falls on the lunch-y side of the spectrum.
posted by Bardolph at 9:13 AM on May 8, 2013

Best answer: Start off with Kir Royale made with homemade strawberry syrup instead of Chambourd. If you don't drink, maybe smoothies with banana, strawberries and orange juice.

How about a delicious bread pudding with fresh strawberry syrup. I do this instead of French Toast for a crowd, easy to put together and bake in the oven. Use Challa or Raisin Bread, make a custard mixture of eggs, cream, vanilla, nutmeg and a shot of bourbon optional. Combine and bake. Easy and people gobble it up.

You can make a Strawberry and Chicken Salad with balsamic glaze.

An interesting dressing for fresh strawberries might be a simple syrup with yuzu, mint, ginger and sugar.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:16 AM on May 8, 2013

My strawberry and spinach salad uses smaller strawberry pieces than the one in Bardolph's photo, but it is a really good flavor combination.

I make this broccoli salad kind of a lot, using Craisins, but any fruit would be good.

For bread pudding, you could put the strawberries right in, plus serve fresh on top. (See strawberry cream cheese french toast casserole.)
posted by Lyn Never at 9:21 AM on May 8, 2013

I had a big hit last weekend with a salad. It was tangelo wheels, sliced strawberries and halved cape gooseberries on baby lettuce arranged around the rim of a serving tray, with heaped chilled steamed fiddleheads in the center, and all under a flax oil and lemon juice vinaigrette. I have been told to make this for mother's day.
posted by No Robots at 9:23 AM on May 8, 2013

I never would have believed it until I tried it, but: equal volumes of sliced strawberries and small fresh buffalo mozzarella chunks. Drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar. That's all. Amazingly delicious! If you google "strawberrry mozzarella salad" there are many more complex versions; I'm here to tell you that the extra effort is utterly unnecessary.
posted by jeffjon at 9:26 AM on May 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'm currently addicted to strawberry-lavender muffins. I use this recipe (found at the bottom of the page), with the obvious inclusion of chopped up strawberries into the batter. (I also skip the almond extract, but that's just personal taste.)
posted by tan_coul at 9:28 AM on May 8, 2013

I like fruit salads that are berry-based; I think they're tastier and prettier than any other kind. Blueberries, strawberries and either pineapple or mango would be beautiful and delicious.
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:07 AM on May 8, 2013

Eton mess, perhaps?
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 10:21 AM on May 8, 2013

Strawberries with whipped mascarpone cheese, maybe? It's simple and easy and delicious, and my family loves it. I make it for special breakfasts/brunches. The base recipe is here, but I ignore the basalmic vinegar section and just make the whipped topping. So:

• 1/2 cup chilled mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream (I recommend heavy whipping cream)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Whisk until thick soft peaks form, then spoon over strawberries.
posted by anthy at 10:30 AM on May 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: A really simple but sinful treat to make with very good, fresh strawberries is Strawberry Butter. Just blend together a cup of really good butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar and around 10 oz of fresh strawberries. This is dreamy on freshly made bread or scones.
posted by 3fluffies at 11:14 AM on May 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'd make scones and whipped cream to serve with strawberries. Sort of a mini strawberry shortcake.
posted by instamatic at 12:17 PM on May 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

I made this Strawberry Balsamic Dressing and it's delicious and very simple.
I also used that same dressing in a slaw made with julienned carrots, red cabbage, jicama, and diced apples. You can add sliced almonds if you like.
posted by Ochre,Hugh at 2:01 PM on May 8, 2013

Best answer: I made these Strawberry Scones last night and they were delicious--buttery, appropriately crunchy, and not hard to make. (Disclosure: I used 1/2 and 1/2 white and whole wheat flour, subbed fat-free plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream, made the dough in the food processor, and didn't chill it before baking--we were having a bit of a snack emergency and couldn't wait.)
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 2:25 PM on May 8, 2013

Best answer: I adore this recipe for strawberry muffins (originally from A Recipe A Day). They're extremely easy to make, the strawberries are front and center, and if you have children, it's very easy to involve them in making the recipe.

I can also offer my mother's dairy-free, alcohol-free recipe for a strawberry-lime iced smoothie (if you've had the Strawberry Surfrider from Jamba Juice, this is somewhat similar).
-Crush about 2 cups of ice. You can have some chunks left, but most of ice should be quite crushed.
-Put crushed ice in blender. Add the juice of about 4 large limes. Add about ½ cup or more of berries.
-Add about ½ cup of powdered sugar, then whirl the whole thing until all ice is finely crushed and berries are crushed and mixed into the ice.
-Add more sugar, if needed. Ready to serve.
This makes 'quite a bit' (about a blenderful, as I recall).
posted by librarylis at 6:28 PM on May 8, 2013

What about a simple breakfast parfait: strawberries, granola, yogurt? Very pretty in a glass bowl.

Also, mimosas with a strawberry on the rim for decoration.
posted by gatorae at 7:06 PM on May 8, 2013

Strawberry butter on warm croissants! Just like making an herb butter, but you use delicious, ripe strawberries.

Nomnomnom
posted by devinemissk at 7:52 PM on May 8, 2013

From Clotilde Dusoulier (Chocolate and Zucchini):
Pesto Fraise Basilic (Strawberry/Basil Pesto)
posted by JABof72 at 2:17 AM on May 9, 2013

Best answer: I recently made this panna cotta, which was quick and delicious! Spouse and I both thought it was fluffy and light, but wonderfully strawberry-forward (like a velvety smoothie pudding). Immediately made me think of brunch, and it's healthy too!
posted by acm at 7:27 AM on May 9, 2013

Pavlova with sweetened strawberries & whipped cream. Waffles with sweetened strawberries & whipped cream. My favorite way to eat strawberries is to dip them in Greek yogurt with brown sugar.
posted by theora55 at 4:14 PM on May 9, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks for all of these ideas...I have a gallon of berries and want to try them all!
posted by little mouth at 7:25 PM on May 9, 2013

If you find yourself with more berries than you can use in one day, Harold McGee recommends thermotherapy (for strawberries, 30 seconds in 125F water). In my own experience, it works — the berries aren't as brightly glossy as they are the day they're picked, but they're also not covered with fuzzy grey mold the next morning.
posted by Lexica at 9:57 PM on May 9, 2013

Nthing the spinach/strawberry or lettuce/strawberry ideas, when we make fruity and savory salads, we use a cream-based dressing:mix cream, salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. An avocado can be blended in for both color and taste, but the simple version is a big family favorite.
posted by mumimor at 6:17 AM on May 10, 2013