Condiments & Sauces

Name: Strawberry Balsamic Salsa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients: 1 pound strawberries, (trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice); 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1-3 tablespoons light brown sugar, (depending on how sweet your berries are); 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper, (plus additional, to taste); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Bucatini with Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Sauce

September 5, 2017 2 Comments

Bucatini with Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Sauce turns fresh summer produce into a hearty dish that’s perfect for the transition to fall.

Yet again, I went a little crazy at the farm market and bought all the things. Much like the squirrels, who seem to know that summer is reaching its end, I’m running around stocking up on my fill of the season’s best; in my case, heirloom tomatoes and Fairy Tale eggplants.

We’ve had some chilly days over the past week here in New Jersey. I wore long sleeves and closed-toed shoes for most of Labor Day weekend! The cool evenings have begged for comforting dinners. How better to warm up than with a bowl of bucatini?

In this late-summer pasta dish, I make an heirloom cherry tomato sauce by sautéing the tomatoes with garlic until they burst. Tossed with roasted eggplant cubes, fresh herbs, and a grating of Ricotta Salata, this pasta is some of the best flavors of summer, wrapped up in a dish that’s comforting for fall….

Fresh Strawberry Balsamic Salsa

June 22, 2017 3 Comments

Strawberry Balsamic Salsa is a sweet, tangy, refreshing summer fruit salsa that’s perfect for utilizing your farmer’s market haul of berries and herbs!

I’ve become such a fan of fresh fruit salsas the past few years. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good bowl of traditional garden salsa, or a tangy salsa verde. But, sweet, ripe summer fruits make incredible salsas that are perfect for dipping and using in a multitude of recipes from breakfast to dessert.

One of my favorite fruit salsa recipes is this Strawberry Balsamic Salsa. I combine juicy diced berries with a splash of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, cracked black pepper, and fresh herbs. The berries macerate in the sugar and vinegar and produce a rich, sweet-tangy elixir. It’s a refreshing combination of savory and sweet on a hot summer day.

Making Strawberry Balsamic Salsa – Quick and Easy!

This recipe doesn’t take long to make and is perfect for busy summer schedules. It’s best served shortly after it’s made, as the berries will continue to release their juices the longer the salsa sits.

For best results, you’ll want to find the sweetest summer strawberries available. If you end up with a basket that’s more to the tart side, you can always add additional brown sugar, to taste, to balance out the flavors.

Bear in mind that balsamic vinegar introduces another layer of tang to the salsa, so if you’re starting with especially tart berries, you’ll want to reduce the vinegar slightly and/or add more sugar. Play around with the proportions to find the balance that works best for your particular strawberry haul.

Serve it up!

The uses for Strawberry Balsamic Salsa are pretty much endless. It’s great on waffles, in lunch wraps, and even on top of ice cream. But, when serving this recipe, I most often turn to what I’ve come to call the “4-C’s” of Strawberry Balsamic Salsa: Chips, Chicken, Crostini, and (Short)Cake.

Chips: Lightly-salted or cinnamon-sugar pita chips are great for dipping.

Chicken: Use the salsa to top grilled chicken breasts.

Crostini: Spread toasted baguette slices with mascarpone cheese (sweetened with honey, if desired), and top with dollops of the strawberry balsamic salsa.

(Short)Cake: Fill layers of buttermilk biscuits with lightly-sweetened whipped cream and spoonfuls of strawberry salsa.

But, wait, there’s a video!

I’ve started making recipe videos (hello, learning curve!), and put together one for this recipe. If you enjoy the video, I’d love for you to like and share it with your friends on Facebook. (Click HERE for the sharable Facebook post.) Your support is what makes Striped Spatula a success, and I’m so grateful for it.

Strawberry Balsamic Salsa

The amount of brown sugar you use in this salsa will depend on how sweet your strawberries are. I've had to go up to 3 tablespoons of sugar when I've gotten tart berries. Taste your berries before preparing the salsa and adjust as needed.

Course: Appetizer, Condiment

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

1 pound strawberries, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-3 tablespoons light brown sugar, depending on how sweet your berries are
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus additional, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Instructions

Stir together strawberries, balsamic vinegar, light brown sugar, and black pepper. Let stand 15 minutes. Stir in basil and mint. Season to taste with additional black pepper. Serve!

Serving ideas

Dip with your favorite crackers or pita chips.
Top grilled chicken, steak, or fish.
Make crostini: spread slices of toasted baguette with mascarpone cheese and top with a dollop of strawberry balsamic salsa. If desired, sweeten mascarpone with a bit of honey (stir in about 1 tablespoon to a cup of cheese, to taste).
Make shortcakes: Layer lightly-sweetened whipped cream and strawberry balsamic salsa onto your favorite biscuits!

Have you made this recipe? Take a picture and tag @stripedspatula and #stripedspatula on Instagram for a chance to be featured in my newsletter!

Caramelized Onion and Pear Jam

December 3, 2016 2 Comments

Sweet and tangy Caramelized Onion and Pear Jam with brown sugar, whole grain Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, and thyme is a lovely accompaniment to fall and winter cheese boards.

There’s something about having a pot of jam simmering on the stove this time of year that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The flavors and aromas are so comforting when you walk into the kitchen and set such a picturesque mood for the holiday season.

Peach jams are my favorite in the summer months, but as we head into fall and winter, pears set my heart aflutter.

Over the past few years, I’ve become so partial to recipes that marry sweet and savory flavors (such as bacon or onion jams), so it seemed a natural fit to pair my favorite winter fruit with a savory component.

Caramelized Onion and Pear Jam is at once sweet and tangy, comforting and elegant. It pairs well with a variety of cheeses, making it perfect for holiday entertaining, or for indulging yourself on a cold winter evening.

Spread slices of baguette with creamy whipped goat cheese and a dollop of this jam, and I’m in heaven.

I adapted this recipe from techniques in two of my previous recipes: Major Grey’s Mango Chutney and Bacon-Peach Jam.

For this jam, I opted to use light brown sugar instead of dark so the flavor wouldn’t overpower the delicate pears and caramelized onions, with white balsamic vinegar for a sweet-tart acidity, whole grain Dijon, and fresh thyme leaves.

I found that caramelizing the pears with the onions before simmering brought out the flavors of each component beautifully, resulting in a jam with well-developed layers….

Bacon Peach Jam

June 28, 2016 13 Comments

Sweet, salty, and tangy, Bacon Peach Jam is a luxurious condiment for hors d’oeuvres, grilled cheese, and burgers.

I was skeptical the first time I heard about Bacon Jam. I thought it might be something of a novelty and that maybe we were taking the whole bacon devotion thing a little over the top. I mean, jam made of bacon? It doesn’t get much more indulgent than that! Then, of course, I tasted it, and was ashamed of the doubts in my bacon-loving heart. (I swear, it won’t happen again!) Sweet, salty, smoky, and a little bit tangy, bacon jam was everything. When I set out to make a summer-inspired version, I decided to utilize some of the season’s best and add peaches. Paired with thick cut, applewood smoked bacon, grainy Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and a splash of bourbon (optional, but let’s be honest: highly recommended), the juicy fruit brought a welcome dimension of freshness to the rich jam. Let’s just say, for about a week after I first made it, we slathered this Bacon Peach Jam on everything. No shame!
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