Ruby Fruit Jungle 

Katy Lesser, Healthy Living, South Burlington

Deliriously Wonderful Strawberry Pie

Comment: I've made this strawberry cheesecake pie for many, many years . . . one year I made 27 of them for a friend's wedding!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Crust:

1/2 pack McVitie's Digestive Biscuits (these are super-duper graham crackers)

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

In a food processor, process the McVitie's and sugar until fine crumbs form. Add the butter and pulse until combined. Press this mixture into a pie plate, coming up the sides to make a neat edge.

Filling:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Have all your ingredients at room temperature. Combine, mixing until smooth and creamy. Pour into your shell and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and lower temperature to 300 degrees. Cool for 20 minutes.

Cover with 2 cups sour cream mixed with sugar to taste. Bake for 5 minutes.

Take 1 pint perfect, ripe, glistening, gorgeous Vermont strawberries, hulled and halved, and decorate the top of your tart with concentric circles of these beauties. You will have a magical, delicious, deliriously wonderful dessert!

Suzanne and Clark Hinsdale, Charlotte Berry Farm

Strawberry Chocolate Tart

Tart Shell:

1 2/3 cups flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons ice-cold water

Sift dry ingredients; cut in butter. Blend with your fingertips to the consistency of coarse meal. Mix egg yolks, vanilla and water and blend with butter mixture, using a fork, until well blended. Roll into a ball and chill for 2-3 hours.

Roll dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Press the dough onto the bottom and sides of a removable-bottomed tart pan, leaving the upper edge of the dough a bit above the pan. Make an edge with your fingers. Chill. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork, line the inside with foil and pie weights (or beans or rice) and cook for 8 minutes.

Remove the foil and weights, and return to the oven until the edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Filling:

1 cup chocolate pieces (dark, semi-sweet, milk or white)

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons liqueur (orange or cherry, or whatever would blend well with the type of chocolate you use. Or none, if preferred.)

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon water (or a little more)

Prepare strawberries (see below) before you melt chocolate. Melt chocolate slowly in a double boiler. Add butter and liqueur, if desired, and whisk until smooth. Add sugar and water, continuing to whisk. Pour into tart shell.

Strawberry Filling:

1 1/2 pints strawberries, washed and with stems removed

1/2 cup currant (or other) jelly for glaze

1/4 cup white and 1/4 cup brown chocolate, melted separately

While chocolate is still warm, place berries on chocolate, bottom side up, in a circular pattern. Melt jelly and brush over berries. Drizzle lightly with white and brown chocolate. Refrigerate to set, then allow to come to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Raechel Barone and Ben Bush, On the Rise Bakery, Richmond

Strawberry Scones &(makes six)

2 cups unbleached flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 tablespoons cold butter

1/2 cup cream or half and half

1 egg

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir baking powder into flour. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Whisk together half and half, egg and syrup. Add to dry ingredients and toss together lightly. Stir in strawberries, being careful not to over-mix. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, shape and press into a rectangle that is about 4-by-12 inches and 1.5 inches thick. Divide into three and cut each third in half to form two triangles. This gives you six triangular scones. Separate and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes until they are lightly browned. The aroma when scones are taken from the oven is wonderful! Enjoy.

Frank Pace, Pace Catering and Shelburne Supermarket

Strawberry-Rhubarb &Vol au Vent

1 pint fresh, local strawberries, diced

1 pint local rhubarb, chopped

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 sheet store-bought puff pastry

1 bunch mint

1 cup organic whipping cream, whipped with 1 tablespoon sugar

Cut puff pastry into quarters. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes until golden brown. Bring sugar and water to a boil. Add rhubarb and let steep off the heat for 20 minutes. Strain off liquid and add diced strawberries. Fold in chopped mint.

To assemble, put a piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top with one scoop of strawberry-rhubarb compote and one scoop of whipped cream. Garnish with finely chopped mint.

Strawberry Granita

1 pint local strawberries

2 lemons

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch kosher salt

Macerate berries with sugar and juice of two lemons for 20 minutes. Add vanilla and salt, and puree in blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh and transfer to a heavy baking dish. Put in freezer and stir every 15 minutes until ice crystals form. Continue until all liquid is frozen. Serve in chilled martini glasses with fresh mint.

Adam Hausman, Adam's Berry Farm, Intervale, Burlington

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

Comment: This is a great summer patio drink - cooling, refreshing and full of vitamin C.

1 cup sugar, maple syrup or honey

1 cup lemon juice from five lemons - include the zest for a bolder flavor

2-3 cups fresh strawberries

Mint sprigs

Dissolve the sugar in 2 cups of water; add the lemon juice and zest and 2 more cups of water. Puree berries and stir into lemonade mixture. Some people like to strain the concoction at this point. I personally like it "garden style." Pour into a jug with a handful of mint and chill. Great rejuvenating drink after a long day in the sun!

Berry Liqueur

Comment: Not to sound like a lush, but . . . this is a wonderful nighttime unwinder. It also helps get you through the dark ages of Vermont winter! At least three months needed before enjoyment.

2-3 pounds strawberries, ripe as can be without being bruised

Zest of 1 lemon

1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar, maple syrup or honey

6 cups vodka

Place berries and lemon zest in gallon glass jar. Slowly dissolve sugar over low heat in saucepan with 1 cup water. Remove from heat. When cool, pour over the berries and fill the jar with water to eliminate air space. Place this in a cool, dark spot; let sit and try to shake once daily for 1 month. If you can, wait three or four months before tasting for sweetness - the flavor will be more pronounced. At tasting, depending on your personal tastes, you can add more sugar as needed. Now wait another two to three months and decant the liqueur. At this point, you can finally enjoy your efforts. This warming drink will keep for up to three years.

Rya Kaiding, Bartender at Smokejacks, Burlington

Rya's Berry &Rhubarb "Daisy"

Berry Vodka:Puree 1 pint of raspberries and strawberries in a blender. Strain. Add to a 750-milliliter bottle of vodka. Mix and let sit for 3 days.

Rhubarb Ginger Syrup:Chop three stalks rhubarb and place in blender. Add a thumb-sized piece of ginger. Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb and blend until smooth. Strain.

Strawberry Puree:Puree 1 cup strawberries in a blender.

To assemble the drink:Fill a glass with ice. Add 2 ounces berry vodka, 1 ounce strawberry puree, and 2 tablespoons rhubarb ginger syrup. Shake and top with soda water. Garnish with crystallized ginger and a fresh strawberry.