The best strawberry pancake recipe I’ve ever tried

Strawberry season is here again

That time of year has finally come again this year.

Welcome to our Summer Produce series. Every week until the end of August, we’ll be featuring the fruits and vegetables that are in season right now, hand-picked by Natoora’s experts. To find out more about the company and how they work with farmers, visit our First Work Of the series.

Strawberries are one of the best things about summer. Farmers markets come alive with the aroma of the red fruit, and your nose will lead you to stalls filled with them. While they’re delicious on their own, they’re also fantastic for breakfast, in cocktails, and of course as the centerpiece of a summer dessert. In other words, strawberries are perfect.

When I first spoke with Natura’s brand manager, Phoebe Creegan, it was mid-May and she wasn’t even sure strawberries were a realistic fourth-week produce option. “They’ll start coming out soon, but they’ll need some time to reach their peak and develop maximum sugar content,” she told me. Luckily, the strawberry harvest arrived just in time for the last week of June. And I can attest to their ripeness: A friend brought me a perfect pint of strawberries yesterday – they were bright red, sweet and juicy.

It’s officially the best time of year to buy strawberries, so with the help of Natoora, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about them.

• Things to keep in mind when shopping: The ripe red berries will not ripen once they are off the plant.

• For maximum freshness, store: Temperature changes will damage fruit, so store unwashed, covered, in the fridge, minimizing handling and keeping them flat (pressure can bruise or damage the fruit), or you can freeze them.

• How to use it: It can be enjoyed as is in savory or sweet dishes, or made into compotes or jams.

recipe

Museum restaurants may be convenient, but they don’t always serve high-quality food. That’s certainly not the case at Verde, the stunning indoor-outdoor restaurant at Miami’s Pérez Art Museum. I’m particularly fond of Chef Loris Navone’s ceviche and white cheddar-topped burger, but sweet breakfast lovers shouldn’t miss the strawberry-mascarpone pancakes, available only during brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

“At Verde, we pride ourselves on making all of our dishes from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, and our strawberry and sweet mascarpone pancakes are no exception,” says Navone. “Fresh strawberry compote, herbs and lemon curd deliver vibrant flavor in every fluffy bite, making them the perfect summer breakfast treat.”

This strawberry pancake recipe already has a few sub-recipes, so I recommend buying lemon curd for convenience, but if you want to make your own, go for it! Hit the farmers market this week while this seasonal ingredient is still in season.