Strawberry Fields Forever.....

The last few days, Birmingham has had some relatively cool summer days.  It doesn't happen often this time of year that there is no humidity and the temps only reach in the high 70's so hubs and I decided to take advantage this morning and load the big dog up and head downtown to the farmer's market.

It's usually much too hot for Rafter to tag along with us, so he was thrilled.  It's a trade off for hubs and I because we get stopped every two feet for someone to ask us what kind of dog he is or if they can pet him.  Consequently, it takes us a little longer to get the shopping done.  Not that we mind!

As soon as we hit the first booth, I saw these strawberries.  I was overjoyed because I thought the local strawberry crop had all but dried up for the summer.  We actually stood there for an extra few minutes while the farmer sorted through the entire bucket to make sure they were all perfect!  Score.

That's what the inside of a strawberry is supposed to look like!  Red and juicy all the way through.  Not white and hollow like the usual supermarket berries.  And the smell in the car on the ride home was torturous.  I could have devoured the whole bucket before they ever hit my kitchen!

So here's what's currently sitting on the counter waiting for hubs to eat!  Since I also found some great looking rhubarb there was no way I wasn't making a crisp.  This recipe is one of my favorites because of the abundance of topping.

I'm also currently obsessed with Joy the Baker and she posted this recipe for Strawberry Buttermilk Cake on her blog the other day, so I definitely wanted to try it.  Of course her's came out much prettier than mine, but you know what they say about beauty.  This is amazing.  There's something about the combination of strawberries and balsamic vinegar that thrills my taste buds.  (Oh, and if you haven't purchased Joy's new book yet, what are you waiting for??)

Speaking of strawberries and balsamic, I also found this recipe for a Strawberry Salad with Balsamic-Cardamom Dressing so I made that too.  When I tasted it, it didn't really scream salad to me.  More like..."add some ice cream to this party".  So I did.  Love this as a quick, sophisticated dessert on a warm summer night.

If you've still got locally grown strawberries in your area, BUY THEM!  And when they're gone, don't buy those supermarket imposters.  Wait patiently until strawberry season next year!  

I still have a few berries left in my bucket, so I'm off to make a few of these Strawberry-Ginger Caipirosca's and meet hubs out by the pool for a pre-dinner cocktail.  Y'all enjoy the rest of your weekend!