Balsamic Strawberries with Cracked Black Pepper

Happy Wednesday! Thank you all so much for your kind words and congratulations about my 5K PR! You guys are so wonderful and supportive!

Last week when I first heard about Whole Food’s sale on organic strawberries via Twitter, I marked it on my work calendar and set two reminders. $1.99 for organic strawberries just can’t be beat.

And then, the lovely folks at my local Whole Foods contacted me and offered to give me two pounds of strawberries for free! Even though they were selling for dirt cheap, I’m rarely one to turn down free food – especially when it’s organic produce.

The strawberries were awesome plain, but I was most excited to make one of my favorite strawberry desserts. It’s simple but unique. I stumbled upon the combination about 5 years ago – I don’t even remember where – but it’s been a favorite ever since.

Balsamic Strawberries with Cracked Black Pepper

It might sound really weird if you’ve never tried the combo but trust me, it’s a winner. I just toss it all together without measuring, but it’s close to these proportions for one serving:

• 8 strawberries, sliced
• 1-2 T good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 3-4 “turns” of freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 t honey

First, slice the strawberries, place in a bowl and pour the vinegar over the strawberries. Drizzle the honey on top and gently toss to combine. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, grind some peppercorns on top. The black pepper is what takes this combination over the top.

I usually dig in with a fork and maybe a small piece of super-dark chocolate on the side. Over ice cream or angel food cake, it’s an impressive “you are just so gourmet!” dessert to serve at a dinner party. You can make a large batch a day ahead and just store it in the fridge before bringing to room temperature to serve, which makes this dessert a breeze.

What’s your favorite strawberry dessert? I love homemade strawberry ice cream (it always reminds me of my dad!) and I love any sort of white cake with strawberries and whipped cream.