Balsamic Strawberries Three Ways

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Cuisine

Italian

10 minutes

4 cups sliced or quartered fresh strawberries
2 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar (don’t buy cheap supermarket type as it is too astringent)
1 tbsp brown sugar
4-5 good grinds of black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Cover and let macerate/marinate for 1-2 hours. Stirring occasionally. Serve as suggested below.
As a sauce for cake: Spoon some strawberries over vanilla, almond or chocolate cake. Top with a dollop of lightly whipped cream, toasted sliced almonds and a mint leaf.
As a sauce for ice cream (my favourite!): Spoon some strawberries over vanilla ice cream. Scatter over some chopped chocolate, toasted almonds and garnish with a mint leaf.
As a topping for baguette: Just before serving, spread slices of fresh or toasted baguette with fresh ricotta cheese. If desired, add some grated lemon zest to the ricotta. Top with balsamic strawberries.