Grilled Strawberry Basil Kebab Recipe and The Farmers Market

I love this strawberry dessert because it’s super sweet and I add a balsamic glaze which gives it some depth — perhaps like a chocolate sauce might. As strawberries enter the peak of their season, they are becoming sweeter and juicier and oh-so-good! A perfect strawberry is intoxicating!

If it’s convenient, buy your strawberries at your local farmers market. They’ll be the best! Any produce is best when it hasn’t traveled too far to reach you and hasn’t been sprayed with a bunch of “stuff” (i.e., pesticides)! Always walk up and down the market having a sample at each strawberry booth before deciding where to buy. I now have my favorite booths at certain markets — and it’s great to develop a relationship with the growers, too. You’ll get a lot of information about your produce this way, and it makes shopping at the market much more fun!

What are you doing this Saturday? Sunday? I’m sure there’s a local Farmers Market close by. Go check it out, meet a few vendors, taste some great strawberries, buy some, have fun and make this delicious dessert! And don’t forget the basil! Phew, that was a lot in one breath! Truly, this is a treat as a side for an outdoor barbecue dinner, over ice-cream for dessert, or just as a delightful snack!

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Grilled Strawberry Basil Kebab Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Recipe
About 16 medium to large strawberries (firm but ripe)
1 small bunch fresh basil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sea salt
Grapeseed oil
To clean the strawberries, use a damp paper to wipe each one off. Remove the stems and cut each one in half, lengthwise.
One by one, gently slide each strawberry half onto a metal or wooden skewer (if you're using wooden, soak them in water for about 10 minutes first). Between each strawberry half, slide on one or two basil leaves. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Set aside.
Preheat a stove-top grill or your barbeque and drizzle or brush a bit of grape seed oil onto the flat surface of each strawberry. Once the grill is hot, place the strawberry skewers on it, flat side down. You should hear a sizzling sound -- if you don't the grill is not hot enough. Wait until it is! Grill until each side is marked from the grill, about 30 seconds per side. Place the skewers on a plate and while they're still hot, use a pastry brush to add the glaze to the kebabs. Remove them from the skewers to serve.
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http://cookingontheweekends.com/2011/06/grilled-strawberry-basil-kebab-recipe-and-the-farmers-market/
©2012 Cooking On The Weekends/BlazingBright, Inc.

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Tagged as: balsamic glaze, balsamic vinegar, basil, brunch, chocolate, dessert, dinner party, fruit, gluten-free, healthy, snacks, strawberries, sweets, vanilla

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

amee June 14, 2011 at 5:04 pm

Valentina, this looks great on skewers! I have a similar idea coming up but this is so so lovely with the presentation.

valentina June 14, 2011 at 5:22 pm

Thanks, Amee! Can’t wait to see yours!

Lillian June 15, 2011 at 9:18 pm

Saw this on kitchn.com, and love the idea. You could even do a simple balsamic reduction (slowly heating the vinegar until syrupy and sweet) instead of mixing in honey- if that’s your style!

Yum.