I always approach June with great anticipation - not as a sun worshipper but as a farmers market troller. The exceptionally cool weather this spring has left me wanting for a warmer climate, or at the very least, the first summer harvest. Every year I find myself counting down the days until strawberry season. Filling up on my favourite berry is not an issue as it's fantastic naked, topped by whipped cream, ice cream or a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar, sliced in salads or even hidden in a cake. Out and about, I'm happy to find the popular fruit at many of our local eateries, as seen through the kaleidoscope of images below.
Banana split pancakes that are generously topped with strawberries, toasted walnuts, caramel, and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream from School Bakery and Café (70 Fraser Avenue, Liberty Village).
The Queen of Tarts (238 Roncesvalles Avenue) makes a number of baked treats including buttery homemade strawberry poppyseed scones dotted with moist fruit hidden in its dense crumb.
Visit Gilead Café (4 Gilead Place) for a thirst quenching fresh strawberry soda.
The fresh grilled liege waffles from Wanda's Belgian Waffles Café (225 Yonge Street, unit 5), where special strawberry flavoured "flakes" stain the delicious beasts with sweet strawberry essence.
The strawberry shortcake from Le Café Michi (1802 Pharmacy Avenue, Scarborough) is a popular dessert that features a thick layer of strawberry cream between two layers of vanilla sponge cake.
The strawberry cupcake from Circles and Squares, frosted with fresh strawberry buttercream over vanilla cake. Cravings can be satisfied at Pusateri's or ordered directly from the bakery at 416-534-1511.
For those who like sugar to dominate their strawberry desserts there's always the Green Tea Strawberry Mousse from Ten Ren's Tea Time (Unit 101, 111 Times Avenue, Thornhill).
While the mousse cake from Gateaux de Paris (Pacific Mall, 4300 Steeles Avenue East, Markham) is mango based, the highlight is really how delicious it is to pair strawberries, peaches and mango together.
But I'll confess that there really is nothing like sun-baked, finger-staining, sweet just-off-the-vine berries as the ultimate answer to strawberry cravings.
Renée Suen is a graduate student at the University of Toronto, specializing in cardiovascular sciences. She has an insatiable appetite and can often be found with her camera, searching for something tasty to eat. Many of these adventures can be found on her food-tography-filled Flickr site.
I can't wait to see our local berries in stores. Like our peaches and other tree fruit, they taste so much better than the gigantic fruit that comes to us from Chile and California over the rest of the year.
I'm salivating.
Bought my first pint of local strawberries at Fiesta Farms on Friday. They're almost gone.