The Time Is Ripe For Strawberries

Ron Copeland, vice president of Jean's Berry Patch near Apex, N.C., inspects rain-drenched strawberry fields. Recent rainy and cool weather has delayed strawberry maturation by at least a week. (SHNS photo by Mel Nathanson / Raleigh News & Observer) A fresh strawberry. (SHNS photo courtesy Raleigh News & Observer)

By mid-May, when strawberry season is at its peak, you will be rummaging for that favorite shortcake recipe or asking Grandma how she made her strawberry preserves.

But right now, as pick-your-own farms are opening their untouched fields and you fill your basket with the season's first fruits, you want to savor them as simply as possible. Naked, even. (The strawberries, not you.) At the most, you may add a sprinkle of sugar or a dollop of cream.

In that spirit, we offer the following dips for your strawberry enjoyment: chocolate from the microwave, creamy dips flavored with orange, almond or raspberry and a marinade with balsamic vinegar and black pepper followed by a dip in lemony sour cream (don't knock it till you've tried it). Simply rinse and dry your strawberries, leaving on the caps, dip and eat.

We've even included a fruit salsa recipe, in which the strawberries become the dip for cinnamon-sprinkled tortilla chips.

Call your favorite farm first to make sure its berries are ready, then get ready to start picking and dipping.