Strawberries, those darlings of the Spring season offer lots of recipe inspiration. This one celebrates their great flavor combination with a balsamic vinegar reduction adapted from a recipe by Joshua Bousel from Serious Eats. It's no secret at our house that strawberries are not my favorite fruit. Their color can be deceptive, the tell-tale red coloring does not mean that they will harbor the sweetness their color might indicate. Until the smaller, more predictably sweet variety will be available at our local market in June, I have provided a flavor boost to the blander, grocery store variety with this sauce. The sweetened lemon ricotta base, also adds to the flavor profile to this soon to be summer dessert favorite. The sauce and ricotta mixture can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge to give you more time to enjoy your guests on the day of the party.

Strawberry Balsamic and Ricotta Flatbread

Strawberry, Balsamic & Ricotta Flatbread

By Inspired by the Seasons

1 1/2 c strawberries (chop 1 cup and slice remaining)
1/3 c White Balsamic Vinegar
1 T & 1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 c Part-Skim Ricotta cheese
1 tsp lemon zest
1 T powdered sugar
1 10" pre-made flat bread or pizza crust

In a small saucepan, bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has reduced 1/4 of its original volume. Add 1 c of chopped strawberries and cook an additional 5-7 minutes until they have released their juices and start to soften. Then, with the back of a spoon, crush strawberries on the side of the pan, continue to simmer until sauce has thickened for an additional 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate if not serving right away. In a small bowl, beat together ricotta and lemon zest with a hand mixer on medium high for 3 minutes. When ready to serve, place flatbread on hot, well oiled grill 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool 5 minutes, once cool to the touch, add ricotta mixture, layer strawberry slices and top with sauce. Cut with a pizza cutter and serve immediately. My gift to you is the extra sauce which can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. Use it on yogurt, waffles, toast, mix with goat cheese and top off a cracker or as a topping for a cheesecake.

You might also want to try my Spring Pesto Flatbread.

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