Recipe report: Strawberry season is here, and the time is ripe for sweet menus

A locally sourced pourable fruit puree eases the execution and amps up the berry flavor of this quintessentially summer dessert. The kitchen at Nordstrom Restaurant Group bakes the tender shortcakes from scratch and tops them with fresh strawberries mixed with the fruit puree and billows of house-made whipped cream. Get the recipe

Chef David Stadtmiller of TGI Fridays taps seasonal fruits instead of vegetables to give this seafood dish a touch of spring. Strawberries an mango partner in a pico de gallo that complements seared cod. A cumin-mango gastrique offsets the sweetness of the fruit.Get the recipe

Chef Jennifer Shearer entered this recipe in a contest celebrating neighborhood restaurants and won the grand prize. Juicy, red strawberries stand in for the usual tomatoes and cornbread for crusty Italian bread giving this bread salad a summery twist.Get the recipe

To lighten and modernize the classic strawberry shortcake, Chef Paula DaSilva uses crispy phyllo leaves instead of biscuits and layers mascarpone whipped with sour cream and fresh local strawberries. The dessert works equally well as a grand finale to dinner or a sweet accompaniment to a cup of afternoon tea or coffee. Get the recipe

Chef Suzanne Raiford entered this summery dessert in a nationwide recipe contest and earned the winning spot in the south-central region. The base is a doctored-up cake mix that is complemented by a creamy filling and juicy, fresh strawberries.Get the recipe