The season's best strawberries are meant for this dessert
A highlight of spring for me, something I await with intense anticipation, is the moment local strawberries hit the farmers market. They are entirely different from the berries you get in the store year-round: small, delicate, plump with juice, deep ruby red and powerfully fragrant. Each week I buy as many as I can carry, and the feasting begins. I go through a fair share of them right out of the container, pile them on cereal, stir them into yogurt, whir them into smoothies, blend them into sauce, toss them on salads and, of course, work them into sumptuous, healthful desserts.
The accompanying recipe is one of my all-time favorites, a treat that takes strawberries and whipped cream to another level by piling them into parfaits with a crumble of amaretti cookies. The berries are simply tossed with a little lemon juice and honey and allowed to sit for a few moments so they relax, meld together and become even more sumptuous. The whipped cream is folded with Greek yogurt - which imparts a lovely, gentle tang as well as health benefits - and a touch of almond extract for aromatic flavor.
The berries and cream are layered, with the crushed cookies placed strategically between them, so the cookie crumbs absorb the berry juices, and on top, where they lend a contrasting crunch. It's a simple but stunning dessert you could make any time of year to rave reviews. But there is certainly no better time to make it than now.
• Ellie Krieger is the host of "Ellie's Real Good Food" on public television. She blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at www.elliekrieger.com.