Berry good: Strawberries offer a taste of spring

While most people travel to Southern California for the good weather, I'm drawn there for the fresh strawberries.

For this West Coast gal at heart, few trips provide as thrilling a culinary adventure as a weekend at the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard. I sadly missed this year's event (held the third weekend in May) so I created a fresh strawberry dessert topping to comfort my taste buds.

Before I reveal this berry topping, let's review a few facts about fresh strawberries.

First and foremost, fruits do not behave alike after leaving the grocer. Pears and bananas, for example, continue to ripen on your countertop. Fresh strawberries, on the other hand, stop ripening the moment they've been picked. This means the color and texture of the strawberries in that package peaked before you even picked it up.

With that in mind, look for strawberries boasting deep crimson color and fully developed shape. Berries still white at the stem will be woody with little natural sweetness. And take a quick whiff -- ripe strawberries exude a nose-tickling scent.

Don't pass up strawberries that appear very ripe; these make the best tasting sauces. When shopping for this recipe I look for two packages: one containing deep red and slightly soft berries, the second holding ripe, yet firm fruit for slicing.

The secret behind this topping lies in the fresh sauce. Starting with a simple puree of the ripest berries allowed me to reduce the amount of sugar, thereby highlighting the berries' natural sweetness and preserving the firm texture.

What sets this recipe apart from other fresh fruit purees is my top secret ingredient: orange liqueur. Before you assume the alcohol will dominate the show, give this recipe a try. The orange notes enhance the natural flavors while the small amount of alcohol (just 2 tablespoons) offers subtle background flavor.

Trust me, few taste buds will detect the liqueur. Orange juice can be substituted, just add an extra teaspoon or two of sugar.

Here are some festival-inspired uses for this wondrous topping.

• Spoon on pancakes, French toast or waffles.

• Pour over chocolate ice cream (the darker, the better) for a sweet sundae.

• Create a berry parfait by layering topping with vanilla pudding in deep glasses.

• Fill crisp corn tortilla shells with topping and garnish with whipped cream.

Try this lightening-quick recipe and take your taste buds by storm.

Strawberry Meadows Dessert Topping

2 pounds fresh strawberries

3 -4 tablespoons sugar (see note)

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Clean and wash strawberries. Select ¾ pound of the ripest berries; cut into quarters and place in a large blender.

Cut remaining strawberries into large slices. Place the sliced strawberries in a large glass or stainless steel bowl; set aside.

Add 3 tablespoons sugar and liqueur to strawberries in blender. Puree until smooth. Adjust sugar to taste with additional sugar. Pour sauce over sliced berries. Stir gently to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and macerate at room temperature for 1 hour before serving plain with whipped cream or as a dessert topping.

Store chilled for 3 days. Bring topping to room temperature before serving.

Serves six.

Baker's hint: For the freshest strawberry flavor, do not over sweeten.

Nutrition values per serving: 84 calories, trace amount fat (0 saturated), 18 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 1 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium.