– courtesy Dairy Farmers of Canada; dairygoodness.ca
Sweet Summer Night
½ cup local strawberries, thinly sliced
splash of raspberry liqueur (optional)
pinch of lemon rind, grated
pinch each, salt and freshly ground black pepper
¹/3 cup Canadian mascarpone
2 – ¾-inch thick slices of brioche bread
4 large basil leaves
1 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
Garnishes:
strawberries
edible flowers (daisy, lavender, day lily, hyssop or
nasturtium) and fine herbs (perilla, lemon balm, tarragon or verbena)
¼ cup macadamia nuts, toasted
2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar or vincotto
In a small bowl, toss berries with liqueur (if using), lemon rind, salt and pepper; let marinate 5 minutes.
Spread mascarpone on one slice of bread. Top with basil leaves to cover, then with strawberries. Top with remaining slice of bread.
In a small skillet, heat half of the butter on medium heat. When the butter is melted and starting to brown, add the sandwich. Cook 2 minutes, turn over and add remaining butter. Cook 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Slice in half. Garnish with strawberries, flowers, herbs, nuts and a small dish of vinegar for dipping.