What could be better than warm vatrushki (curd pastries) with cottage cheese for breakfast? Only strawberry vatrushki, of course. These homemade sun-shaped pastries charge your batteries for the whole day, while the tender filling of cottage cheese and berries caresses the taste buds. To make the filling less liquidy, washed strawberries are dried, sliced, and then mixed with starch (1 tbsp of starch per 350 g of strawberries).
If winter in Russia is pelmeni time, summer is all about vareniki (dumplings) with berries. Two sorts vie for supremacy: cherry and strawberry. The former have a richer flavor, while the latter are sweeter and more tender. And strawberries ripen earlier, which is an indisputable advantage.
Strawberry vareniki are easy to prepare, just make sure that the filling does not turn the dish into compote. For this, hard varieties of strawberries are selected, large or medium. The washed and sliced strawberries are covered with sugar, and half an hour later the juice is drained (can be mixed with smetana and poured over when ready). Another tip: Before scrunching the edges of the vareniki, lightly powder the sugar-strawberry filling on the circle of dough with potato starch, so that the priceless berry filling remains inside.
Jam is usually associated with granny’s warm, skillful hands, but in fact it’s not difficult to treat yourself to a freshly made pot of your own. You’ll need strawberries and sugar in a 1:1 ratio. The strawberries are sprinkled with the sugar and left in the fridge overnight to allow the juice to seep out. In the morning, boil the berries with juice (or a small amount of water) for 10 minutes – and your homemade jam is ready.
Kissel, a viscous fruit drink, can be made from frozen berries, but in summer, of course, fresh is best. To make this nutritious drink, strawberries are placed in water and brought to the boil. Separately mix some sugar with a little water and starch, stir, and pour the resulting mixture into the saucepan with the strawberries. Boil for 5 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!
When it seems that the only dish left to make is soup, it’s time to freeze the strawberries: either for winter or for sherbet – a milk-free alternative to ice cream. To make this cold dessert, you will need half a kilo of strawberries, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 150 grams of sugar, 20 grams of starch, and 5 minutes of your time. It’s a dish that kids love to not only eat, but cook.
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