balsamic strawberry + orange sauce

i am a strawberry-obsessed woman. 

i will shout it loud and proud from the rooftops. well, i would if i had a roof to climb up onto. and if it wasn't so damn hot out there. plus, i'm not too fond of ladders. since it is brutally scorching outside, i guess i will just stay inside my cool, air-conditioned house and consume mass quantities of this sauce. 

on ice cream.

in a milkshake.

on ricotta or plain yogurt.

on a toasty little slice of bread with some tangy, creamy goat cheese.

on a spoon or finger.

got any cardboard?

i took this original recipe from cascadian farm and tweaked it just a bit. i love the combination of orange and strawberry so, to me, adding a little orange juice and zest was a no brainer.

balsamic strawberrry + orange sauce

2 cups of the best strawberries you can get your grubby little hands on, preferably from your garden, farmers market or locally

2T balsamic vinegar (i used lucero traditional balsamic)

pinch of salt

1 tsp fresh orange zest

1-2T freshly squeezed orange juice

3T sugar or honey

place all ingredients in a small pot and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens and the strawberries start to break down and release their juices to the sauce. taste and add more orange juice if needed.

the longer you cook it, the more the berries will break down. if you want a smoother sauce, feel free to smash the berries as they cook with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher.