Nowadays, strawberries are available nearly year round in supermarkets across the US. But those commercially grown berries don't hold a candle to to the lush, gem-hued local strawberries that show up at farmers markets and roadside stands during early summer's fleeting strawberry season. In my neck of the woods, that season just began, and I'll be stocking up on fresh berries every chance I get.

Truth be told, plenty of those berries won't make it into recipes -- they're just so tempting when perfectly fresh and totally unadorned. But I'll make a point to save some for salads, salsa, fruit soups, and these Strawberry Sour Cream Muffins. I'd also love to hear how you use berries.  Do you make jams, pies, or dressings? Strawberry mousse or vinaigrette? Please comment and share your favorite recipes and ideas!

Shavuot begins this evening, and I'm sure there are lots of  milchig (dairy) dishes, from cheesecakes to lasagnas to homemade blintzes being lovingly prepared in your kitchens. I hope you enjoy them, and whatever special thoughts on the chag that they call to mind. But if you're still hunting for something to add to your holiday menu, please don't forget humble barley!

Sure, Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah, but it also marks the time of the ancient barley harvest -- the action in  Book of Ruth, which is read during Shavuot, is directly tied to the barley harvest. Try using it in grain salads, such as this Black Bean and Barley Salad, or simply toss it with roasted vegetables and your favorite vinaigrette and serve warm or at room temperature.

Both Mother's Day and Shavuot are around the corner, and Todd Gray's Fig and Port Wine Blintzes is just the sort of recipe you'll want to make in honor of both. If  the idea of making blintzes or crepes from scratch seems daunting, rest assured that the process isn't as complicated as it seems. In fact, once you get a good rhythm going, you'll be turning out the crepes like a pro. And once you've mastered crepe-making, filling and rolling them will seem like a piece of cake.

The trick with crepe making is to work quickly once you add batter to the skillet. Lift the skillet off the heat slightly and gently rotate your wrist, and you'll find it's pretty easy to swirl the batter evenly over the surface of the pan, so you have a thin, round crepe.  Don't worry if the first couple of crepes turn out a little wonky -- once filled, you probably won't be able to tell that they weren't perfect. If you can, you can always eat the evidence. They'll taste just as delicious as the pretty blintzes.

Photo © Renee Comet

Columbus, Ohio native Michele Kusma recently won one of 5 finalist spots at the 2013 Man-O-Manischewitz Cookoff with her Sweet & Spicy Seared Tuna recipe. She serves seared Ahi on a creative base of zucchini "noodle" topped  wonton chips, then finishes the dish with a wasabi horseradish drizzle. The recipe works equally well as an appetizer or light meal.