Ingredients You’ll Need

A few quick notes on the ingredients before you start:

• Fresh strawberries: Use the ripest, reddest berries you can find. This is a great use for berries that are overripe, too.
• Rhubarb: Look for firm, glossy stalks with bright pink color. (There is also green rhubarb, but I would not use that here because the color will turn out a muddy brown.)
• Sugar: Plain granulated sugar gives a clean flavor and a nice, thickened sauce. You can substitute maple syrup or honey if you prefer a natural sweetener: just omit the water in that case. If you’d like it thicker, see the notes below. In this case, I like using granulated sugar because it has the best texture.
• Lemon juice: This brightens the fruit flavor, similar to how salt enhances savory flavors.
• Vanilla extract: This is stirred in off the heat so it stays fragrant
• A pinch of salt: This also enhances the flavors to bring out the natural fruitiness.

How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

The full method is in the recipe card below (jump to the recipe if you’re ready to get started). It’s so simple:

• Combine the fruit with sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small saucepan, then simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes until the fruit breaks down and the mixture turns glossy.
• Mash any strawberry chunks with a fork if you want a smoother texture. Off the heat, stir in vanilla and salt, taste for sweetness, and let it cool.
• Pro tip: This compote thickens as it cools, so pull it from the stove when it still looks a little loose. If it firms up more than you’d like in the fridge, just stir in a teaspoon or two of warm water to loosen it back up.

Ways to Use Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

I love strawberry rhubarb compote because it uses the beautiful spring / early summer produce in a versatile way you can eat for snacks and breakfast, not just dessert! Here’s what I like to do:

• Peanut butter toast, upgraded: Spread peanut butter on toasted sourdough, then spoon compote on top. An upgraded PB&J!
• Yogurt parfait: Layer with Greek yogurt and granola for a strawberry-rhubarb-crisp yogurt flavor.
• Swirled into oatmeal like my everyday oatmeal recipe.
• Topping for pancakes or waffles like my favorite oatmeal waffles or oatmeal pancakes.
• Over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt: Add just a tiny scoop to vanilla ice cream, vegan ice cream, or frozen yogurt.
• As a topping for cheesecake or angel food cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Nothing about pasta salad is Italian. In fact, it’s an American invention that started with macaroni salad in 1914. Caprese salad is a classic Italian dish from the island of Capri that combines tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves. Put them together, and you’ve got a Caprese pasta salad!

Who can resist the classic combination of tomatoes and basil? This is a very easy pasta salad, much quicker to whip up than my classic, Greek or tortellini pasta salad. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Bowtie pasta (farfalle): You can use any short cut pasta, but I like how the farfalle shape mixes with the vegetables and dressing in a pasta salad. (See this Greek Pasta Salad.)
• Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes work too!
• Fresh basil: Fresh basil is what makes this taste like Caprese pasta salad and not just pasta with cheese. See my quick guide to basil for how to pick and store it.
• Small mozzarella balls (Ciliegine): These cherry-sized fresh mozzarella balls are the perfect size.
• Shredded Parmesan: Adds just the right savory flavor.
• White wine vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper: My pantry dressing essentials.
• Olive oil + neutral oil: Pure olive oil firms up in the fridge; a splash of grapeseed or canola keeps the dressing from becoming solid.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Baby red potatoes: Their thin skins and waxy flesh hold their shape after boiling. It’s worth finding the right thing for this recipe — yellow skin potatoes also work.
• White wine vinegar. Bright but not aggressive. As a substitution, you can also try red wine vinegar though again, it’s worth finding the real thing.
• Capers. These give the salad a salty, briny pop. They’re a berry of the caper bush that’s native to the Mediterranean and sold pickled, in small thin bottles. See my best caper recipes for more info.
• Shallot. The flavor is milder than yellow onion, with a hint of garlic. (You can also make a great shallot vinaigrette with leftovers.)
• Fresh parsley. Adds a fresh and peppery kick. Here’s how to store parsley so it doesn’t go limp. You can also use dill and make this dill potato salad.
• Olive oil. My go-to heart healthy all-purpose oil.