Spring turns to summer and the weather turns warmer. As the heat slowly but surely beats down on Southern California residents, there is no better way to reenergize yourself than with these refreshingly ripe strawberry recipes. 

Strawberry balsamic pasta salad: 

Cook, drain and rinse ½ pound of pasta with cold water. To make the sauce, whisk together ⅓ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of strawberries, toss and add to the drained pasta. Then add 3 cups of salad greens, ½ cup of walnuts and ½ cup of feta cheese to the salad and combine together then serve. 

Sparkling strawberry lemonade:

After boiling 1 cup of water, add in ½ cup of granulated sugar until dissolved. Then add 1 cup of lemon juice and remove from the heat and let cool. Separately, in a blender, blend 1 and ½ cups of strawberries together. In a large pitcher, mix together the water-sugar-lemon mixture, strawberry puree and 4 cups of sparkling water. Add ice, lemon wedges and/or strawberry slices before serving. 

Strawberry frozen yogurt: 

If fresh strawberries are difficult to find or if you just don’t have the time or skill for a complicated dessert, this simple strawberry frozen yogurt is just the sweet for you. Combine 4 cups of frozen strawberries, 3 tablespoons of honey, ½ cup of plain yogurt and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a food processor or blender until creamy, or, for about 5 minutes. You can eat immediately or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month. 

If you want to enjoy the truly unique taste of the strawberry and don’t mind splurging a bit, invest in high-quality strawberries such as Oishii’s Omakase strawberries, or try an uncommon strawberry variety, such as the White Jewel strawberry, to broaden your strawberry horizons.