One of my favorite spring/summer desserts to make is this super-easy, super-quick strawberry topping. I usually serve it over vanilla ice cream and with some kind of shortbread or ladyfinger cookie, but it would also be great over biscuits or poundcake with whipped cream (sort of like a strawberry shortcake). The best part about this dessert is that you make it ahead of time, since you need to let the strawberries macerate in the balsamic vinegar. Here's what I did; you can adjust the ingredients as you see fit:

• Hull and cut up a quart of strawberries (hey, you can use your handy strawberry huller!).
• Sprinkle about a tablespoon of granulated sugar over the berries (my berries were pretty ripe, so I figured just a tablespoon was enough; you can add more if your fruit isn't very ripe).
• Pour about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar over the berries.
• Add a few basil leaves that you've chiffonaded. Now, you'll notice from my picture that I actually tore up the basil into big pieces -- this sort of works too, but it would have been much better if I'd chiffonaded the leaves so you don't get a big hunk of basil in one bite, which can be a little jarring. The basil should be a subtle flavor. You can also use mint or tarragon instead of basil. (If you're wondering why I tore the leaves up, it's simply because I forgot they needed to be in smaller pieces. To chiffonade: Stack your basil leaves on top of each other, roll up lengthwise into a tube shape, then slice your tube into very thin strips with a knife. You should get pretty ribbons of basil).

Toss all ingredients together, making sure the berries get coated with the sugar and vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerate for at least an hour. The berries will absorb the flavors of the sugar, basil and vinegar and will also break down a bit and release their juices, leaving you with a lovely strawberry syrup that will dress up any dish of ice cream or cake.