Strawberries are sugar-sweet, affordable, and omnipresent -- even if you can't pick your own, you'll find pints and quarts of them at roadside stands and red seas of them in the produce aisle. These berries are delicious on their own, sprinkled with sugar, or in breakfast recipes, desserts, and even salads.

In Season: Fresh strawberries are available year-round in many regions of the country, with the peak season from April to June.

What to Look For: Buy strawberries that are bright red (with no white or green around the stem), fragrant, and plump, with no soft spots.

How to Store: If using right away, it's best not to refrigerate them. Otherwise, lay the berries flat on a paper-towel-lined plate and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Do not rinse or hull until ready to use.

To make this easy tart, fill a press-in crust with a whipped cream-cheese filling and arrange fresh strawberry halves on top. Brush the tart with melted red-currant jelly to make the berries glisten.

These moist white cupcakes crowned by a meringue buttercream made with strawberry jam will be the hit of any summer potluck. Top each cupcake with a fresh strawberry just before serving.

Sliced strawberries top sweet, buttery, biscuitlike shortcakes in this version of the seasonal dessert. A drizzle of orange liqueur gives it a touch of sophistication.

Eight egg yolks plus equal parts skim milk and heavy cream make this fresh strawberry ice cream deliciously rich. You will need an ice cream make to prepare this recipe.

Pile sweetened fresh strawberries and whipped cream onto buttery cake layers to create this ravishing dessert. Because the whipped cream is stabilized with gelatin, this strawberry cake can be assembled up to a day in advance.

Butter and cream make this cookie version of strawberry shortcake rich and tender. They're best served immediately after baking.

Give homemade lemonade a sweet berry blush by adding a few spoonfuls of fresh strawberry puree to each glass. Using seltzer water rather than plain tap water makes this strawberry lemonade worthy of a special occasion.

Strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice are all you need to make this easy strawberry refrigerator jam that cooks in just 10 minutes. Spread the jam on toast or biscuits, or use as filling for a layer cake.

Oven roasting intensifies the flavor of the strawberries in this rich cheesecake. Mascarpone cheese makes the cheesecake extra creamy, and vanilla bean seeds add to its luxurious fragrance.

Sweet strawberries and peppery arugula in a balsamic vinaigrette create perfect harmony in this creative salad. Toasted pecans add a rich crunch.

Get a double dose of berries in this thick milkshake made with strawberry ice cream and frozen strawberries. You can use any berry you like in this recipe, including raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries. Fresh and frozen berries work equally well.

Swirl mashed strawberries into this cinnamon-kissed quick bread. Spread slices with softened cream cheese and enjoy for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.

A fresh and flavorful version of the childhood treat, these jiggling ruby-red gelatin cups get their color and flavor purely from fresh strawberries mashed with sugar and lemon juice. Top them with diced fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream too, if you like.

It's easy to make your own version of this luscious treat: Just dip large strawberries in melted semisweet chocolate and then coat in finely chopped pistachios (or any other nut). These are best made the day you want to serve them, as condensation may form on the chocolate if they stay in the refrigerator for too long.

Sliced strawberries and mint whipped cream are layered in pretty glasses, along with crushed cookies (if you like). To make the refreshing whipped cream for these parfaits, fresh mint leaves are boiled in simple syrup.

Kids and grownups will clamor for these frozen strawberry pops made from just two ingredients: fresh, ripe berries and confectioners' sugar. If you don't have ice pop molds, pour the strawberry mixture into plastic or paper cups and insert wooden spoons or sticks before freezing.

The flavors of classic strawberry shortcake take on a new and dainty form in these layered desserts. Assemble Individual servings in teacups, beginning with a layer of strawberry gelatin, followed by vanilla panna cotta, and then a circle of pound cake. Invert the teacups to unmold the jellies and serve them with fresh strawberries.

This moist butter cake is studded with big chunks of fresh strawberries. Make this rustic one-layer cake in a 10-inch pie plate.

This well-balanced breakfast is a beautiful composition of plain low-fat yogurt, shredded wheat cereal, and strawberries drizzled with honey. You can use any cereal you like in place of the shredded wheat, such as granola or bran flakes.

For this fresh, grown-up version of the convenience-store favorite, lemon sorbet, strawberry puree, and sparkling wine are beaten together. To add a touch of elegance, serve the strawberry slush in wine glasses garnished with a fresh strawberry.

This pie is a real showstopper, with glazed strawberries peeking out from underneath a snowy crown of whipped cream. The sweetness of the graham cracker crust and strawberries is nicely balanced by the bit of tartness from cranberry juice in the glaze.

Cornmeal and ground almonds add richness and a gentle crunch to buttery shortcakes. Bake the shortcakes in muffin tins and serve with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Fresh strawberries and seedless raspberry jam make up the fruity filling for buttermilk cake layers. "Frost" the cake with softened vanilla ice cream and freeze until firm.

Buttermilk gives this creamy panna cotta its pleasantly tangy flavor. Pour the panna cotta mixture into small ramekins to make individual portions, and serve with sweetened fresh strawberries.

Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb make a perfect pair in this quick and easy ice cream topping. Spoon the strawberry-rhubarb sauce over purchased vanilla ice cream and serve with shortbread cookies.

To make these exquisite miniature eclairs, pipe 2 1/2-inch lengths of choux pastry onto baking sheets. Split the baked pastries in half to fill with vanilla cream and mint-macerated strawberries.

To make this sophisticated dessert, basil leaves are simmered in heavy cream to add a subtle perfume to the whipped cream filling. Bake one large shortcake (or eight smaller ones, if you prefer) and top with sweetened strawberries, small basil leaves, and the basil whipped cream.

A combination of cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate give these chewy cookies their deep, rich flavor. Press thumbprints into the dough before baking, and fill the indentations with sweetened cream cheese and diced fresh strawberries.

In this delectable cake, fresh strawberries mixed with strawberry or rhubarb jam and whipped cream are tucked between four layers of buttermilk cake. Sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

To make this vodka-based twist on the classic Brazilian caipirinha, muddle strawberries, mint leaves, lime wedges, and freshly grated ginger with sugar in a cocktail shaker. This recipe makes cocktails for two.

Vanilla simple syrup is infused with lemon zest and peppercorns, then poured over fresh strawberries. Serve the macerated berries over ice cream, Greek yogurt, or pound cake.

Vanilla sponge cake is baked in a jelly roll pan, then spread with a mixture of strawberries and whipped cream before being rolled into a spiral. Laying the cake on a kitchen towel sprinkled with confectioners' sugar makes it easier to roll, even if you're a baking novice.

In this elegant, summery version of the classic French pastry, crisp puff pastry squares are layered with roasted strawberries, whipped cream, orange pastry cream, and chopped pistachios.

Puree seedless watermelon with strawberries, lime juice, and sugar to make these refreshing frozen pops. This recipe make 10 three-ounce fruit pops, enough for a yard full of kids!

This sophisticated version of iced tea is perfect for a baby shower or summer tea party. To make, macerate fresh strawberries in basil simple syrup before adding to the iced tea.

The base of this delightful dessert is a sweet, chewy almond macaroon. Top it with a decorative arrangement of strawberries brushed with a shiny glaze of strawberry jam.

Break out of your breakfast routine by topping quick-cooking oatmeal with brown sugar-sweetened strawberries and a dollop of sour cream. Made with milk instead of water, the oatmeal is extra rich and hearty.

Bake buttery pastry in four-inch tartlet pans to make the base for these dainty desserts. Fill each baked tart shell with creme fraiche and sweetened strawberries just before serving.

Make everything in your bread basket extra special with this butter sweetened with fresh chopped strawberries and confectioners' sugar. It's delicious on hot biscuits, scones, or muffins -- or even just regular toast.

Sponge pudding, a traditional English dessert, is a rustic steamed sponge cake. Our version gets its pink blush from pureed strawberries.

For our quickest strawberry dessert, just pour fruity red wine, such as Zinfandel, over strawberries and brown sugar. Serve the macerated fruit with homemade or purchased biscotti.

To make these pretty pink margaritas, blend frozen strawberries, limeade concentrate, tequila, and triple sec with crushed ice. Serve the drinks in frozen glasses, each garnished with a strawberry.

Halved strawberries are simmered with seedless raspberry jam to make this delightful dessert topping. Spoon the strawberry sauce over ice cream or pound cake, or use as filling for a layer cake.

To make this refreshing drink that's part iced tea, part lemonade, and part cocktail, steep Lady Grey tea (a more subtle and delicate version of Earl Grey tea) in vodka with sliced strawberries. Mix in fresh-squeezed lemon juice and sugar, and top each serving with seltzer.

Rich hazelnut-Armagnac filling in a buttery pastry crust forms the base of this elegant tart. Arrange halved fresh figs and strawberries on top and bake until the fruit is caramelized and sweet.

Simmer two pounds of strawberries with lemon juice and sugar to make these thick and fruity preserves. Store the cooled jam in the refrigerator for up to two months, or can it to make it last for a year.

Strawberries replace tomatoes in this sweet-savory cold soup from chef David Kinch of Manresa, a restaurant in Northern California that serves French-Catalan cuisine. The gazpacho is seasoned with onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, and topped with a relish of minced strawberries, chives, and toasted Marcona almonds.

Similar to bread pudding, this custardy dessert is made with buttered slices of white bread soaked in a mixture of eggs, cream, and rum. Serve the baked pudding with lightly sweetened fresh strawberries.