Dining Guide

Driscoll's Strawberries in Lemon-Lavender Syrup

Makes 4 servings

You can find the lavender flowers in the bulk herb or scent sections of the supermarket. Or try 2 to 3 whole cardamom seeds in place of the lavender delightful!

1 (1-pound) package Driscoll's strawberries

6 tablespoons water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons dried lavender flowers

Whipped cream (optional)

Rinse and drain strawberries. Hull and cut into halves or quarters into a large bowl and set aside.

In small saucepan, combine water, lemon juice, sugar and lavender and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and lavender is infused. Strain syrup, discarding the blossoms. Pour strained syrup over berries and toss gently to mix. Serve berries and syrup right away in pretty glass bowls or stemmed glasses. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

Note: You can prepare the syrup in advance and let it cool. Toss with berries just before serving.

Driscoll's Blueberries with Mint-Ginger Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Any of these three flavors are superb on their own, but when Chef Revsin combines them all in this super easy dessert, you'll applaud her ingenuity. The sauce is easy enough for an any-day dessertbut definitely deserving of a special occasion as well.

"When you bite into a Driscoll's berry, it explodes with juice and sweetness. Who could ask for more than that?"

1 (12-ouce) package Driscoll's blueberries

1 bunch fresh mint

1 cup water

5 slices fresh ginger, unpeeled (each slice about the size and thickness of a quarter)

2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped cream (optional)

Drain and rinse berries and turn into large bowl. Tear off a handful of mint leaves and chop finely to make 4 teaspoons. Set aside. Coarsely chop enough mint stems and leaves to make 1/2 cup.

Add the 1/2 cup chopped stems and leaves to a small saucepan along with the water, ginger and sugar and simmer 5 minutes. Strain the mixture, pressing lightly to get all syrup out. Return to saucepan and boil about 3 to 5 minutes, until syrupy and about 1/4 cup in volume. Remove from heat, stir in the 4 teaspoons finely chopped mint leaves and let cool to room temperature. Pour over berries and toss gently to mix. The berries will look slightly glossed. Spoon into stemmed glasses or pretty bowls. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

Anthony Pace, Culinary Concepts

Anthony Pace is a graduate of Schoolcraft Culinary College and apprenticed with Milo Cieliaka at the Golden Mushroom Restaurant in Detroit as well as Jean Blanchet at Zorrine's in Chicago. He has served as Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine at clubs and restaurants in Detroit, Denver and Ft. Myers, Florida. He has been with Pebbles Restaurant and Culinary Concepts, a culinary consulting firm, in Orlando since 1985 and is responsible for the continuing creativity of the Culinary Concepts menus.

"As a chef/restaurant owner, I enjoy the value and perception that Driscoll's berries give our guests."

Butterscotch Driscoll's Blackberries

Makes 4 servings

Chef Pace's easy berry special takes only 4 ingredients and a skillet. The butter and brown sugar account for half of this great dessert's name; Scotch whiskya sumptuous surpriseexplains the other half. While it makes a wonderful showbe sure to be careful when lighting the Scotch.

1 (6-ounce) package Driscoll's blackberries (or strawberries or raspberries)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Scotch whiskey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Ice cream, French toast or angel food cake

Rinse and drain berries.

In skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and cook just until beginning to brown slightly. Add berries and cook and stir just until they begin to give off juices. Add the Scotch and then ignite with long-handled match. Stir until flames die. Stir in brown sugar and cook until dissolved and sauce is thick. Serve at once

Chef Leslie Revsin is widely recognized for her unique ability to combine flavors and ingredients in recipes that are practical for busy home cooks. She was the first woman chef at New York's famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel, has run her own restaurants, frequently appears on PBS and the TV Food Network and has an award-winning cookbook, "Great Fish Quick."

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