Strawberries in Agave Nectar, a beginning of the week amuse-bouche

On my last day of a too short five day vacation, we stopped for breakfast at the Starr Pass Resort in Tucson on the way to the airport.  The sky could not have been more blue on this day making the views from this resort seem even more incredible, more memorable.  Until seeing the blue skies in Arizona, I thought the blue skies on Nantucket and the blue skies in Colorado were amazing. Taking in the beauty of nature, particularly when I am in another region of the country, can literally take my breath away.  And on this day, I felt like I stopped breathing a few times. When I left Tucson, I thought 'what is not to love about this place?' Well, maybe the 100 degree temperatures in the summer.

Our breakfast began with an amuse-bouche or sometimes it is referred to as a chef's muse.  An amuse-bouche in French translates to 'mouth amuser' and it is intended to be an unexpected single, bite-sized appetizer.  It has been described as surprise beginning of the meal bite that allows a chef to express his/her big ideas in small bites.  For those of you have ever had an amuse-bouche, just know that sometimes this small 'bite' feels like a bit of a tease as it is so good you don't want to stop at just one bite.

The wonderful surprise start to our breakfast was an amuse-bouche of fresh strawberries in agave nectar.  I know this doesn't seem incredibly special but neither of us ever this combination of flavors before.  Those 'first' experiences can often be a little intoxicating. The strawberries were served in a small cylinder glass accompanied by a dainty little spoon. Fortunately, there was a little more than one bite of this simple, yet insanely delicious combination of flavors. The taste of those strawberries in agave nectar stayed with me days after returning back to the east coast. So I thought I would try to recreate this amuse-bouche needing only to figure out the ratio of strawberries to agave nectar.

The creation of this amuse-bouche began with first rinsing off and drying the strawberries.  I wanted small bites so I first quartered the strawberries and then cut each quarter into three or four little bite sized pieces.

After cutting up one quart of strawberries, I thought I would begin by mixing in one quarter (1/4) cup of light agave nectar.  Why a quarter cup?  Well a quarter cup of agave nectar is equivalent to one half cup of sugar.  And considering that agave nectar is sweeter than sugar and tastes more like a honey, I went with the less, but not too less, way of thinking. Given the quantity of strawberries I had cut up, I thought, no actually I was hoping, this might be the perfect ratio of ingredients.  And luckily I did not need to experiment any further as the result tasted almost exactly the same as the amuse-bouche eaten or rather devoured in the restaurant at Starr Pass.  Guess I would have had to start over if the quarter cup of agave nectar was too much.  

After I mixed in the agave nectar, I let the strawberries macerate in the refrigerator for a few hours so the berries themselves would exude even more liquid. It was the combination of eating both the strawberries and the agave sweetened liquid that made this little treat so incredibly delicious.

Served in a tall shot glass or small bowl or ramekin, this would be a great way to start any brunch or weekend breakfast.  But why wait for the weekend!  You can begin your day treating yourself to this incredible deliciousness. And in case you have a little bit of this left over, I think it would also be great poured over some vanilla ice cream.

Recipe
Strawberries in Agave Nectar (inspired by an amuse-bouche served at the Starr Pass Resort in Tucson)

Ingredients
1 quart of fresh strawberries, stems removed 
1/4 cup of light agave nectar

Directions
1. Wash and dry strawberries.
2. After removing stems cut strawberries into bite sized pieces.
3. Mix in one quarter cup of light agave nectar.
4. Cover and allow the strawberries to macerate in the nectar.  Can be made up to two hours ahead or made the night before.
5.  Serve in small ramekins or tall clear shot glasses.

I can hardly wait for the strawberry season to return here so I can experience this amuse-bouche with freshly picked strawberries.  And given the sweetness of fresh picked strawberries I might slightly lessen the amount of agave nectar used.  In the mean time, the strawberries bought at the grocery store will just have to satisfy me, my guests, and hopefully you as well.  Because sometimes a little bit of a tease can be a good thing.

Not surprisingly, I bought a few 'souvenirs' while in Tucson.  I am still awaiting the arrival of some great tequila shot glasses (they would be perfect for serving this small bite) and margarita glasses. Yet inspite of acquiring some new treasures, I actually think the making of this little chef's muse might just be the most perfect way to recreate a little bit of the southwest experience here on the east coast.  From the San Xavier Mission, to the DeGrazia Gallery, to the arts community of Tubac, to the Saguaro National Forest, to seeing the PiPhi house on the University of Arizona campus, to the hike in the canyon, I feel like my time there was a bit of a tease too.  Long enough to appreciate its beauty but not long enough to truly savor and take it all in.  But if I close my eyes, I think I can still see those incredibly blue Arizona day and before sunset skies.