Now that it’s officially June, I am obsessed with strawberries. When June rolls around, I behave as though I haven’t seen a strawberry since, well, forever. (Full disclosure: I live in California, so this is not the actual case.) However, this reflex -- which I fully embrace -- stretches back to when I lived in Denmark.

Danish strawberry season is fleeting and fickle. It begins in June (hopefully), and stretches into August (potentially), but you can never count on the season’s start, end or (heaven forbid) existence, as Nordic summers can produce rain and chill as easily as the famous midnight sun. If you are lucky, the season cooperates, and strawberries will flower in late spring and grow, almost before your eyes, in June.

It’s a window of time when there’s no holding back; when the name of the game is to gorge on the berries while you can, ever aware that this moment may quickly pass. Any surplus that you can’t devour (bless you) or bake into a nightly rotation of berry-full desserts are frozen and preserved for later consumption as a nostalgic taste of summer sunshine during the dark winter months.

Now I live in California, and while there’s less urgency in stocking up on these summery berries, I still revel in the memory and indulge in over-consumption. And when I’ve tired of stuffing my face with fresh berries, I add them to easy desserts, such as this fruit crisp.

Strawberry Crisp With Orange and Cardamom

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 to 65 minutes, plus cooling time

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup chopped almonds (optional)

Filling:

2 pounds strawberries, hulled, halved if small, quartered if large

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of salt

Make the topping: Combine the flour, sugars, cardamom, cinnamon and salt in bowl of a food processor. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the topping resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the almonds, if using. Cover the bowl and chill until use. (The topping may be made up to one day in advance.)

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl and gently stir to combine. Spoon the filling into an 8-by-8-inch baking dish or 6 to 8 individual ramekins. Evenly cover with the topping. Transfer to the oven and bake until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes for the baking dish, 30 to 35 minutes for the ramekins.

Remove from the oven and cool to lukewarm or room temperature before serving, to allow the flavors to develop. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Prosciutto rolls are a fresh and fun start to a summery meal. The method to make them is inspired by Vietnamese spring rolls, which are packed with fresh herbs and crisp vegetables and wrapped in rice paper. These rolls are equally fresh and raw, but with an Italian twist. Salty, savory prosciutto replaces the rice paper and bundles up crisp fennel, arugula leaves, fresh mint and piquant Parmesan shards.

You can serve the rolls as a bright appetizer or as part of a small-plate meal. They do take time to assemble, but you can prepare them up to four hours in advance. Make sure that your filling ingredients are chopped and gathered before you begin rolling for ease of preparation. I prefer to halve the prosciutto slices lengthwise to make smaller bites. If you use an entire piece of prosciutto for each roll, then you will need to increase the amount of filling ingredients to offset the salt and meatiness of the prosciutto.

Once you get the hang of making these rolls, you can fiddle with the ingredients to your liking. The important thing to remember is to provide crunchy, fresh textures in the filling. You don’t want the rolls to be too flabby or gooey. Include crisp and leafy ingredients for structure and freshness, and to balance the soft, salty prosciutto. I’ve included several ingredient variations below.

Prosciutto Rolls With Arugula, Fennel and Mint

Active time: 40 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Yield: Makes 8 large or 16 small rolls

8 slices prosciutto

Extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Finely grated lemon zest from one lemon

2 cups (packed) arugula leaves

2 medium fennel bulbs, cores and fronds removed, bulbs halved lengthwise, each half thinly sliced lengthwise

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

16 medium-large mint leaves

For a smaller roll, halve the prosciutto slices lengthwise, so you will have 16 strips, each about 1 inch wide.

Place one strip of prosciutto on a work surface, with a short end closest to you. Lightly brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with black pepper and a pinch of lemon zest. Lay 4 to 6 arugula leaves, horizontally, at the base. Place a few shards of fennel and Parmesan over the arugula. Top with a mint leaf. Roll up from the base, wrapping the prosciutto tightly around the vegetables, and continue to roll, placing 1 or 2 additional arugula leaves in the fold as you roll up. Place the roll seam side down on a platter.

Repeat with remaining ingredients. The rolls may be prepared up to four hours in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let them stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Before serving, lightly spritz with olive oil or lemon juice, if desired.

Ingredient variations:

Baby spinach, sweet pepper, goat cheese, melon, mozzarella cheese, fig, brie cheese, rosemary, shredded radicchio, pear, manchego cheese, parsley

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Memorial Day is around the corner. If you haven’t already escaped to the great outdoors to do some grilling, then now is the time to dust off the grill, breathe in the fresh air, and cook up a platter of these crispy, sticky ribs. When it comes to these baby back ribs, the secret is in the sauce. Infused with pomegranate molasses, the basting and dipping sauce yields a sweet and puckery glaze, ensuring the ribs will crisp to finger-licking goodness over the fire. No grill? No worries. You can also make these ribs in your oven.

Pomegranate molasses is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s a slick reduction of pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon, and a great addition to marinades, sauces, dressings, even drinks. It’s available in the international section of your supermarket and specialty stores.

You can also make your own by combining 1 quart (4 cups) of unsweetened pomegranate juice with 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat, until the juice is reduced to about 1 1/4 cups and has a syrupy consistency, about 1 hour. Cool the syrup slightly (it will continue to thicken as it cools), and then store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Lacquered Ribs

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: about 3 1/2 hours, plus marinating time

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Rub:

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

2 racks baby back pork ribs

Sauce:

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Evenly coat the ribs with the rub. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat to meld the flavors, 12 to 15 minutes.

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over low heat, about 275 degrees on a gas grill. (Or heat your oven to 275 degrees.)

Grill the ribs over indirect low heat until the meat is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning once or twice. During the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, lightly baste with some of the sauce. (If using an oven, arrange the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and roast on the middle rack of your oven.)

Increase the grill heat to medium-high. Baste the ribs with the sauce and grill over direct heat until slightly charred and crisp, turning as needed, 8 to 10 minutes. (Or increase the oven heat to 450 degrees and cook until beginning to crisp, turning as needed.)

Serve with the remaining sauce for dipping.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS