2 fruity dishes using Balsamic vinegar

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1. Easy strawberry & balsamic tarts

Clean and halve or quarter ripe strawberries and place them in a bowl. Dust with castor sugar, mix through and set aside to macerate. Heat the oven to 180°C. Take a sheet of defrosted readymade puff pastry and cut it into smaller squares, rimming the sides with a knife to form a little boundary to keep the strawberries inside. Brush with egg wash and bake until golden and puffy. Remove from the oven. Drizzle the macerated berries with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with black pepper (optional, but delicious) and place a few berries on each tart. Drizzle the tarts with some of the combined balsamic-and-macerated-strawberry syrup, and serve with a scoop of mascarpone or vanilla ice cream.

2. Caramelised nectarine and balsamic salad

Place ripe, halved and stoned nectarines on a medium hot pan with a dab of butter and a drizzle of honey. Add fresh thyme and let the peaches caramelise. Remove from the heat, dribble liberally with balsamic, add shaved Parmesan and dig in.

(These peaches will go really well with a wild rocket salad, or add them to your Mediterranean platter with cured meats like Serrano or Parma ham, olives, cheese and crackers.)

If you ever thought the balsamic vinegars in your local Woolies were all the same, think again. There’s a world of variety and complexity to discover. There are different balsamics to choose from, each with different densities containing different amounts of cooked grape must. All these balsamics are authentically made and packed in Modena, and approved by the Italian Consortium. They are caramel free and contain no added preservatives. The five-grape balsamic is aged for a minimum of three years, which gives it a rich, intense flavour. It’s the perfect finish to your salad, the drizzle for your bread or the way to bring out the sweetness of summer fruit. woolworths.co.za