In a skillet, caramelize 2 tbsp. sugar over low heat, add a small basket of cleaned strawberries and three thick curls of salted butter; let the butter melt into the fruit for 3 or 4 minutes and serve with warm palmiers (puff pastry "cookies.")

Prepare a traditional recipe for strawberry jam and half way through, add in one sprig of fresh lemon verbena for each jar of jam.

In a salad bowl, cut a basket of cleaned strawberries into halves, add 3 tbsp. granulated sugar, ½ tsp. of finely minced fresh lemon balm, ½ tsp. lime juice and the chopped leaves from one sprig of basil; let macerate for 40 minutes and serve.

In a bowl, combine a dozen large strawberries, halved, with six crushed dragées (sugar-coated almonds), add 3 or 4 grindings of black pepper and a few drops of lemon juice; let macerate 40 minutes and serve.

Even better: use black pepper from the Kerala region, which has smoky, woodsy overtones.

In a skillet, melt a handful of berlingots (hard sugar candies) that have been broken into small pieces, without letting the melted candies colour; add a small basket of cleaned halved strawberries, half a vanilla bean and a half-teaspoon of lemon zest. Let the fruit cook gently for 3 or 4 minutes and serve with whipped cream.

*Berlingot - a hard French sugar candy, sometimes flavoured with peppermint or fruit, consisting of alternating stripes (like the British "humbug"), often made in a pyramid shape.

In a blender, purée a basket of cleaned strawberries with the pulp and juice of four passion fruits and a couple spoonfuls of good-quality grenadine. Serve the coulis with a vanilla mille-feuille or a pear charlotte.

In a skillet over low heat, caramelize a tablespoonful of finely granulated sugar (berry sugar), add 12 to 18 nice strawberries, ½ tsp. chopped fresh ginger, 2 tbsp. fresh coconut pulp in thin shavings and 3 chopped mint leaves; let the fruit cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes in the caramelized sugar, add 4 tbsp. coconut milk and serve in deep dishes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tip: make the coconut shavings by going around the inside of a halved coconut with a paring knife.

Make an infusion with a cup of hibiscus petals, 500 ml (2 cups) of water and 100 g (scant ½ cup) of sugar. Let cool, and then add a large basket of cleaned strawberries to the infusion; let macerate overnight, liquefy in a blender and place in an ice-cream maker to freeze. Serve immediately.

Try an ice cream made with almond milk to accompany a traditional strawberry tart.

And also: a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar will bring out all the scent and flavours of strawberries.