Grilled Pizza with Satur Farms Baby Arugula, Sliced Jurgielewicz Farms Duck Breast, Catapano Farms Goat Cheese and Kiaszewski Farm Strawberries with Local Rose' Vinaigrette. Photo by Ellen Watson

Summer is here, and on the East End, that means that several delicious local crops are in and available at farmstands throughout the Hamptons and the North Fork.

Two of the ingredients I get the most excited about are in season right now - fresh local strawberries and tender East End asparagus.

If the only strawberries you've ever tasted are the large, hard supermarket berries that are hollow and white in the middle, you've never actually tasted a strawberry. Locally grown ones are bright red throughout, intensely flavorful, sweet and so juicy that you'll definitely have the fresh pink juice running down your arm as you eat them from the pint container. Be sure to take the kids strawberry picking and encourage them to taste their way across this wonderful region.

I like to eat them just like that - alone - from the container, but there are endless ways to use the season's first strawberries. Some are obvious - pies, with shortcakes, or as a topping for creamy vanilla ice cream, but there are many savory ways to use these little red jewels of joy. Chef Doug Gulija of the Plaza Cafe in Southampton features them in a tantalizingly unique grilled pizza.

Local asparagus similarly bear little resemblance to the coarse, stringy stuff you'll find in your local grocery store. The local stuff is much more flavorful and so tender that you can eat it raw - either shaved with a vegetable peeler into salads, or chopped into tiny discs and tossed with pasta or grains.

Grilled Pizza with Satur Farms Baby Arugula, Sliced Jurgielewicz Farms Duck Breast, Catapano Farms Goat Cheese and Kiaszewski Farm Strawberries with Local Rose' Vinaigrette
Yield: 1 6-8 inch pizza

1 1/2 Cups Satur Farms Baby Arugula
1 6-8 oz. Jurgielwicz Farms Duck Breast
1 pint Kiaszewski Farms Strawberries, sliced
3 oz. Catapano Farms Goat Cheese
2 T Pecans, toasted
1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 oz. Local Rose Vinaigrette (recipe below)
7 oz. Pizza Dough, rolled out to paper thin

Duck Preparation
1. Score duck breast and season with kosher salt and freshly crushed pepper
2. Place sauté pan on hot grill; place duck breast skin side down in cool pan and slowly render fat
3. When skin side is caramelized, remove duck from pan and finish grilling to medium-rare
4. Remove duck and let rest
5. Slice breast right before serving

Salad and Pizza Preparation
1. In a bowl toss together the baby arugula, strawberries, pecans and dress with vinaigrette
2. Brush pizza dough and place on grill; once grill marks are made flip pizza over to finish
3. Place pizza on serving plate, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with goat cheese
4. Place salad mixture on top of pizza, top with duck breast slices
5. Carefully cut pizza into four slices and serve with Corey Creek 2006 Rose

Local Rose Vinaigrette
3 oz. Wolffer Estate Honey
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
6 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 oz. Local Rose, such as Wolffer Estate, Channing Daughters, or Corey Creek
1-2 oz. White Balsamic Vinegar

1. Reduce rose from 6 oz. to 2 oz. over medium heat
2. Whisk honey, Dijon, and reduced rose
3. Slowly emulsify wih olive oil
4. Balance with balsamic vinegar to taste
5. Season with kosher salt and fresh crushed pepper

Sauteed Local Monkfish Medallions with Baby Grilled Asparagus and Sorrel Hollandaise. Photo by Ellen Watson

Sauteed Local Monkfish Medallions with Baby Grilled Asparagus and Sorrel Hollandaise

2.5 to 3lbs. Monkfish, cleaned* and cut into 4oz. medallions
15-20 Stalks baby asparagus, trimmed
2-3 oz. Olive oil
1 tsp. Shallots minced
1 tsp. Fresh herbs, minced (chives, parsley, chervil)
Microgreens and lemon olive oil for garnish
Sorrel hollandaise (recipe below)

1. Dredge monkfish medallions in seasoned flour and sauté in blended oil until golden; approximately two minutes per side
2. Combine olive oil, shallots, and herbs and then brush onto asparagus
3. Grill asparagus - being careful not to burn tips - season with salt and pepper and portion in center of plate
4. Top asparagus with monkfish medallions
5. Nape monkfish and asparagus with sorrel hollandaise. Dress micro greens with lemon oil and garnish top of monkfish
* Be careful to remove all sinew or monkfish with curl up when placed in hot oil

Sorrel Hollandaise
1 T White wine vinegar
2 T White wine
1 T Lemon juice
1 tsp. Shallots, minced
1 tsp. White peppercorns
1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
6 oz. Clarified butter
2 oz. Pasteurized egg yolks
1/2 oz. Sorrel, chiffonade

1. Reduce white wine, vinegar, shallots and peppercorns to half; keep warm and reserve
2. Whisk egg yolks into reserved mixture over double boiler and gradually drizzle in warm butter
3. Add lemon juice, cayenne, and sorrel; adjust seasoning with salt