Strawberry Basil Scones

On warm summer days like today, it's hard to find something more refreshing than a handful of ripe berries, still cool from the fridge. It seems silly to add them to a dish or bake with them when berries are just so perfect by themselves. I would have happily rinsed off the strawberries and eaten them straight from the open box, but my dad had been nudging me to make these strawberry basil scones for months. And each time he did, my reply was "they're not in season yet...." The bland strawberries you find in the winter really just aren't the same.

But now it's nearly July and our local co-op is brimming with fresh produce. There are cartons of brilliantly red strawberries and bunches of fresh basil. So on my first day of summer break I hopped on my bike and pedaled over to the co-op where I bought a box heaping with small, ripe strawberries; a pound of butter; a small bunch of basil; and a pint of half-and-half - everything I would need for these strawberry scones.