Roasted Strawberries

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Slice off the strawberries' leafy caps, removing as little fruit as possible. Leave small and medium berries whole, but cut the largest ones in half. Toss with sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Add the empty vanilla pod, if using.

Roast, stirring once or twice along the way, until the berries are fork tender and swimming in bright red juice, about 30 minutes (see note). If you didn't use a spent vanilla pod, stir in one drop of vanilla extract along with the rose water, taking care not to crush the tender berries. Serve warm, or refrigerate to use as a jammy syrup. In an airtight container, the roasted fruit and syrup can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.