Fourth of July, summer berries and hot sunny days...so much for us celebrate! Juicy red strawberries and plump blueberries are in season and filling up Harvest Home Farmers' Markets. Click HERE to find a Harvest Home Farmers' Market near you.
Fireworks! Picnics! Family gatherings! The 4th is our favorite summer holiday. Looking for more food fun? Berries are a delicious way to add festive colors and sweetness to any summer dish! Toss some juicy berries in your mouth to cool down. Dress up meals with the colors of our flag. SHARE your food creations, patriotic flair and even pictures of fireworks displays with HHFM on INSTAGRAM!
Blueberries and strawberries are not just loaded with cool, sweet juices but they pack a one-two punch of antioxidants and fiber. For breakfast or a snack, energize yourself with a cool mix of strawberries, blueberries and low-fat vanilla yogurt. Yogurt helps your digestion and calcium intake. Freeze blueberries and take them along for an icy snack. Add berries to any salad.
Add some zest to your grilled meat or picnic with Red, White and Blue...berry salsa. Mix together in a large bowl:
1 cup fresh blueberries and 1 cup of diced strawberries
1 cup diced jicama
1/3 cup cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp finely chopped stemmed and seeded jalapeno pepper
Juice from a large lime
Fourth of July desserts! Oh, the possibilities!
Strawberry, blueberry shortcake is an easy winner: Toss a few cups of berries with a little sugar to help the berries release their juices and form a natural syrup. You just need a few teaspoons of sugar and let the berries sit for an hour. Put them on biscuits or cake or ice cream. Or try an old fashioned "buckle" (See Recipe section) for dessert.
Any way you combine these berries, it's a treat for your mouth and your body. Red, white and blue...berry your 4th of July. HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SAFE 4TH OF JULY!
Strawberry, Blueberry Buckle
Recipe
Buckles are "old-fashion" desserts like a coffee cake packed with fruit and topped with spice. Great for dessert with ice cream.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup each of sliced strawberries and whole blueberries
- ½ cinnamon
- ½ nutmeg
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9 " square baking pan.
- Blend together ¼ cup butter and ½ cup sugar until creamy.
- Add egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add half the dry ingredients to the creamy butter, add milk then add the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Pour into pan.
- Add the fruit on top.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar (1/2 cup), remaining flour (1/2 cup), cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Cut in 1/4 cup butter until crumbly.
- Sprinkle mixture over the fruit.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
Berry Secrets
Tips
- Store blueberries and strawberries in the fridge without washing. Wash them just before using and let dry on a paper towel.
- Sprinkle fresh berries on your cereal for a real morning treat and energy boost.
- Blueberries like to be frozen separately so you can get as many or as few as you feel like from the freezer. Lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze. Then put the frozen berries in a plastic zip-lock bag for storage. On a hot day, let a few melt in your mouth.
- 4th of July Rockets: On a wooden skewer, put strawberries then something white - like cheese or bananas - and then blueberries.
Super Smoothies
- Snack on smoothies made with strawberries, blueberries and bananas. No sugar needed!
- For a frozen smoothie: Add 3-4 ice cubes to the blender to make a frozen snack.
- Use either either milk or fat-free yogurt. Along with a delicious refreshing taste, you get calcium for your bones and antioxidants to keep you healthy.
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