Red, White, and Blue: Celebrating July 4th
Summer berries are arriving at our Harvest Home Farmers’ Markets! Ripe red strawberries and plumb blueberries. Loaded with a cool, juicy taste, blueberries and strawberries are packed with antioxidants that fight disease and are good for a healthy heart. Berries have a short growing season so grab them while you can. Yum, yum, yum!
Enjoy 4th of July Picnics and family gatherings with Berries, a delicious way to add festive colors and sweetness to any summer dish! Or just toss some juicy berries in your mouth to cool down. They are an easy delicious way to help you stay hydrated in this heat!
For breakfast or a snack, energize yourself with a refreshing mix of strawberries, blueberries, and low-fat vanilla yogurt. Yogurt adds sweetness without extra calories and helps your digestion. Freeze blueberries for an icy snack. Add berries to any salad or smoothie or pop them in your mouth for a refreshing treat!
Bring some zing to your picnic with Red, White, and Blueberry salsa.
Mix in a large bowl:
1 cup fresh blueberries and 1 cup of diced strawberries
1 cup diced jicama or water chestnuts
1/3 cup cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 Tablespoons finely chopped stemmed and seeded jalapeno pepper or as much or as little for the spicy taste you enjoy
Juice from a large lime
Desserts? Oh, the choices! Strawberry, blueberry shortcake is an easy winner: Toss a few cups of berries with a little sugar. Just a few teaspoons of sugar to bring out the juice. Let them sit for an hour. Put them on biscuits, cake, ice cream, or lemon sherbet. Try Blueberry Cobbler or Fresh Strawberry Pie (See recipes) for dessert.
Any way you combine these berries, it’s a treat for your mouth and a boost for your body’s health.
Red, white, and Blue your 4th of July, and Enjoy!
Red, White & Blueberry Recipes
RECIPE: Fresh Strawberry Pie
A No-Bake pie with fresh uncooked strawberries. Great for hot weather when you don’t want to use the oven a lot.
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups of strawberries (3-4 pints) stem removed
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Water
9-inch baked pastry shell for bottom pie crust
TO MAKE:
Prepare/bake pastry shell and cool
Mash up 2 cups of strawberries and add enough water to make 1 ½ cups of liquid
Place in a saucepan with cornstarch and sugar
Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens about 5 minutes or less. Cool slightly
Put the remaining strawberries in a pastry shell and pour on the cooked strawberries. Chill
Blueberry Cobbler
Cobblers are fruit with a biscuit or cake topping. Great for dessert with ice cream.
For ingredients and a “how-to make“ Click Here Easy, fast, and delicious!
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TIPS & TRICKS: Berries Today and Tomorrow
How to Keep Delicious
Store blueberries and strawberries in the fridge without washing. Wash them just before using them and let them dry on a paper towel.
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. Put frozen berries in a plastic zip-lock bag for storage. On a hot day, let a few melt in your mouth or save them and remember the taste of summer in the winter.
More Ways to Eat NOW
Sprinkle fresh berries on your cereal for a real morning treat and energy boost.
4th of July: Strawberries, blueberries, and anything white, like bananas, ice cream, yogurt, and even cheese. Layer in a dish, put on toothpicks for mini-rockets, make a flag on a cake and have fun.
Super Smoothies
Made with strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. No sugar is needed! Try them for a summer breakfast or a snack
Use either milk or fat-free yogurt or both. Along with a delicious refreshing taste, you get calcium for your bones and antioxidants to keep you healthy.
For a frozen smoothie: Add 3-4 ice cubes to the blender to make a frozen snack.
Try freezing yogurt in an ice cube tray. Store the cubes in plastic bags. Toss into your smoothies instead of ice cubes.