Summer berries are arriving just in time to help us celebrate! Juicy red strawberries and plump blueberries are filling up our Harvest Home Farmers' Markets.  Yum, yum, yum!

Fireworks! Picnics! Family gatherings! The 4th is our favorite summer holiday. Looking for more food fun? Berries are a delicious way to add festive color and sweetness to any summer dish! 

Add some red, white and blue....berries your meals. Not just loaded with cool, juicy taste, blueberries & strawberries are packed with antioxidants that fight disease.  For breakfast or a snack, energize yourself with a refreshing mix of strawberries, blueberries & low-fat vanilla yogurt. Yogurt adds sweetness without extra calories & helps your digestion.  Freeze blueberries and take them along for an icy snack. You can even add berries to your salad.  

Add some zest to your grilled meat or picnic with Red, White & Blueberry salsa.

In a large bowl, add:

·         1 cup fresh blueberries

·         1 cup of diced strawberries

·         1 cup diced jicama

·         1/3 cup cilantro

·         ¼ cup finely chopped onion

·         2 Tablespoons finely chopped, stemmed & seeded jalapeno pepper

·         Juice from one lime

         Mix together and serve!

Fourth of July desserts!  Ohh, the possibilities!  Strawberry-blueberry shortcake is an easy winner:  Toss a few cups of berries with a little honey to make them juicy sweet.  You just need a few teaspoons of honey & let the berries sit for an hour. Put them on biscuits or cake or ice cream. Or try fresh strawberry pie (See recipe) for dessert.

Any way you combine these berries, it’s a treat for your mouth & your body. Red, white & blue….berry your 4th of July and ENJOY!

RECIPE: “Berry” Delicious Desserts  

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)

•1/2 cup honey

•3 Tablespoons corn starch

•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 sauce pan with corn starch and sugar

•Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens…about 5 minutes or less. Cool

•Put remaining strawberries in pastry shell and pour on the cooked strawberries.  Chill

Blueberry and Strawberry Buckle

Buckles are ”old-fashion” desserts like a coffee cake packed with fruit & topped with spice.  Great for dessert with ice cream.

For ingredients and how to make video go to: Blueberry Strawberry Buckle

Tips: Berry for Today & Tomorrow

How to Keep Delicious

•Store blueberries and strawberries in the frig without washing.  Wash them just before using & let 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 & 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 & remember the taste of summer in the winter.

More Ways to Eat NOW

•Sprinkle fresh berries on your cereal for a real morning treat & energy boost

•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 & bananas.  No sugar needed!  Or try them for a summer breakfast.

•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.

•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!

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