A week of ingredients featured in kid-friendly recipes from the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Georgeanne Brennan. Welcome to Dr. Seuss Week, Day Two.
In our neck of the woods, berry season lasts for six or eight weeks a year.
Even if you don't have your own strawberry fields or raspberry brambles, you know when it's berry time, because PYO (pick your own) or U-Pik signs appear on electrical poles all over town.
For the other forty-four weeks of the year, our best option is frozen fruit.
I'd never choose frozen fruit over in-season ripe fresh fruit, but individually quick frozen (IQF) fruits, prepared commercially or in your own kitchen, frozen at the peak of ripeness, retain almost all of their nutrient value. IQF fruit is 100% natural, with no added sugar or preservatives. It's trimmed and washed, and economical to use. Take what you need, and leave the rest in the freezer.
To IQF at home, wash and trim fresh fruit (or vegetables) and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze completely, then transfer to ziploc bags.
I love to mix frozen fruit into fresh fruit salad. The juices from the frozen melt over the fresh (try this with frozen strawberries and fresh honeydew), creating a beautiful sauce. Add a squeeze of lime and some fresh mint leaves.
Or, you could use the fruit like ice cubes in iced tea, or in a frozen dessert or French toast.
PINK YINK INK DRINK (fruit smoothie)
This one, I think, is called a Yink.
He likes to wink, he likes to drink.
He likes to drink, and drink, and drink.
The thing he likes to drink is ink.
The ink he likes to drink is pink.
He likes to wink and drink pink ink.
SO... if you have a lot of ink,
then you should get a Yink, I think.
(From One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss)
Adapted from the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Georgeanne Brennan, this recipe serves 2-4.
1 cup frozen blackberries, thawed, or 1 pint fresh blackberries
1 cup skim milk
10 large fresh strawberries, green tops removed, or 1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed
2 scoops vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
Put the blackberries in a blender and puree them. Pour into two large glasses or a glass pitcher.
Put the milk, strawberries and frozen yogurt in the blender, and puree. Strain the mixture (optional; I didn't do it). Carefully pour the strawberry mixture on top of the blackberries, and serve immediately.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Frozen fruit whiz
Coconut ice cream
Poached pears in vanilla
MMM i have been making loads of strawberry smoothies since spring started seeing we have had loads of strawberrys this yr! I lurv the sound of this smoothie!
Posted by: Kira Jacobs | June 09, 2009 at 12:41 AM
Love the layered look of the strawberry smoothie mixture on top of the pureed blackberries. It's gorgeous! And I completely agree about frozen fruit juices melting over fresh berry salads or (even) ice cream...divine!
Posted by: Sandie | June 09, 2009 at 01:30 AM
Oh pink yummmmm! Our local market had organic strawberries on sale - I've got 3 "clam shell" packs of them.
Yummmmmm.....
Posted by: Toni | June 09, 2009 at 01:38 AM
love the name of the recipe. I like using frozen fruit for smoothies and milkshakes too. I think this is going to bi a hit with soeren and his buddies!
Posted by: Meeta | June 09, 2009 at 02:51 AM
That Dr. Seuss post title caught my eye immediately! :) Love it!
Posted by: Bridget | June 09, 2009 at 09:47 AM
*Definitely* don't strain it [says I, modestly :-) ] The speckles are so neat!
Posted by: Sandra | June 09, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Love that drink! How yummy! And One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish is my favorite!
Posted by: Jamie | June 09, 2009 at 02:32 PM
WE are lucky to live near a farm marked that specializes in frozen farm foods. When it's not berry season we get big bags from them.
Love the drink! Delish.
Posted by: Natashya | June 09, 2009 at 02:47 PM
Dr. Seuss is one of my sous chef's favorites! We use a lot of frozen berries around here as well. This looks delicious!
Posted by: Amy | June 09, 2009 at 04:40 PM
Ah, that combo of berries and vanilla ice cream is just bliss to me! That may be kid friendly, but here's one adult who craves it!
Posted by: T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types | June 09, 2009 at 05:10 PM
Arizona doesn't run much to berry fields! :)) But the drink sounds yummy.
Posted by: Janet from Tucson | June 09, 2009 at 05:11 PM
Just the name makes me laugh hysterically!
Posted by: noble pig | June 09, 2009 at 09:06 PM
Sounds like a fun cookbook. How cool to have Dr. Seuss Week.
Paz
Posted by: Paz | June 09, 2009 at 10:32 PM
Kira, Toni, Natashya: You're lucky to have a local source of strawberries. Here in RI, I do, too -- lots of berry farms and some generous neighbors!
Sandie, I love the layered look, too. It's such fun to stick a long-handled spoon down into the glass and come up with bits from both layers.
Meet, your son will love this, and of course if you're not making it for a Yink, you can make it in colors other than pink.
Bridget, Jamie, Amy, Noble Pig, Paz: I absolutely could not pass up this cookbook when I saw it on sale at my local book store. The recipes are such fun -- healthy interpretations of the Dr. Seuss stories.
Sandra, I like the speckled look, too.
TW, the original recipe called for milk, but why use milk when ice cream is on hand?! I love smoothies like this in the summer.
Janet, for you there are wonderful frozen strawberries!
Posted by: Lydia | June 09, 2009 at 11:11 PM
Oh dear, I'm going to be a negative Nellie: I don't understand the appeal of the smoothie. Too heavy, usually too sweet (not that they're sweet but there's no counterpoint to the sweet fruit. I like a balance when I eat). But then, I don't understand "death by chocolate", either. Lovely pic & another fine entry. Really enjoying Dr. Seuss week so far.
Posted by: jenna | June 09, 2009 at 11:12 PM
our berry season is sooooo short...i'm all about freezing and canning their delightfulness!
Posted by: rebecca | June 10, 2009 at 03:55 PM
And really, who doesn't want a little seuss with their beverages?!
Posted by: EB | June 10, 2009 at 08:28 PM
Jenna, a bit of lemon juice would balance the sweetness of the fruit, or using yogurt instead of milk.
Rebecca, I'm not much of a canner, but freezing berries is definitely my thing. It feels so indulgent to have them in the middle of winter!
EB, who indeed???
Posted by: Lydia | June 11, 2009 at 05:24 AM
I actually made this a while ago and was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty darn good!
Posted by: Mrs. L | June 11, 2009 at 06:25 PM
This looks so sophisticated - and I love the poem. Frozen berries are perfect for summer drinks - I made easy healthy smoothies out of very similar ingredients: http://chewonthatblog.com/2009/01/12/easy-healthy-smoothies-recipe/
Posted by: Hillary | June 12, 2009 at 03:57 PM
Mrs. L, made with the ice cream or frozen yogurt, it's really perfect for summer.
Hillary, smoothies like this are a standby in our house during the summer. And who doesn't love Dr. Seuss???
Posted by: Lydia | June 12, 2009 at 10:50 PM
So pretty, love the color contrast! :)
Posted by: Tina | June 13, 2009 at 02:08 PM