Summer Harvest – Feature Fruit: Strawberries
Strawberries are in season, and are packed with nutrition and flavor. Their versatility allows them to be used in unique recipes, such as those listed below. Use their natural sweet flavor to tempt the children to try new foods, such as spinach, ricotta cheese, yogurt, and kiwifruit.
Strawberry Facts and Tips:
- On average there are 200 tiny seeds on every strawberry!
- Choose firm strawberries with a bright red color, avoiding shriveled or over-soft berries.
- Do not wash strawberries until you are ready to eat them or they will spoil faster.
- Store in refrigerator for 1-3 days.
- Strawberries are good sources of vitamin C and folate.
Easy Recipes Using Strawberries:
Strawberry Lemonade – Puree strawberries in a blender and pour into a pitcher with lemon juice, water, and a touch of sugar. Kids Can Help: Add ingredients to blender before plugging it in.
Strawberry/Yogurt Parfait – Alternate sliced strawberries with low fat vanilla yogurt in a clear cup, and add some low fat granola for crunch. Kids Can Help: Layer the ingredients in the cup, and sprinkle granola on top.
Green Strawberry Rolls – Mix chopped strawberries, ricotta cheese, and chopped baby spinach leaves. Place in the center of a tortilla, wrap tightly and slice into one-inch rounds. Kids Can Help: Roll the tortilla.
Strawberry Salsa – Mix diced strawberries, kiwifruit, and mango in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk small amount of orange juice, honey, and jam together; Combine with fruit. Serve with cinnamon-sprinkled baked tortilla crisps. Kids Can Help: Mix fruits in bowl and whisk liquids.
Dried Strawberries – Remove stems from berries, and slice into quarters. Place the uncut sides of the berries on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and bake in preheated 200-degree F oven for 2 hours. Remove from oven, flip berries, and return to oven for 2 additional hours.