Fruit - the Bounty of Summer

I don't know about you, but I'm up to my ears in lucious fruit! It's so sweet, tasty and inexpensive right now. I don't want it to spoil, but I can only eat so many cobblers and muffins. Knowing that I am going to crave fruit during the winter months, I have been freezing some of my fruit. SO....here are some of my favorite recipes, and freezing tips for the summer's fruit crop.

BANANAS - cut ripe bananas into 5-6 chunks eat, spread on a tray or baking sheet and freeze. Once they are frozen, you can put 1 bananas worth into a small ziplock bag (sandwich size) and then collect all the bags into one large ziplock. The double bag will help prevent freezer burn, and now you have them in the right amounts for smoothies. Since they will be going into your blended frozen - you won't need many (any) ice cubes, and they will contribute smoothness to the drink. Here are two of my favorites:

• Banana Choco-Coffee - 1 frozen banana, 1 cup milk (any kind), 1 tsp. espresso powder, 4 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp honey - blend and drink.
• Banana Orange - 1 frozen banana, 1 cup yogurt (any kind - I like vanilla) - 1 cup orange juice. blend and drink.

BLUEBERRIES - In addition to making a terrific cobbler, they make wonderful syrup - that you can use chilled as a jam/spread. They also freeze well for smoothies, or winter cobblers - spread them out on a tray to freeze, then pop into a ziplock bag. I usually pre-measure, and mark the bag with the amounts - it makes cooking easier.

• 1/4 cup maple syrup (the real stuff) and 1 1/2 cups blueberries. Cook in a medium saucepan over medium heat until some of the berries burst, and the whole thing is a lovely dark purple. Cool and refrigerate, or pour immediately on hot pancakes!
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup yogurt, 1 tbsp. honey, 1/2 banana. Blend and drink up!
• Cobbler - 6 cups fruit - add 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, zest of 1 lemon, and juice of same lemon. Put into the bottom of your dish. I make the topping in the food processor - 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 6 tbsp cold butter. Mix. Then pour in while running 3/4 cup buttermilk and 1 tsp vanilla. This is make a loose flakey looking dough (it will not turn into a ball). Sprinkle bits over the top of fruit and bake at 375 for 25-30 min. until topping is done, and bottom is bubbly.

MANGOS - OK they used to sit and rot at my house, no one would eat them. Now, I whip them into a mango chutney, and it gets eatten very quickly. Take 3 mangos and 3 avacados - chop into cubes. Add a diced red onion, some chopped clinatro and the juice of a lime. Mix and put into the fridge overnight. It is great with everything - from hamburgers, to curry.

ENJOY!
paula