The 2019 Louisiana strawberry harvest has been better than usual, thanks to cooler spring temperatures that have allowed the season to slowly unfold—and continue plugging along. At last weekend’s Red Stick Farmers Market, Ponchatoula farmer Eric Morrow told me strawberries will run longer than usual thanks to a second harvest brought on by a delay in real heat. Moreover, Morrow and other farmers have had great success with the large, juicy, sweet Fronteras variety, a relatively new breed developed by University of California-Davis plant researchers.
I picked up a half-flat from Morrow last weekend, and honestly, it’s been hard to think of doing anything with these unusually sweet berries beyond eating them right out of the flat. But their luscious flavor also makes them sing in all sorts of dishes, from salsa to muffins to smoothies. Straight-up strawberry smoothies are hard to beat, but throw in easy vegetables, like cooked sweet potatoes, shredded carrots and roasted beets to add more nutrients and deepen the flavor without adding sugars.
Here’s how:
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Strawberry-Beet Breakfast Smoothie
Servings: 4
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2 cup fresh Louisiana strawberries, green tops removed
2 cups frozen berries
1 ½ cups nonfat Greek yogurt
1 medium roasted beet, peeled and cooled
¾ cup water
Add all contents to a blender or smoothie maker. Puree until smooth. Add more water to further thin the consistency. Pour into glasses and top with sunflower shoots, banana slices, coconuts or nuts.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor. Reacher her at hungryforlouisiana.com.