Berry Shrub

By: Co+op

Total Time: 24 hours total; 30 minutes active

Servings: 10

You don’t have to ferment your own beverages to reap the benefits of probiotic drinks. In this easy shrub, active apple cider vinegar provides a bit of good bacterial culture as well as tartness to balance the sweet berries and sugar.

Ingredients

6 ounces fresh raspberries, blueberries or blackberries, washed

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup active apple cider vinegar

Ice and club soda, to serve

Preparation

In a two-cup storage container with a lid, mash the berries with a wooden spoon. Stir in the sugar and vinegar, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the fruit, pressing with a spoon to extract all the liquids. Discard (or eat) the pulp.

Store the liquid in the refrigerator for up to a week, tightly covered, before serving. To serve, place two tablespoons of shrub in a glass, fill with ice, then add club soda to top it off. Stir and serve.

Serving Suggestion: Skewer fresh berries and freeze to make a fun stir-stick that can be enjoyed with the drink.

Nutritional Information: 70 calories, 0 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 0 mg. sodium, 17 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 0 g. protein

Mixed Berry Crumble

By: Co+op

Total Time: 40 minutes; 15 minutes active

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

4 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed

2 cups fresh raspberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, salt and zest. Add the melted butter and stir to mix. Reserve. Place the berries in a 2-quart baking dish, and sprinkle with sugar, arrowroot or cornstarch, and vanilla. Toss gently to coat, until well combined. Crumble the oat mixture over the berries in the dish. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the juices are thick and bubbly all the way around the dish. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestion: Vary the flavors by adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to the topping, or change the balance of berries in the mix. Substitute a gluten-free flour blend if you prefer. Serve this warm with a scoop of ice cream and you can't miss.

Nutritional Information: 270 calories, 12 g. fat, 30 mg. cholesterol, 160 mg. sodium, 39 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. fiber, 3 g. protein

Berry Yogurt Ice Pops

By: Co+op

Total Time: 30 minutes active; 6 hours total

Servings: 8

A tasty and healthy way to beat the heat and extend the berry season.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh berries, washed and chopped (use a single kind or a variety)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

Preparation

In a saucepan, bring the berries, sugar, honey and water to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar, remove from heat, and pulse in a food processor until just chunky. Place the mixture into a small bowl and cool it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Whisk or fold the yogurt and lemon juice into the berry mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into molds (see Tips & Notes) and freeze for at least 5 hours. Run molds under hot water to release the ice pops.

Serving Suggestion: Freeze the ice pop mixture in ice cube trays, and serve two or three in a tall glass of ginger ale for a fun summer cooler. For a non-dairy version, substitute soy yogurt or coconut milk yogurt for the Greek yogurt.

Tips & Notes: If you can't find molds, use paper cups and wooden paddles or sticks.

Nutritional Information: 79 calories, 0 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 18 mg. sodium, 16 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 5 g. protein

Fresh Berry Parfait with Muesli Honey Bars

By: Co+op

Total Time: 20 minutes active, 1 hour 20 minutes total

Servings: 8

A simple and delicious treat featuring berries of any kind, yogurt and muesli bars.

Ingredients

Muesli Honey Bars

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

8 ounces muesli of your choice

Parfait

4 cups fresh berries of your choice, chopped

8 cups vanilla or plain yogurt

Honey for topping

Preparation

For the Muesli Honey Bars: Butter a shallow 11x17-inch baking pan and line with wax paper. In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, combine honey, butter, and chocolate, and stir until melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in all but 1/4 cup muesli. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle and press remaining muesli on top and refrigerate 1-2 hours, until set. Remove from pan and cut into 8-16 bars.

For the parfaits: In a large glass, layer fruit and yogurt until full. Top with additional berries and a squeeze of honey.

Push one Muesli Honey Bar into the top of each parfait to serve, or crumble one bar over each parfait.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 458, Fat: 19 g, Cholesterol: 51 mg, Sodium: 131 mg, Carbohydrate: 59 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Protein: 14 g