More Strawberry Love

Breakfast on the Go:

A quickie, but an old favorite. Still looking for ways to enjoy this season's delicious strawberries, and not always having a lot of time. I love them just the way they are, but sometimes a little more substance is needed for the start of the day. And some people think oatmeal is just for the cooler months, and I agree that I don't eat a lot of hot oatmeal in the summer, but that doesn't mean you need to neglect it for the entire season!

I took a small jar and started with about 1/3 cup of oats, topped with a handful of sliced strawberries and a small peach. Grated a small bit of fresh ginger, drizzled some honey, then topped with about 1/2 cup of goat milk yogurt and a couple of leaves each of fresh basil and mint, torn into small pieces. 

the ingredients

I gave the jar a good shake, then tossed it in my bag and headed to the studio. By the time I got to the studio, the oats had begun to soften and the flavors of the fresh fruit were nicely mingled with the ginger, honey, and herbs. 

brekkie in a jar

I'm looking forward to more combinations throughout the season. And I realize I don't have a lovely image of my morning porridge in a beautiful handmade bowl, but I was just hungry enough when I got to the studio that I ate this out of the jar. If I were to (and when I do) 'plate' this, I think a yunomi tea bowl will be the vessel. Stay tuned.

Strawberries!

I love going through Spring as fruits and veg start crowding each other at Farmer's Market stalls, and the strawberries have been so luscious this year that it's been hard to resist! 

Recently, having picked up berries at the weekend Tailgate, I had the chance to get some more from another favorite farm, Mudluscious Gardens. I didn't want any to go bad, and there's only so much room in the freezer. No time for jams or preserves, so what else? 

Cue the serendipity please: a random re-organization of a kitchen drawer led to the re-discovery of a popsicle mold, and even better, some sticks! Combine that with a forecast for rising temps, a few other key ingredients:

...and we have a plan. Goat milk yogurt, berries, honey, balsamic vinegar, and a bit of basil. I was throwing this together before work, so I didn't measure exactly (big surprise!), but I found this recipe at ACoupleCooks.com that more or less shared my ingredient list - I used goat milk yogurt and I think a bit less honey. Also, I just tossed everything in the food processer and let it rip until it was well blended - what they detail below would be excellent as well to pull even more flavors out:

Strawberry Basil Popsicles

by: a Couple Cooks

Makes: 8 to 9 popsicles

What You Need

• 1 pound / pint (2 cups) strawberries
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 10 basil leaves

 Technical note: if you have this type of popsicle mold, make sure your sticks are standing STRAIGHT up, to avoid a rather comical event when it's time to take off the lid. :)

What To Do

1. Hull and roughly chop strawberries. In a bowl, combine the strawberries with ⅓ cup honey and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, and let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Blend together the strawberries with 1 cup Greek yogurt and 10 basil leaves using a blender or immersion blender, until thoroughly combined.
3. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Notes

Adapted from The Kitchn

My review: refreshing but not too sweet - big win and can't wait to try other versions!