Kitchen Tip: Saving Berries

Maru and I love strawberries. I actually really like almost all berries, but she is particularly partial to a classic strawberry. The main way we consume them is in smoothies, so we use them up fast. We're not in easy reach of a U-pick farm here in the city, and the 1lb boxes of strawberries can often cost as much as $5 a pop, but sometimes you get lucky and the corner grocery store wants to liquidate boxes of berries that are a little overripe. This happened to me the other day when I found the 1lb boxes for 89 cents each! So I bought 12. Yes, 12 pounds of strawberries. It was all that would fit in my market bag. What can you do with 12 pounds of berries for two people? Why, freeze them for later of course!

Frozen berries are perfect for smoothies, and they are also great for making quick little fruit toppings and compotes. Throw a couple cups worth in a sauce pan with a couple tablespoons of sugar and cook them down, and there you have it! A yummy topping for pancakes, waffles, french toast, crepes, strawberry shortcake, etc.

Here is the process we follow to get our berries in the freezer:

1. Clean them really well.

2. For strawberries, cut off the end.

3. Place the berries in an even layer on a cookie sheet. Strawberries can be set up on their flat end.

4. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer and let them freeze for 1-2 hours.

5. Label a ziploc bag with the date. Break the berries off of the cookie sheet and bag them, then return to the freezer until desired. They will keep really well for a couple of months and reasonably well for a couple months beyond that. Over time, they just start to lose a little flavor.

By freezing them on the cookie sheet first, you prevent them from freezing into one big lump. You'll actually have separate berries in the bag.

Here is our traditional morning smoothie recipe. This makes two large glasses:

2 bananas

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup yogurt

Juice of one orange

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup water (just to make it more drinkable)

Throw everything in a blender and puree. Mmmmm.

Recipe: Parsley Walnut Pesto

We love pesto, and really, who doesn’t? While the classic basil and pine nut pesto will always be a favorite, there are dozens of ways to make this simple dressing (I feel like it’s more of a “dressing” than a “sauce”). Basically, you just need a fresh herb or leafy green and some kind of nut. Add olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and voila!

One combination that has become a staple for us is this recipe, which uses walnuts and parsley, both of which are significantly cheaper than their traditional counterparts (unless you have basil growing in your garden, which we currently do not L). Parsley is a seriously underappreciated herb in my opinion. When it is good and fresh, the flavor is sharp and bright and can add a lot to a dish. Here, it works perfectly with the walnuts. I am always partial to flat-leaf parsley as opposed to curly-leaf, because I think it has a stronger flavor, but use what you have or can find.

Probably the best thing about this dish, other than the deliciousness, is how ridiculously quick and easy it is. Far and away the step that takes the longest is bringing the water to a boil, which easily makes this a workweek dish. And the leftovers keep really well for lunch the next day! It’s even good cold. You will love this pesto. Seriously.

For some reason, roasted carrots have become our companion vegetable for pesto, probably because they complement the green. We just cut them into spears, put them in a glass dish with a little olive oil, a pat of butter, salt, and pepper, and then roast them at 375⁰F for about 35 minutes.

Also, this is a great recipe for whole wheat pasta, because it stands up well to the strong, nutty flavor of the pesto. Enjoy!

PS You'll note there are some roasted red peppers on that plate too. See the next entry!

Parsley and Walnut Pesto Pasta

1 lb whole wheat spaghetti noodles

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 bunch parsley

¼ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, still in their paper

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 dried red chiles, deseeded (optional, they give it a nice, subtle kick)

½ cup grated parmigiano or romano cheese (either one is good)

Water to boil pasta

1. Put the water in a large pot and start to bring it to a boil while you prepare the pesto. Add ½ tablespoon salt to the water.

2. Place a small non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Put the garlic cloves in the skillet and roast them for about 5 minutes, turning frequently. Most pesto recipes just have you put raw cloves in. It tastes good like that, but can be a little strong. Light roasting mellows them out a bit.

3. Separate out ¼ cup of the nuts. Set aside.

4. In a food processor or blender (it is a little easier to do in a food processor), place the remaining ¾ cup of walnuts, oil, salt, pepper, and chiles if using. Pulse until blended.

5. Remove the roasted garlic from its paper and add it to the food processor. Pulse until blended.

6. Wash the parsley. Twist off the bottom part of the stems, from where the leaves start to come out (usually about 3 or 4 inches up). Discard the extra stems and put the whole top part of the bunch in the food processor (including the tender top stems).

7. Process until a smooth paste is formed. You may need to add another drizzle or two of olive oil for a nice consistency.

8. Scrape the pesto out of the food processor bowl and into the bottom of a bowl large enough to hold all of the pasta. Add the grated parmigiano and mix. Set aside.

9. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, and then immediately put it in the bowl with the pesto. Using a pair of forks or tongs, toss the pasta until it is evenly dressed.

10. Serve, then top with extra chopped nuts and a little extra parmigiano.

PS