Summer Smoothie

One of the best parts of summer is the abundance of fresh fruit. Whether you’re growing it in your backyard, picking it up at a local farmer’s market, or grabbing it on your way home from a fruit cart on the corner, there’s so much to choose from. Blackberries, mangoes, apricots, cherries, figs, peaches, plums, strawberries and, of course, watermelon are all just a few of the fragrant, juicy treats that crop up in the warmer season. While all of them are delicious by themselves, it’s easy to over buy produce and, unless you’re throwing a dinner party with a massive fruit salad at the end (and why wouldn’t you?), it’s hard to keep a variety of fruit without letting some of it go bad before you can eat it.

My solution? If you start to notice wilting strawberries or a mango that gives too much, chop em up and freeze em. There’s nothing quite like a fresh fruit smoothie to cool you off in the summertime and having a constant source of fresh, frozen fruit makes it easy to have one without spending a fortune at a retailer.

I set out this summer to invent a simple fruit smoothie recipe that would be healthy and filling enough to be a meal, without taking more than five minutes to make. I’m quasi-vegetarian who only puts milk in my coffee so I eat greek yogurt to get protein and calcium. I’m a big fan of Chobani, and used that in my recipe:

2-3 big scoops of Chobani yogurt (pick your favorite flavor! I’m a non-fat plain flavor kind of girl, but I bet blueberry tastes great in a peach smoothie)
A drizzle of honey (a friend once advised, “Squeeze the bear and see what comes out!”)
Peaches and mangoes, maybe strawberries and raspberries, whatever is in your freezer

I have a small food processor, which I find makes the perfect-sized breakfast smoothie and is easy to clean up, but a larger blender will work, especially if you’re making smoothies for friends or family, too. First, I scoop in the yogurt, then drizzle on the honey and add the fruit on top. After blending it all down, I fill the top back up with fruit, maybe add another drizzle of honey, and blend again.

Ta-da! A creamy smoothie with everything you need to kick start your day– protein, calcium, fiber and vitamin filled fruits– perfect to sip while checking emails or pour into a to-go cup and slurp on the subway. You can make them in the morning or blend the night before and refrigerate.

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