My ice crusher and blender did all the really hard work, but I was a hero to my girls with these chilly and sweet all natural strawberry slushies.

This recipe makes a blender full – about 5 cups.

3 cups strawberries, washed and capped
3 cups crushed ice
3 teaspoons lime juice
4-5 tablespoons agave nectar

Blend until smooth. Straws are required.

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Happy Flag Day!

It’s day two of strawberry weekend here at lemmontwist. Today’s recipe is about celebration — of our flag and our favorite organic berry.

Strawberry syrup is 1 cup berries mixed with 1 cup sugar, cook on medium/low. Mash berries with a potato masher. Continue to cook until it boils. Remove from heat. Then strain berries if you prefer to separate from syrup.

Pour 1 glass Prosecco or other sparkling white.
Drizzle with fresh strawberry syrup to taste.

Cheers!

To make me feel slightly better for serving my children strawberry shortcake as their main meal, I also tossed a salad. Of course, they did not eat any salad.

chopped strawberry salad in poppyseed dressing

I used my good ol’ organic haul from Everblossom this week.

• Chopped lettuce – a handful for each serving
• Strawberries, halved
• Croutons – plain and salty
• Tossed all together with a few tablespoons of Brianna’s Poppyseed Dressing (www.briannassaladdressing.com)

Strawberries. They’re what’s for dinner.

Tonight our Everblossom organic strawberries were the star of dinner — a strawberry salad followed by SHORTCAKE! I made this shortcake from a pre-made mix I keep on hand. My shortcake is brown because I use white whole wheat and instead of refined sugar, I use sucanat. Sucanat is an unrefined sugar that is brown and has a slight molasses taste in some things, but works very well here. If you’re interested, you can buy it at Sonnewald Natural Food store in Spring Grove.

Since I also use this mix for pancakes, here are the instructions to make pancakes too… or in this case 8 individual shortcakes. If you’re Pennsylvania “Dutchy” like us, you will eat this with a healthy pour of milk and let the warm cake soak it up.

For the pancake/waffle/shortcake mix:
4 cups all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour)
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons superfine sugar

Sift together and store in a jar.

To make 8 individual shortcakes:
2 1/3 cups mix
4 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup milk

Mix all ingredients together,  drop them evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

To make pancakes: to each 1 cup of pancake mix, add and whisk together
1 large egg
1 cup reduced fat milk (or full fat)
1 tablespoon melted butter

(to serve 4, start with 2 cups of mix).

I have been helping Elaine with recipes for the CSA since she started about 10 years ago. We shared this recipe back in 2012. I’ve posted it here just the same except I have modified it to use the season’s garlic scapes.

Hakurei turnips are the little white globes in your bag. They are sweet and spicy and will make a turnip lover out of you! No need to peel them.

Garlic scapes are the the twisty shoots of the garlic plant that have a mild and fresh garlic flavor. I like to substitute these for garlic and green onions – which I have done here.

Serves 2 (or more as a side)

8-12 hakurei turnips with greens

3 tablespoons sesame oil

3 garlic scapes, chopped into 1/4-inch chunks

Salt and black pepper

Sesame seeds and Soba noodles (optional)

• Separate the turnips from their greens and wash and dry both thoroughly. Cut off both ends of the turnip bulbs (no need to peel them) and slice the bulbs into rounds about one-quarter of an inch thick. Chop the stems off the turnip greens and set the leaves aside whole.
• Heat the sesame oil in a pan until it’s very hot (drops of water sizzle upon impact). Add the turnip slices, garlic scapes, a pinch of salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Stir frequently for about five minutes until turnips are slightly softened and browning on edges. Add turnip greens. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted and turnip slices are crisp, but tender.
• Serve with cold soba noodles (prepared according to package instructions) tossed in sesame oil.
• Serve with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.