June 2021 Kitchen Corner

June is Strawberry Season!

Most of us go crazy for these little red heart-shaped fruit. Not only are they delicious and attractive but they also

offer many nutritional benefits that we tend to not even think of as we’re eating them because they taste so good! Strawberries are high in vitamin C, manganese, fiber and offer a decent source of

folate. Some health benefits links to these wonderful vitamins and minerals are

lowering risk of cancer, improving heart health, keeping our eyes strong and

functioning, immunity, metabolizing key macro-nutrients and of course, bowel health. Everyone thinks of hauling and eating these little bundles of deliciousness raw or perhaps baking with them. But have you ever tried venturing outside the box with strawberries?

Strawberry Balsamic Goat Cheese Pizza

1 pizza crust (homemade or store bought)

1 qt strawberries, quartered

4 oz. goat cheese

1 c shredded parmesan

1/3 c basil

Balsamic vinegar, drizzle

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400° with the pizza stone or pan inside the oven, warming up. While the oven is heating, roll out your crust on the counter so it is ready to toss on the pizza stone. Once the oven is preheated, remove the stone, give it a quick spray of non-stick spray and place your crust in the center of the stone.

Return the crust to the oven for 10 minutes. NOTE: By allowing the pizza stone to heat up before you place the crust on it, it will give you a nice crispy bottom. If you prefer a softer crust, feel free to skip that step.

Remove the crust from the oven and quickly top it with strawberries, goat cheese and Parmesan. Immediately return the pizza to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes until the crust is completely baked and the cheese is melted. Drizzle the top of the pizza with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with basil. Serve

Immediately.

Chilled Strawberry Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/3 whole fennel bulb - chopped bulb, reserve

the rest for a salad or another use

1/4 whole onion - sweet, chopped

1/2 tablespoon ginger root - fresh, chopped fine

1/4 stick cinnamon - stick, not ground

4 cups strawberries - hulled, cleaned and

halved

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sorghum syrup - or try molasses

if necessary

1/2 can coconut milk - unsweetened

8 ounces almond milk - unsweetened

3 tablespoons tarragon - fresh, chopped

1 pinch of salt to taste

1 bunch Fresh mint leaves - garnish, optional

Instructions

Bring a 4-quart pot to medium high heat.

Add olive oil, and then add the fennel, onion, ginger, and cinnamon stick.

Cook vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in the strawberries.

Continue to cook down veggies and berries until strawberries have softened, about 5-10 minutes.

Add all liquids, tarragon, and a pinch of salt.

Cook until everything is hot and slightly reduced (about 5-10 minutes).

Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Remove soup from heat and allow to cool slightly. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth (alternative: puree in batches in a tabletop blender).

Allow soup to sit for about 20-30 minutes at room temp, and then pour soup in-to sealed containers then chill for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to devel-op overnight.

Serve chilled with more fresh strawberries and tarragon or mint leaves.

References

https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Strawberries%2C_raw_nutritional_value.html

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/manganese-healthprofessional/

Strawberry Balsamic & Goat Cheese Pizza (thecreativebite.com)

Chilled Strawberry Soup - Skyterra Recipe (spaindex.com)

Submitted by Nikki O’Melia, Director of Dietetics