One of my favourite flowers is the poppy. Each year, I scatter seeds around my garden, and they bloom beautifully. After they flower, I collect the dried pods and replant them.
Now, each morning, I’m delighted to discover all sorts of colourful poppies surprising me in the garden. The petals are soft and delicate, dancing gracefully in the breeze. There’s something about the gentle beauty of the poppy that warms the heart and brings a sense of joy.
tips
- For the best results in making smoothies, use homemade nut milk. It is of higher nutritional quality, and the taste is incomparable.
- Use very ripe, in-season strawberries. The maceration process brings out the luscious flavour of the berries.
- You could easily use fresh coconut milk instead of almond milk. Grind ½ cup of the white flesh with the juice for an authentic coconut flavour.
- Adding goji berries boosts the intake of antioxidants, trace minerals, amino acids, Vitamin C, and beta-carotene. Combined with the red berries, it is a powerhouse, nutrient-rich smoothie.
strawberry, raspberry, goji smoothie
serves 6 small or 3 medium glasses
ingredients
450g very ripe strawberries
2 Tbsp goji berries
½ cup raspberries
3 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
1½ cups homemade almond or nut milk of choice
2 Medjool dates
pre-soak
- Top the strawberries and cut into quarters. Place in a bowl with the raspberries, drizzle with maple syrup, and a squeeze of lemon. Allow to sit and macerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. (For a very cold smoothie, place the berries in the freezer for an hour after they have macerated.)
- Soak the goji berries in water until they are soft, about 15 minutes.
preparation
- Place the berries and their juices into a blender and puree for a few seconds until smooth. Pour the puree into a jug and set aside.
- Rinse out the blender and place the nut milk and dates. Blend until smooth and frothy.
- To serve, fill a little more than half of the glass with the strawberry puree, then add the frothy nut milk on top. For a decorative swirl, stir the puree with the nut milk, creating a swirling design. Use a toothpick on top to create a finer decoration. Decorate with fresh mint and a spoon of heart-shaped strawberry pieces on top of each glass.
Goodness shared from Stacey
