Cherry, Strawberry & Peach Smoothie with Basil

Hydroponic basil was absolutely gorgeous at my co-op yesterday so I bought a whole bunch! This means that everything gets a bit of greenery whether it wants it or not, ha! This morning I added it to our smoothies, resulting in a delicious, herbal accent that went so well with the strawberries and cherries. I often make strawberry shortcakes with balsamic and basil and it's always a big hit in our house. This smoothie was thick and creamy thanks to the addition of a few spoonfuls of Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery mascarpone cheese. This addition made the smoothie feel just like drinking a luxurious fruit milkshake but without the guilt!

I used fresh organic strawberries, frozen organic cherries and locally picked, then frozen peaches. These peaches we picked in the summer and then froze to have them all winter long, they weren't organic because I knew that the orchard used a low-spray last year. Peaches are on the dirty dozen list though, so if you don't know where yours are coming from I would buy them organic. The reason I use both fresh and frozen fruit is simple; I want the intense taste of the fresh fruit but I want the texture and temperature of the frozen fruit. The frozen fruit still tastes good, though it's a bit muted. It is perfect, however, for achieving a frosty and thick texture without having to add ice cubes that, I feel, really waters down the taste of your smoothie. I sweetened our smoothie by adding a tiny bit of honey, the honey is naturally sweet and has a floral quality which pairs really well with the basil giving the smoothie a depth of flavor that I find very interesting and satisfying. I always use local honey for a bunch of reasons: it supports the local economy because you are buying from local bee keepers. It supports your immune system because you are ingesting honey made from plants in your area and this helps the body fight sickness and allergies. It also supports the local environment because the colonies of honey bees thrive and pollinate the plants in the area where you live. Lastly I know that the product I am buying is pure and delicious, real honey, many of the products labeled honey in the grocery store are far from this. My honey comes from bees in Amsterdam NY, the farm is called Rulison Honey Farms. Check out their Facebook page to see their farm and their bees.

This recipe makes 2 large smoothies.

Ingredients

1 Cup fresh, organic strawberries, sliced.
1 Cup organic, frozen peaches, slices.
1/2 Cup frozen, organic cherries
1/2 Cup pasture raised 2% organic milk
2 Tbsp Vermont Creamery mascarpone cheese
1 Tbsp local honey
1/3 Cup Stonyfield banilla low-fat, organic yogurt
4 leaves of fresh, organic basil

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender, I like to start with the liquids first because it's easier on the blender to get things moving.

Blend till smooth and serve immediately, the smoothie is best when very cold.

“If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” 
― Albert Einstein