strawberry

Mercado Kitchen: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt with Jam Swirl

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Grandma's Homemade, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes, Yerena Farms | Leave a comment

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Spring is here and strawberries are available at the market! What better way to enjoy the warm weather than with refreshing strawberry frozen yogurt made with strawberries from Yerena Farms and amped up with a swirl of jam from Grandma’s Homemade?!

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Making this strawberry frozen yogurt with a jam swirl is super simple – puree yogurt with sweetened strawberries and spin into frozen yogurt, then layer with a jam of your choice, such as albion strawberry or raspberry. While it’s easiest to use a home frozen yogurt and ice cream maker (for example, the Cuisinart ICE-21 works great and is under $50), this recipe also includes basic instructions without using a machine.

Pick up some strawberries and jam at the market this week and give making homespun frozen yogurt a try!

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Strawberry Frozen Yogurt with Jam Swirl

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Leibovitz; instructions without machine from I Scream Sandwich! by Jennie Schacht

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh strawberries (from Yerena Farms)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vodka or kirsch (optional)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Jam of choice (we absolutely love albion strawberry or raspberry from Grandma’s Homemade)

Instructions:

Rinse and hull strawberries and slice into small pieces. Stir with sugar and vodka or kirsch (if using) until sugar dissolves. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Puree the strawberries and their liquid with yogurt and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth. Optional: press the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions (see below for alternative instructions without a machine). When ready, spoon a generous amount of jam into the bottom of a container and top with a layer of frozen yogurt. Repeat, alternating generous spoonfuls of jam with the rest of the frozen yogurt. The frozen yogurt will be fairly soft when first out of the machine. If you prefer, keep in the freezer until the frozen yogurt firms to your desired texture.

If not using an ice cream maker, chill the yogurt-strawberry puree in a heavy-duty zipper-top bag with a reliable seal in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Nestle the sealed bag inside a larger zipper-top bag filled with ice and rock salt. Tightly seal the outer bag, then shake, toss, or roll the two together until the frozen yogurt freezes to a soft-serve consistency. At this point, move to a container and layer with jam as described above. Freeze until firm if desired.

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Mercado Kitchen: Spring Strawberry Salad

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Achadinha Cheese Company, Blog, Home Made Ravioli, Marla Bakery, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes, Winters Tree Fruit, Yerena Farms | Leave a comment

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Spring is here! Cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom, the sky remains light into the evening, and the temperature is rising. However, spring means more than just beauty, rebirth, and an end to another wonderful winter, it also means strawberries! Mission Community Market welcomes back Yerena Farms to our Thursday market. Come by this week to grab a basket or three of this season’s freshest organic strawberries!

Spring Strawberry Salad Recipe

Processed with VSCOcam with p5 presetIngredients:

Basket of fresh strawberries from Yerena Farms
Feta cheese from Achadinha Cheese Co.
Roasted Almonds from Winters Fruit Tree
Spring greens from Blue House Farm

Balsamic Vinaigrette: 1 part balsamic, 1 part organic olive oil, dried basil, and a dash of truffle salt to cut the acid

Directions:

Wash and dry the spring greens. Gently sliver the strawberries to display their beautiful insides and sprinkle on top of cleaned salad. Add crumbled goat cheese and chopped almonds. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy with a side of buttered sourdough from Marla Bakery or a pasta dish from Home Maid Ravioli!

Strawberry Bonanza at MCM!

Posted on by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Tomatero Farm, Vendors, Yerena Farms | Leave a comment
From the Top: Albion, Rosa, Eclaire, and Seascape Strawberries

From the Top: Albion, Rosa, Eclaire, and Seascape Strawberries

Strawberries may possibly be the most plentiful summer fruit at the market these days. Many people don’t know that there are actually several varieties of strawberries, and those of you who do might wonder how to choose between them! Well, you can’t really go wrong with any of these delicious offerings, but, there are indeed a couple key differences amongst them.  Thank you to Spencer from Tomatero Farms, Minnie from Blue House, and Sylvia and Justice from Yerena Farms for breaking down the features of the strawberry varieties they bring to market…

Albion – These big guys are one of the most common commercial strawberry varieties grown in California, particularly in the northern parts.  They are firm, hollow, and more sugary than other kinds of strawberries. Minnie from Blue House said that Albion is a “classic, sweet, juicy red berry which is great for baking or snacking.”

Chandler – The most commonly grown variety across the United States, Sylvia from Yerena says that they are “the most juicy.” Although we do not have one pictured above, Chandler’s vary from being long and wedge-shaped to large and conical.

Éclair – With their early season productivity a big plus for farmers, Sylvia likes this variety for their light sweetness.  Typically, she says, they are white on the inside.

Rosa – Another great choice, Spencer describes the Rosas as “smaller and juicier” with a more tropical flavor that is reminiscent of pineapple.

Seascape – Developed at UC-Davis, this variety is hearty and resistant to many diseases that can afflict strawberries while they are growing.   Sylvia says the Seascapes are “sweet, with a little bit of sourness.”

Sweet Ann – A newer variety on the strawberry scene that is making waves for being very flavorful, Spencer calls them “big, very sweet, and more juicy” than other varieties. They are larger, with medium firmness, and can have a sharper conical shape.

So next time you are at the Mission Mercado, keep an eye out for these varieties and don’t hold back–ask the farmers which berry is right for you!