Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and a Happy 4th

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

First of all, I'd also like to wish all of my American friends a safe and happy July 4th. We hope you have been enjoying your long weekend!!! One thing that is a given is that I have no doubt in my mind that your weekend has been filled with delicious food for your family and friends. In my own little world L'il Burnt Toast and The Boy were here from Vancouver on the weekend, so, I spent yesterday afternoon in good company with dinner at the future in-laws parents...does that make them grand in-laws? They are grand!!!



It doesn't take much to make me happy in the summer, especially when L'il Burnt Toast visits. Give me my Adirondack chair on the porch  and a bowl of freshly picked strawberries and my day is made. No... make that my summer is made! When the first of the local strawberries made their appearance (always worth the wait), I started to think ahead, remembering how quickly this season tends to fly by.  We are now celebrating the arrival of cherries so strawberries are now at the tail end of their season, but this would still work wonderfully with the smaller and more intensely flavoured end-of-the-season strawberries. They are not just for jam anymore!

For the first recipe of the season I usually make strawberry shortcake for my loved ones but I found an ingredient, previously unknown to K-town shoppers, that inspired me to go a different and deliciously refreshing route.

Whenever I go to Pike Place Market in Seattle I head straight for Mr. D's Greek Deli and purchase several containers of Greek yogurt. A few weeks ago I was shopping at our local Choices and was thrilled to find this:

Yes Greek yogurt right here in K-Town. I haven't been this excited since I spent 5 weeks in Greece!!! So the idea of making a frozen Greek yogurt was born!!!

This recipe comes from David Lebovitz the "King" of ice cream making. You will find recipes from his book "The Perfect Scoop" all over the blogosphere. David says, "You can use Greek-style yogurt, which is three times richer than whole milk yogurt. Slicing the berries and tossing them in sugar makes the strawberries bright red in color and can make ho-hum berries quite delicious."

Use a good-quality, whole milk or Greek-style yogurt for best results. Healthy,better for you, but still a creamy, rich treat by any standard. Go ahead and pamper yourself!
NOTE: I forgot to mention that the addition of vodka or kirsch prevents the frozen yogurt from freezing completely. This is a David Lebovitz little trick. If you have ever made homemade ice cream you will appreciate this fact. Plus it adds a little extra boost of flavour as you all mentioned as well. Thanks for commenting:D

** David's Frozen Strawberry Yogurt**

1 pound (450g) strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2/3 cup (130g) sugar
 2 teaspoons (10 mL) vodka or kirsch (optional but a good idea)
1 cup (240g) plain whole milk yogurt (Greek yogurt is a good choice)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh lemon juice

Slice the strawberries into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch (if using) until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every so often.

Transfer the strawberries and their juice to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and fresh lemon juice. Pulse the machine until the mixture is smooth. If you wish, press mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds.

Chill for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes about a quart.

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