AH, now THAT title got your attention, didn't it? There are some of you out there who LOVE smoothies. Really, really do. For you, it's breakfast, dessert, a snack, etc.
Truth to be told, Annalena cannot stand them. That does not mean they are not good, not at all. They are simply not to her taste. At all. BUT... as she was making the basis for a spring sorbet (it is NOT summer yet ragazzi, even if it is 90 degrees. There are no field tomatoes, and everyone knows, THAT's when summer starts), she began thinking of her smoothie guzzling friends, and in fact, tasted the product on the way to sorbet and thought "yup, this could work." So here we go . It's seasonal, it's tasty, and while you will be using your food processor - and a pot - you will be making a LOT , and you'd be using your blender instead, so....
Nothing says spring to Annalena more than rhubarb and strawberry. She tries to use them as much as possible. This is not a problem with strawberries. Rhubarb is a little more challenging. Those of you who have tried it know of its extreme acidity. Even those of us who like very sour things, can find rhubarb "unabridged" a challenge. Annalena was planning to use some that she had, to make a savory chutney later this week, but... the sorbet bug bit her.
And indeed, she was thinking of smoothies also, because of the twisted way her mind works. See, the recipe she worked with called the dessert "sherbet." Annalena grew up learning, and confirmed, that sherbet has a dairy product in it. Sorbet does not. Her recipe had no dairy in it. It's a sorbet. But IF it had dairy, well.. and she thought real hard of putting in yogurt and turning it into smoothies. Maybe next time, but probably not. You smoothie drinkers/eaters, however, take note.
Ok, enough blather. Let's get to work. You need a healthy pound of fresh rhubarb. You'll want to cut off the gunky ends and leave as much good stuff as you can. Then, put the pound of it in the food processor with a quarter cup of water, and grind it up. It will go fine, but it will not go to juice. When you have that, put the ground rhubarb into a pot, cover it, and cook it, at LOW heat for fifteen minutes. More juice will come off of it.
While your rhubarb is cooking, hull about a quart of strawberries. It won't take all that long, and you don't have to cut them up. Put those in the unwashed food processor, and puree them. VERY easy.
Here's where you have to start making decisions, ragazzi. If you are making sorbet, there's no decision to make. Put two cups of sugar into the rhubarb, mix it all together, and put it in the food processor with the strawberries. Spin away, and taste. If your rhubarb was exceptionally tart, you'll need more, and now's the time . Always keep in mind that a frozen dessert will taste less sweet than an unfrozen one, so err on the side of sweet.
If, however, you've decided to go the smoothie route, now you have to be careful with the sugar, because two cups will be very, VERY sweet. Annalena suggests you start with one. Blend it into the fruit with a cup of yogurt (plain, of your preferred degree of fat content), and then taste it. While it's still warm, add sugar to your desired level of sweetness. A squirt of orange juice won't hurt.
It's warm at this point, and if you like a warm smoothie, go for it. Or, refrigerate it until you're ready to drink it down. You will get about two quarts of this with the yogurt, so you'll be drinking a bit of it, or sharing it. If you go the sorbet route, cool it, and then use your machine. You'll get about a quart and a half.
Yes, the sugar adds calories, for sure. But if you're making dessert.... DUH. If you're looking for a healthy, seasonal smoothie, you control your destiny here. So get to it. And let's hear from you. Did any of you make the smoothie? Did you like it? Tell us. All of us have inquiring minds.
Next time around, roll up your sleeves and get out the elbow grease, because we're going to bake some bread
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