berserk for berries

photo by Ranelle Kirchner

berserk for berries​

Over the past couple weeks, I have been overwhelmed with the abundance of raspberries from the garden outside my bedroom window. I start my day by wandering to the raspberry bush to harvest a few berries. Carefully, I reach for the ripest of berries. It takes but one delicate pluck of my fingers before it drops into the palm of my hand. One for me, two for yogurt parfaits. One for me, two for Adi's sunflower butter toast...

I simply cannot get enough. 

Naturally, I grab one more raspberry and pop it into my mouth before heading back to kitchen to prepare breakfast. 

raspberry parfait

​​Serves 1
Ingredients: 
6 oz. Greek yogurt, plain 
1/2 cup freshly picked raspberries, rinsed
1/8 cup mixed toasted grains and/or seeds (quinoa, oats, and sesame in equal parts) 
2 sprigs fresh mint, torn

In a bowl, layer in order: Greek yogurt, raspberries, mixed grains/nuts, and finally fresh mint. 

raspberry nut butter toast

​Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 slice seeded whole grain bread, toasted
1 tbsp sunflower butter 
2/3 cup raspberries, rinsed and drained
sea salt 

Apply sunflower butter to toast and top with raspberries. Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt and serve. 

can't stop, won't stop

Why let the fun stop there, I thought. In the spirit of keeping things simple, I decided to puree the remaining 3 quarts of berries to make fruit leather. And what perfect timing: Next week I will be venturing west via Amtrak to Glacier National Park with my favorite human in the entire planet, Adi. We'll be backpacking into the park, hiking 10 miles each day, so we'll need plenty of nourishment to keep us going - check back for updates and more backpacking recipes!

Sure, you can buy fruit leather in the store. Once you discover how easy it is to make, however, you'll think twice before reaching for those Fruit Roll-ups or extra-fancy organic brands. 

The recipe I'm about to share has only 2 ingredients. No corn syrup, dextrose, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, citric acid, sodium citrate, acetylated monoglycerides, fruit pectin, malic acid, ascorbic acid, natural flavors, or  artificial colors.

Now, the recipe:

raspberry roll-ups, a childhood favorite

photo by Ranelle Kirchner

​kid tested, mother approved

Makes 4-5 trays
Ingredients: 
3 quarts raspberries
2 tbsp agave

Puree ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour onto parchment lined dehydrator trays, about 1/4-1/8" thick. If using a fruit leather tray, you may want to lightly apply a neutral oil to keep from sticking. Use a spatula to smooth out evenly. Turn on dehydrator to 135F and heat for 4-6 hours, depending on thickness of your fruit puree. 

When done, peel off tray and roll between parchment to prevent the fruit leather from sticking to one another. 

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Still hungry? Check out more raspberry inspirations like my raspberry rhubarb galette.