Fresh berries help cool down summer

In the past, eating raspberries and blackberries meant picking fruit from thorny bushes. Today, reaping the berry harvest means nothing more than a trip to a farmers market or grocery store.

Cooked, raw or frozen, blackberries and raspberries seem like miracle foods. They can't cure every ailment, but with a high fiber content, vitamin C and plenty of antioxidants, berries certainly give a person that healthy glow.

Berries are easy to use and versatile, suiting every meal from breakfast to dessert.

Need a cooling summer breakfast? Raspberry or blackberry smoothies containing vanilla yogurt, melon and honey are always popular. Want a snack after lunch? Freeze leftover smoothies into healthy, walletfriendly popsicles.

Cooks can use berries in meals both sweet and savory. Adding berries to pancake batter or cereal is always quick and easy, but berries' fresh flavors can also inspire endless creativity.

Berries, greens, shrimp or chicken, and slivered almonds tossed in homemade raspberry vinaigrette make for an elegant summer meal. Fresh berries complement a mild blue or fresh chevre on any cheese plate. Berries can add zip to sangria, jazz up an otherwise humdrum baked salmon or freshen a classic cobbler.

Raspberries and blackberries certainly boost one summer favorite, the ice cream soda. Homemade and without additives, this summertime treat from the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry commission feels healthy enough to drink every day. Raspberry Blackberry Ice Cream Soda 24 ounces frozen red raspberries, thawed 1 cup sugar 4 cups seltzer water 1 pint vanilla ice cream 1½ cups fresh or 12 ounces thawed frozen blackberries

Puree thawed raspberries in a blender. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the seeds to make about two cups of puree.

Mix the puree, sugar and seltzer water in a pitcher. Place several scoops of vanilla ice cream in tall glasses and add a handful of blackberries. Fill to the top with raspberry soda. Serves four.

This article provided by NewsUSA.