Summer Fruit Saviour

Alreeeet me loveeeer,

Do you remember those Eddie Izzard tapes we listened to for the hours and hours that we drove around Ireland for a good few summers? Covered in Beeeeeeeeees. Do you remember the bit about the pears where he explains, in his fabulously contrary manner, how they wait, rock hard, in the fruit bowl. Wait, waaaiiiiit, waaaaaaaaaaaaaait, until we turn our backs and then blllluuuuueegggh, they’re mush. Well that is what has been happening to me.

 Not with pears though but with the summer fruit I’ve been waiting for so patiently. I get over excited seeing nectarines and cherries and peaches and raspberries and strawberries all looking so plump and shiny and juicy looking. So I load up, make them look pretty in their new bowl-shaped home and look forward to juice running down my chin. Well. It doesn't really work like that. They waaait and waaaait and waaaaait, and I either catch them too soon and they are sour and tough or blluueghh; mouldy mush.

 Now I’m of the mind that coming up with a solution to having too squishy summer fruit  in the house is a much more time-efficient way to fix things that solving the problem of buying them in the first place, which would probably require some sort of intervention. It’s compulsive you see, I feel constantly on the hunt for satisfyingly sweet, perfectly pert fruit and not buying any feels like giving in to the stereotype that Scotland doesn't do fruit. I know that is not true.

Solution = Smoothie. And not Dad’s sort of smoothie, the ‘blend all the manky stuff that the fridge contains and consume’ smoothie. No. This old girl is considered; requiring just enough care and attention to make her delicious without being bothersome of a morning. She is the perfect breakfast and really does keep you going till lunch.

Peach and Blueberry Smoothie.

A few notes:

·         I keep the blueberries, milk and honey as the consistent undercurrent to this recipe; the peach part being the thing that I chop and change and experiment with depending on the fruit situation...

·         I therefore buy frozen blueberries from the supermarket, which makes it much cheaper and they’re ready and waiting for you. No need to defrost, just pop straight in the blender.

·         My favourite variation, and one that is lovely to make when it’s not summer but you wish it was, involves subbing the peach for 100g strawberries, which I also often have in the freezer, and adding a blob of peanut butter. Eat with a spoon and thank me after.

Serves one

You will need

A blender

75g blueberries

1 over-ripe peach

150ml your favourite milk

Honey, to taste (start with 1 tsp)

·         Blend.

·         Sip.

·         Aaaah.