Strawberries are rich in antioxidants like pelargonidin, procyanidins, ellagitannins, and ellagic acid. Pelargonidin is an anthocyanin and is responsible for the berry’s bright red color. Strawberry anthocyanins have shown antiproliferative action against murine breast cancer cells.
If you can, grow your own strawberries or buy organic, as the porous skin of this berry absorbs insecticides that can’t be washed off. For this reason, they are listed at the top of the “Dirty Dozen” by EWG (Environmental Working Group).
This week’s recipe features strawberries in a colorful, sweet fruit salad. It was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She has been sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.
— Laurie Colwin
Notes
Note from Dr. Doody: I don’t usually try recipes that have the word “medley” in them, but this fruit salad is yummy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, halved (preferably organic)
- 2 medium oranges, peeled and sectioned
- 2 medium bananas, sliced
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (try to find a cream cheese without stabilizers, such as the Gina Marie brand)
- ½ cup strawberry yogurt (you can use low- or full-fat yogurt)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Prepare and mix fruit in a medium bowl. For dressing, whip cream cheese, then whisk in yogurt and sugar. Mix yogurt dressing into fruit just before serving.