Strawberry-Rose Almond Milk Smoothie

If I were a musician, this might be my farewell Ode to summer. A classic ode is in three parts: the strophe, antistrophe and epode. In other words soaking the almonds, composing everything (such as the blending the straining the sprinkling of rose petals), and finally the enjoyment. Pure flavors of  icy strawberries with sweet almonds and subtle undertones of rose. We’ve had warm weather the last couple of days, so no wonder I’ve had strawberries on my mind. I try to avoid freezing fruits and vegetables, but I will make a few exceptions. Fruits frozen at their peak of sweetness and starchier vegetables like peas and corn are some of them.

One of my favorite bases for smoothies is almond milk. Almond milk is loaded with nutrients. Not only is it high in calcium, in Ayurveda tradition, almond milk is used to calm the mind and sharpen memory. It’s easy to make with a little foresight, just to soak the almonds in water over night. Then blend with water and strain out the pulp through a nut-milk bag or cheesecloth (although less convenient, will work well too.) I got my nut-milk bag at one of my favorite raw resources and juice bars, Organic Avenue. You can use nut milk as a replacement in most recipes that call for cow’s milk. I often use it in Panna Cotta which I will post sometime soon.

I like to throw in an element of surprise to start my day. To my strawberries I add a dash of rosewater. I garnish the smoothie with a sprinkling of rose petals from the Egyptian market in Istanbul.  Yes, I have been known to smuggle spices back with me from my travels because these make the best gifts and souvenirs. You can make the same smoothie with your milk of choice. I like it with coconut milk too.

Almond Milk Ingredients:

• 1-cup whole, raw almonds

• 2 cups water

 Almond Milk Directions:

1. Soak the almonds in water to cover overnight. Strain and rinse.

2. Place almonds and 2 cups water in the bowl of a blender. Process until completely ground. Over a large bowl, squeeze through a nut-milk bag and reserve.

Smoothie Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups frozen strawberries

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1 tsp rosewater

• 1 pinch sea salt

• 1-teaspoon maple sugar (or sweetener of choice)

• Rose petals for garnish (optional)

Smoothie Directions:

1. Place everything in the blender and process until smooth.

2. Adjust sweetness level and serve with a garnish of rose petals.