Linda Marrone: A shake with summer’s swan song (recipe)

Well, the last days of summer are upon us and fall is certainly in the air. I’m happy because fall is my favorite season. Brisk mornings, warm days and cool evenings make for great baking and wanting to stay in the kitchen and cook, at least for me. There are two more Farmers Markets taking place at Mills Park and I urge everyone to take advantage of the farm fresh produce and veggies. Be sure to thank your favorite farmers and vendors for a great summer that is coming to an end.

Watermelon is summer’s swan song, is naturally sweet and refreshing. It packs a good dose of lycopene and it’s high water content (90%) makes it lower in calories and carbohydrates than many other fruits. You can make this as a shake or into a fun frozen treat using paper cups and popsicle sticks.

Watermelon Strawberry Shake

1 container lemon yogurt (8 oz)

2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed

1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled

1 medium banana

Put all the above ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour in paper cups or molds and freeze until nearly solid, insert your sticks here if using paper cups and freeze until completely firm. Makes about 8 with a couple of shakes.

On a last note in last week’s column, Elaine forgot to tell you that you would need 1 cube of butter to add your sugar into for her peach upside cake.