With the Nectarine Sunshine Smoothie, I could go on about nutrition, how nectarines are a balanced source of vitamins and minerals, low in fat, yada yada. But you know the score. It’s a hot August day at the farmer’s market. They were there. Their sun ripened perfume caught my nose and drew me over. I felt their cool, smooth skins, their slight give of perfect ripeness. I tasted the slightly tart sweetness of the samples…and I overbought.
At this point in the summer, I take my smoothie cues from what’s in the market. For a sensualist there’s really no choice. And nectarines are one of those fruits I don’t touch most of the year, as my childhood memories of eating summer fruit in the South have spoiled me for the hard, flavorless supermarket simulacra. So this week’s smoothie is all about showcasing the flavor of the fruit: letting the banana add its smoothness, the citrus bring out the tang, but making nectarines the star of the show. After all, if they’re going to seduce that heavily in the market, they deserve it!
Nectarine Sunshine Smoothie:
4 fresh nectarines, pitted
1 orange, peeled
1/2 medium frozen banana
Juice of 1/4 lemon
6 standard ice cubes
* Place all ingredients in a blender.
* Blend on high until smooth, pulsing when necessary to liquify.
* Pour into 2 12-oz glasses and enjoy.
*Makes 2 12-oz servings.
*179.1 calories, 1.1 g fat, 3.8 g protein per serving. Full nutritional information here.
