Homemade springtime strawberry fro-yo

I live in an area that's known for its strawberry growing. This is the time of year when strawberries are on sale at farm stands in abandoned dirt lots and we start getting baskets of those juicy little morsels in our CSA box every week. I may be biased but I think the berries from our farm are basically the best, although the other local growers produce pretty darn sweet ones as well. Over the years my kids have enjoyed visiting our farm for tour day and getting to go pick their own basket-full.

I just can't seem to buy a clamshell of strawberries at the grocery store, convenient as it is, when I know I can drive a few miles farther, down to my favorite farm stand, and get fresh, unsprayed berries grown just about ten miles away.

They are so sweet this time of year, that in fact, you barely need to sweeten them to use them in a dessert. I mean seriously, why waste your time with strawberry-flavored candy when the actual fruit is so. darn. sweet.

Since Friday nights are dessert night in our home, last week's basket of CSA strawberries (okay, and a couple more from the farm stand) went directly into this no-guilt treat. How no-guilt is it, you ask? Well I may or may not have served the leftovers to the family for breakfast, I'll say that.

This is definitely a spring/summer dessert. Don't bother making it when strawberries are out of season; their seasonal sweetness is what makes this so special, and why the tanginess of the yogurt is balanced out so nicely.

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Homemade Springtime Strawberry Fro-Yo

makes just over a quart

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and cut up

honey to taste, under a 1/4 cup is enough

1/2 teaspoon vodka (optional)

1 cup kefir (or whole milk yogurt)

1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice (I prefer Meyer)

a nice splash of heavy cream (about a 1/4 cup)

1. Once your strawberries are rinsed and cut up, drizzle them with honey and add a bit of vodka if you desire and let them stand at room temperature and macerate for about an hour, stirring periodically.

2. Purée the strawberries, kefir, lemon juice and splash of cream in a food processor, blender or glass bowl with an immersion blender.

3. Refrigerate the mixture for an hour. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. I thought the texture was perfect after letting it sit in the freezer for another hour or two before eating.

If there's any left, by all means, serve it for breakfast or a healthy treat. Just let it sit out on the counter for a little while before you scoop it.

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What's your favorite way to eat strawberries?