"berries" news and stories

Herbs. Photo: Shawn Allen, Flickr

• A whole slew of herb-themed recipes to utilize any tasty greenery kicking around.
  
• Minneapolis' Nokomis neighborhood now has two new shops to feed local wine addictions -- Ken & Norm's and the Cork Dork.
• The Country Lane farm stand boasts delicious, freshly picked berries.
• Wondering exactly how to harvest your home crops? The Star Tribune offers some tips.
• On birds, boys, brews and backyard barbecues.
  
• Advice on how to cook up the freshwater fish brought home after a long day on the water.
• Taylors Falls' The Drive In boasts old-school nostalgia in both atmosphere and menu, while Kramarczuk's offers a cheap brat combo.
• Wine pick of the week: France's crisp, cheap Picpoul de Pinet.
• News Bites: New Zealand's olive oil, Calphalon pans, Iowa's Premier Wine & Food Expo and a benefit for St. Jude's.
  
• Recipes: Grilled Tuna with Parsley-Parmesan Vinaigrette and a slew of sweet corn dishes.
  

Nothing tastes sweeter than homemade jam. Luckily, you don't need to be a canning pro to whip up a batch for the fridge.

Here's a great way to preserve your fresh berries: freeze them!

It's (unofficially) summer now and a lot of us are looking for dessert recipes for the season. I know a lot of people want dishes that don't require much cooking, that are simple to prepare, and that are still elegant and tasty. In an answer to that, The Kitchn has put together a list of nine simple, easy and elegant summer dessert recipes just for you.

My personal favorite recipe from the post is the berries macerated in liquor with whipped cream. The recipe for pears baked with lemon stilton also sounds delicious. All of the desserts presented promise to be quick and use (for the most part) pantry staples. They also all look amazing. Check it out for some great summer dessert ideas.

Over the past few years, "Superfoods" such as select berries and other fruits, have been making headlines due to the high level of nutrients, antioxidants, and assorted other health benefits they reportedly deliver. Though it was difficult to source them from anywhere but health food stores or possibly your local smoothie / juice bar, they are readily becoming more available in mainstream North American products.

Anheuser-Busch has just added Goji, a small, red berry found in a remote area of Tibet, to their existing '180 Energy Drink' line. The berry is believed to increase energy and stimulate rejuvenation, and apparently contains one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit recorded. According to AB, "180 Red with Goji" contains carbonated water; sucrose; Goji berry juice; acerola juice; guarana for natural caffeine; vitamins B-6, B-12 and C; and lychee natural flavor.

Late last year, the company also released "180 Blue" which is made from the super-berry Açai, found in the Amazonian jungles of Brazil.

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