A Midsummer Night Treat

Dear Andrew, Addison, Friends and Family,

Here in Texas we have had temperatures in the 100′s for quite some time now. It is so hot I don’t want to turn the oven on or even stand outside over the grill. So we have been living off of salads and quick stir fry‘s. Every Saturday morning I head to the farmers market and support our local farmers. I don’t know how their produce is withstanding these hot temperatures, my garden is dead, more on that later.  So with my market basket full of fresh produce, here is a summer treat I think you all will enjoy.

Summer Fruit parfait

1 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup nonfat milk

1 cup low fat cottage cheese

1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

4 tablespoons organic sugar

3 ripe peaches

2 cups of any fruit you like, I am using raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

2 tablespoons finely crushed gingersnaps

Directions:

A purée of cottage cheese and yogurt, makes a luxurious, low fat substitute for ice cream and whipped cream.

In a small pan, sprinkle gelatin over the milk, stir and let stand for several minutes to soften. In a food processor, combine cottage cheese, yogurt, vanilla, salt and sugar. Process until smooth. Place the saucepan with the softened gelatin over low heat and stir until the gelatin granules have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours. Slice peaches and combine in a bowl with berries or other fruit. Toss to mix. Assemble the parfait in glasses, alternating layers of the cheese and fruit mixture. Dust with crumbles of gingersnaps. You can refrigerate this until needed. Enjoy and stay cool.