It’s strawberry season here in Kamloops, and let me tell ya, local organic strawberries taste NOTHING like the mass-produced California grown ones.
Did you know that strawberries are at the very top of the Dirty Dozen list? The Dirty Dozen is a list that is issued every year by the EWG (Environmental Working Group) and breaks down the twelve most pesticide-laden produce in the US. Spoiler alert, strawberries are the number one “dirtiest” almost every single year. In fact, they have found over 100 trace chemicals and pesticides on non-organic strawberries, yikes!
Bottom line: if you are going to spend a couple extra bucks on organic produce, start with strawberries! I actually like using that list as a tool on which I base my decisions of what to buy organic. They also have a Clean Fifteen list, which I’m sure you can guess, lists the fifteen least pesticide-laden produce in the US. Google it and use it when doing your shopping, you’ll save yourself ingesting a load of harmful pesticides every year!
On a different note, these berry squares are everything but dirty. As far as treats go, they are pretty much as clean as can be. I have made these with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries so far, and they all turned out amazing. Here’s what you’ll need:
INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
-2 cups of almond flour
-1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted
-1/4 cup of maple syrup
-1/4 tsp of sea salt
Berry layer:
-3 cups of berries of choice (you can use frozen or fresh)
-1.5 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
-1.5 tbsp of water
-1.5 tsp of arrowroot flour
Crumble:
-1.5 cups of walnuts
-1/2 cup of almond flour
-1/3 cup of coconut oil, melted
-1/4 cup of @lakanto or coconut sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with a spatula.
2. Line an 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper. Place crust mixture on paper and press to cover the bottom evenly.
3. Place in the freezer while making the berry layer.
4. In a small saucepan, place berries, water and lemon juice. Stir, bring to a boil and allow to simmer until the berries are soft, like almost a jam consistency.
5. Remove from heat and add arrowroot flour. Stir and allow to cool down to room temp.
6. Pour berry mixture on top of the crust, and place back in the freezer for at least one hour.
7. For the crumble, pulse the walnuts into a powder, being careful not to over-process. You want a coarse powder kind of consistency, with some chunks in there.
8. Once berry layer has set, place crumble on top evenly and put back in the freezer for at least 3 hours or until set.
9. Remove from the freezer, lift parchment paper and cut into squares. I enjoy these best when kept in the fridge.
