Florida Strawberry Parfait
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh From Florida for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
A few weeks ago I spotted the very first Plant City Florida strawberries in my local grocery store. I almost did a happy dance right there in the produce isle. I just get so excited every year when strawberry season rolls around. Florida may be known for their outstanding citrus, but to me it’s the Florida strawberry that should get all the attention.
We have a huge strawberry festival every year in Plant City. It’s so much fun, we’ve been several times and can’t wait to go again this year. It starts this year on Feb 26, and it’s a week long event packed full of all sorts of fun and entertainment. We also like to go to local u-pick farms and get the ripest strawberries. They always taste even better freshly picked. We can’t go too often though because I have absolutely no self control and will eat so many berries I get sick, every time. You’d think I would eventually learn, but I never do.
Eating fresh, local fruit and vegetables is even more important to me now that I’m pregnant. And while it’s easy to eat my weight in my favorites like strawberries, I still struggle to get in all my servings of vegetables. But I really have no excuse because it’s so easy to find local fresh vegetables at our grocery stores, farmer’s markets and at restaurants.
It’s so easy to eat fresh, local fruits and vegetables here in Florida because we have so many things available year round. Our mild Florida temperatures means we have fresh fruits and vegetables all year long. Eating these fresh, seasonal items means foods are fresher and tastier, and the nutritional value is optimized. It encourages a diverse diet that is often more economical and harmonizes with nature’s production cycle.
To find the freshest foods, I just look for the Fresh From Florida logo to be sure that the produce I’m purchasing is local and fresh. You can not only find this logo in the price department, but in the seafood department and in your favorite local Florida restaurants as well. 
So what’s in season right now? Lots of stuff! In February we have fresh:
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carambola
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Guava
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Peanut
- Potatoes
- Radish
- Snap beans
- Squash
- Strawberries
- Sweet corn
- Tangerines
- Tomatoes
For this recipe I used fresh Florida strawberries and fresh mint from my garden. I found local Florida Strawberries on sale today at amazing at the grocery store. They were so ripe and beautiful, I just couldn’t pass them up. After I got home I found this great recipe for a Florida Strawberry Parfait on the Fresh From Florida site. These parfaits make the perfect breakfast, afternoon snack, or after dinner dessert.
You can head over to the Fresh From Florida site and view some amazing recipes that utilize fresh seasonal Florida produce and seafood. Be sure to check back often because they update the site with seasonal recipes. Or, next time you are dining out or shopping for groceries, look for the Fresh From Florida logo to make sure that your food selections are fresh, healthy and support your local community. Be sure to connect with Fresh From Florida on Facebook and Fresh From Florida on Twitter too!
Yield: 4 Servings
Florida Strawberry Parfait
5.00 stars (1 reviews)
Loading...Ingredients:
2 cups fresh Florida strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, whipped
2 tablespoons natural Florida sugar
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
4 graham crackers, crushed
1 lemon, juiced
4 sprigs fresh mint for garnish
Directions:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine whipped cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice. Fold the yogurt into the cream cheese mixture. In four wide-mouth glasses, evenly layer cream cheese mixture, strawberries and crushed graham crackers.
Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint. Serve chilled.
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Be sure to share on Instagram with the hashtag #EclecticRecipes and tag me, @EclecticRecipes!The photo below is curtesy of Fresh From Florida.
