foodie adventures: raspberry nectarine smoothie

ahh, summer, you bring with you such awesomeness - picnics and barbeques, fireworks and campfires, long daytime hours and the most glorious thunderstorms.  but the best thing about summer, in my opinion, is the abundance of fresh produce! 

(let's just ignore for now the less fun parts of summer in DC - the heat, the humidity, the tourists, and above all the mosquitos...)

is there anything more glorious than fresh strawberries picked in a warm field and eaten immediately?  or how about a perfectly ripe, freshly picked peach so juicy it gets everything sticky?  it just doesn't get any better.

sometimes, however, my summer fruit ambitions are greater than my ability to consume them before things get overripe...in those instances, i try to find other ways to use the fruit that are a little more forgiving - that's where this smoothie comes in.  it's the perfect blend of refreshing and delicious for a summer day, is a great way to use up fruit that may be slightly past its prime, and makes an awesome breakfast or dessert concoction.  enjoy!

raspberry nectarine smoothie

• 2 ripe nectarines (pitted)
• heaping handful (or 2) of ripe raspberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups ice
• 1/2 cup apple juice or water (only add as needed to make smoothie the desired consistency)

combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until blended.