Summertime Quickie

Wow. Get your mind out of the gutter. We're talking quick cool treats for the heat, not, well, not that other thing. And let's face it, on day three of 90 degree heat, you're pretty much going to want the cool treat over, well, that other thing.

I have this weird habit when it gets hot of making soup or turning on the oven to bake some complicated dessert. But finally I got smart. Inspired by a friend's post on Facebook, I decided to make some no cook, no fuss treats - Strawberry Basil Balsamic ice pops. YES. PLEASE.

The most effort you'll have to put into these things is finding popsicle molds. Seriously. I went to (count 'em) four stores before I finally had luck at my local grocery store. Even there, it was a challenge. After scouring the "seasonal items" area, I finally broke down and asked a stock boy for help. To which he replied, "yes, we have them... they're kept near the popsicles." Ok, so that part was a little humbling.

Since these pops only require four ingredients, the one thing I didn't already have on hand was fresh strawberries. I have to admit, I am a total strawberry snob. I flat out refuse to buy the ones in the grocery store. The beautiful, little, straight-from-the-ground ones at farmers' markets are SO divine, they're all I will eat. Not only are they gorgeous and petite, they're also perfect for this recipe, because you'll slice some of them up to have chunks of fresh fruit in the pops and they're so small they'll fit nicely into your (rare and precious) popsicle molds.

Ready? This is going to go fast! Hull two cups of the berries and toss them into a bowl with a spout, if you have one (this will make sense later), and combine them with a tablespoon or so of fresh basil, and two tablespoons of both sugar and good quality balsamic vinegar. Let that sit and macerate for an hour.

I did a quick chiffonade of the basil that I put into the bowl because it will all be blended into a puree. However, I gave a finer dice to the remaining tablespoon or so of fresh basil, which I tossed with a cup of sliced berries. This portion of the basil/berries is going into the pops as is, so dice/slice to your desired size.

After the whole berries marinate for an hour, blend them well in to a thin puree. I used my stick blender for this because I am lazy and do not enjoy extra dishes to wash, but, of course, a regular blender or food processor can do the same job. Stir in the sliced berries and basil.

Now, this is the most difficult part of this recipe: resist the overwhelming temptation to simply sit down and eat this as berry soup. At this point, it's going to be giving off a scent which will be approximately what you imagine heaven smells like. HOLD OFF. Ice pops are in your future.

Pour the mix into your popsicle molds. If you made the mix in a bowl with a spout, this will be slightly easier, however, be prepared that you will still make a hot mess. I recommend doing it on a cutting board for somewhat easier clean up. The mix will make about six medium-sized pops.

Freeze overnight. Turn on a fan, try to get some sleep, and stop thinking about the ice pops. Eat them slowly and enjoy. The quickie part was just for the making.