Dear Farm Journal,
The midnight lows linger into morning and we make no haste to meet the dawn. Rather we loiter in the kitchen concocting crepes topped with aronia syrup and aronia orange honey smoothies. A few months ago, I met an aronia farmer and have been buying these phenomenal local berries. I’ve also been researching these little purple powerhouses for my work with Plovgh Inc. Aronia is a super food, native to the Midwest, also called the chokeberry, and it’s packed with antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. It’s off the charts compared to other berries like elderberry and acai, but it’s relatively new to the U.S. market and pallet. It’s not a sweet berry, so we’re thinking of ways to make it more appealing to a wider market. The orange in the smoothie is a complementary pairing, and the honey gives it the perfect touch of sweetness. Heavenly.
~Joy