Ahhh, summer. The heat. The allergens. The sunburn.

(Yes, you guessed correctly: Summer is not my favorite season.)

In fact, heat like we've had recently makes we want to hide deep in the recesses of my house. And even with the lights off and the air on, cooking can seem like quite a chore in times like these.

This week's book -- Smoothies: 50 Recipes for High-Energy Refreshment -- will help you through these drippy, suffocating days. (Or, if you actually like weather like this, it will give you ideas for great poolside treats.)

I came across this beautiful little book during a summer I spent in Minneapolis.

Before I lived there, I imagined Minnesota would be quite different from Indiana in the summer. When I traveled there during the spring break before my summer, to scope out housing, it SNOWED in APRIL, for crying out loud! Not a flurry, mind you. A ground-covering, fast-falling snow. So I did not expect the 80s and 90s I encountered. And the humidity.

So when this book offered me refreshment, I jumped at the chance.

And it's more than just a few suggestions for fruit combos to produce high-brow Squishies.

There's a glossary of fruits, letting you know when and how to pick 'em, and what to do once you get 'em home. (The standard smoothie fare, oranges and bananas and the like, are there, but have you ever considered a rhubarb smoothie? The authors of this book have. They put a new twist on the classic strawberry-rhubarb combo.)

There's also a look at the extras that make a smoothie a smoothie. Sure, fruit is the dominant flavoring, but the liquids can range far beyond fruit juice. Rice milk, anyone?

The equipment and technique sections are blissfilly short, part of the appeal of smoothies in the summer. Little work, a lot of payoff. What's it take? Here's the short version, straight from Smoothies: "Buy fruit, cut fruit, blend fruit. It is that simple. The average smoothie takes 12 minutes or less to prepare." Heavenly!

The recipes are broken down into four sections: Wholesome Mergers, No-Moo Blends, Decadent Medleys and Drunken Concoctions (for those of you looking for a little less goodness).
So if you're tired of fast food and trying to beat the miserable heat, this book just might be the key.

Originally posted to The Grub Report by Patricia Gibson on August 13, 2007 12:31 PM

Subway used to have the best smoothies and even had where you could have added vitamin supplements added. Is there anywhere around here to get a decent smoothie?

I just noticed the question Nicole left... Payne's has WONDERUL smoothies! I particularly like the berry blast (with four kinds of berries) - you can have it made with custard or healthy additions. (This is right off of I-69 exit 59, sort of behind Cracker Barrel.)