From the Blender: The Maine Squeeze (Blueberry, Oat, and Ginger Smoothie)

[Photographs: Liz Clayman]

Remember those summer mornings of childhood in Maine? The tiny wild blueberries you just picked are warm from the sun. Your mom calls you inside, rips your morning's haul right out of your little berry stained mitts, and turns it into something blue and slurpy, sweet and filling. It almost feels like you're getting away with something: dessert for breakfast.

Maybe everyone's childhood didn't include a cabin in the woods in Maine, that bowl full of wild blueberries. I was totally jealous of you city kids, skipping school to wander around the Museum of Natural History or St. Marks or doing whatever all the cool kids did, eating foods from all over the world, things I didn't even get to taste until I was in my twenties.

If you want to swap places, it's never to late to start making those Maine memories. Start with this vibrant smoothie. A little lemon zest pulls the tartness out of those little blueberries like you wouldn't believe. The soy milk is there to tame, and the ginger contributes a bit of warm spice that really hits the spot. Adding in a little cooked oatmeal gives this guy serious lasting power that will stay with you throughout the day, whether you're swimming in the pond out back or schlepping all over midtown.