MNN - Mother Nature Network

Organic strawberries from the farmers market are delicious just by themselves, but chocoholics seeking a sweeter version of the fresh local bounty can now turn to Coco-Zen. This organic, fair trade chocolatier in Northern California — whose vegan chocolate truffles I wrote about earlier — is out with a new summer concoction: Berries and Chocolate Truffles.

 

These are vegan truffles that combine local, seasonal fruit with fair trade ethics. Joyce Kushner of Coco-Zen picks out organic raspberries and strawberries at her local farmers market — then slow roasts, purees and blends them with organic coconut cream and fair trade dark chocolate to create an intensely fruity and richly flavorful ganache.

 

The concoction then gets coated in dark chocolate and topped with a slice of dried berry — before getting delivered to your door. I shared a sample of these with Sharon Dale and Lucie Hill while on LA Talk Radio‘s Hill & Dale Show — and all three of us loved the fresh rich goodness.

 

I love decadent chocolate truffles that combine buying and eating local with fairer international trade. A 12-piece Truffles-to-Share sampler costs $27. Or go for the Truffles-to-Give packs in tiered tiffin tins — that you can reuse to tote your lunch or snacks once the chocolates are all gone. Those start at $34 for a two-tier tin. Coco-Zen will only offer these fruity truffles while berries are still available at the local farmers market — so get them now to eat truffles in season!