Berry Smoothies

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; arrange banana pieces and berries in single layer on baking sheet. Freeze until very cold, but not frozen, about 10 minutes. Process chilled fruit, milk, juice, ice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt in blender until uniformly smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Taste; if desired, add more sugar or lemon and process until combined, about 2 seconds longer. Serve immediately.

A ripe banana will yield a sweeter smoothie. Adjust the amounts of sugar and lemon juice depending on the ripeness of the fruit.

MELON SMOOTHIES
Make sure the melon is absolutely ripe, if not overripe. Underripe melon yields bland smoothies.
Replace berries with 3-1⁄2 cups watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces.

TROPICAL FRUIT SMOOTHIES
Replace berries with 3-1⁄2 cups pineapple, papaya, or mango, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Increase milk and juice to 2⁄3 cup each.