Green juices are all the rage right now and I wouldn’t blame you one bit if you were rolling your eyes at the trend. We all know how food crushes go, where you suddenly don’t know anything about health if you’re not snacking on goji berries, sipping kombucha, and whirring spirulina into kale smoothies.
But this juice trend I actually love, and my fellow spring-starved Minnesotans, I suspect you might too. I’ve had a juicer for a couple of years but hadn’t really used it. As buds pop on the trees, thoughts turn to lighter, more colorful food. And honestly, after being completely fed up with blaming the weather for how sluggish I’ve been feeling, I was inspired by a gloriously juicy post on Roost (you must take a peek at it, what a gorgeous blog!) to dust off the juicer and make myself a glass…of spring! Kablam! Fresh green juice is at once tart and intensely herbal, with a hint of sweet and salt. It smells like not-winter, and makes me smile, and does other nice things too, like wake me up better than a cup of coffee and add a bit of glow to my skin. What’s not to love?
When you prep the herbs, vegetables, and fruit for your juicer, you realize pretty quickly that juicing consumes a fair amount of produce each week. Which is terrific—I can’t think of an easier way to add a serious blast of plants to your diet. I’m obviously working with co-op and grocery store offerings right now, but I can’t help but dream of summer, and farmers markets, and this slick new (to me) way for using up all of the loveliness that arrives each week in a CSA box. I’m the queen of pickles, and I’m happy to make sauces and soups and can and freeze them, but adding fresh juice to the mix is the perfect way to guarantee that nothing in that box goes to waste.
If you too are dreaming of garden-ripe treats, get thee to Seward Co-op this coming Saturday, April 13, for their 12th Annual Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring the kids and meet with more than 30 participating farms as you decide which CSA share to purchase. Make sure to enter drawings to win a meat bundle from the experts in the co-op’s meat department (valued at $200), copies of Seward’s 40th Anniversary book for sale, and $1,500 worth of full grocery cart giveaways (awarded to several lucky winners; eligible with a $20 Principle Six purchase). See the full list of farms and start planning for a bounty of fresh produce, flowers, cheeses, and meats!
Don’t forget to slam a juice before you head over to get inspired…
Blast of Spring Green Juice
Adapted from a recipe on Roost
Serves 1
Over the weekend, I dubbed this the Local Chef Challenge Special, a little detox before the retox of judging dishes laced with lamb kidneys, bone marrow, wheat, and a whole lotta glorious butter. Congratulations to champion Chef Don Gonzalez of Forepaugh’s!
6 leaves dino (Tuscan, Lacinato, or other green) kale
generous handful of parsley
10 mint leaves
2 stalks celery with leaves
4-inch long piece of cucumber
4-inch long piece of fresh pineapple (adjust for sweetness; substitute seasonal berries or other favorite juicy fruits)
1/2 green apple
1/2 lime
1/2 lemon (optional, for more tartness)
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger (optional, for heat)
Put all ingredients through a juicer. Drink immediately for maximum benefit or transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate for a few hours.
(Once you get the hang of balancing tart, sweet, salty, and herbal, you can start making up your own juices with what pops up in your CSA box or at your local market.)
