Lately, in this In Season series, we're taking a look at what I take home from Crooked Sky Farms each week to see what I've done with my CSA share, or part share. This week I'm using spinach.
Vegetable and fruit juices are kind of amazing when made fresh. Canned V8 and the Nineties-era wheat grass shot craze have given juice a culinary black eye.
Is it just me, or is "juicing" actually having a renaissance? 24 Carrots in Chandler seems to have a pretty loyal following, and have you seen the 2010 flick Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead? I did. I caught it on Hulu (where I watch my TV) a few weeks ago. This charming Australian businessman comes to America to have a juice fast for 60 days and change the path of his health problems of a skin condition (requiring loads of pills) and extra pounds. Spoiler: he loses weight, gains energy and his skin condition is reversed by drinking only fruit and vegetable juice.
Were you surprised? We all know were supposed to eat more fruits and vegetables. Juicing is just one way to get your fill. But if you are considering going whole hog, call your doc first.
All you super healthful readers, I hear you. Yes, there is less fiber if you juice it away. But unless you have a Blendtec or Vitamix blender, good luck getting your vegetable "smoothie" to not have the texture of sludge.
If you happen to have a juicer and have forgotten about it, maybe this post can be a nudge to break yours out while family members are visiting and make up some juices for something different.
Decant them into a sexy glass and get creative with what you have in your fridge. If you try an invented vegetable/fruit concoction, and don't quite love it, add another sweet thing or possibly something tart (like a squeeze of lemon).
This is what I came up with the other day. I quite liked it.
Nutmeg Spiced Apple Spinach Juice
Equipment
A Juicer
Ingredients
Spinach, two big handfuls, cleaned
Apples, 2 medium-large Granny Smiths (the tartness works well here)
Nutmeg, freshly grated
Method
Turn on your juicer and send all the spinach and apples through the feed tube. My juicer is challenged when it receives leaves. Just a little bit at a time works much better than shoving as much as you can into the feed tube at once and seeing if you can plunge it all down.
Once it's all through, give your cup a little stir, pour into a favorite glass and top with some freshly grated nutmeg. Enjoy and watch to see if your forearms start bloating up like Popeye's. They probably will not, but I bet you will notice that your body will feel pretty fantastic after you work your juiced mixology magic.
