Green Juice

This green juice recipe comes from Natalia Rose’s Raw Food Detox Diet, though there are many versions of it floating around the raw food world. It needs to be made in a juicer. I have heard of diehards breaking down the ingredients in a blender and then straining the mixture though a mesh bag, but this seems like a lot of work to me.

There are many juicers on the market, most of them fairly expensive ($150 for a Breville; $450 for a Green Star Twin Gear). If you don’t want to spend the money, I would recommend keeping an eye out a garage sales and thrift stores. Or ask if any of your friends or relatives have one of those huge Champion juicers left over from the 1970s in storage (my mother did).

The recipe is extremely flexible—if you want it sweeter, add more apple. If you want it more tart, increase the amount of lemon. I try to add as much of the dark leafy greens as I can stand, to get the greatest health benefit, but I increased that percentage over time. When I make it for friends who haven’t tried it before, I add more apple.

1-2 apples (depending on how sweet you like your juice)

1 small lemon (or half a large lemon), unpeeled

1 medium head romaine lettuce or 4-5 stalks celery (I use romaine in summer, celery in winter)

2-3 cups kale greens (I prefer dino kale, also called Tuscan kale or lacinato kale) or spinach

Add all ingredients to the juice and process. Discard the pulp (it’s good for compost) and drink the juice immediately. It will turn bitter if let sit.

Yields: one serving