Mix-and-Match

Green Power Juice

My go-to juice, this is a green machine in a glass. You really can’t go wrong as long as you keep the sweet stuff to a minimum and make sure you enhance the drink with anti-inflammatory ginger, garlic, and/or turmeric.

Serves 1 or 2

• 3 large bunches greens (2 pounds total), such as spinach, dandelion greens, swiss chard, or kale (flat or curly)
• Nettles (fresh when in season; when not in season, use dried)
• 2 cups microgreens (avoid bitter varieties like arugula)
• Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Handful of fresh cilantro
• Handful of fresh mint leaves
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger
• 1 (½-inch) piece fresh turmeric
• Small amount of apple or pear (optional)
• 8 to 10 frozen wheatgrass cubes

Juice all of the ingredients except the wheatgrass cubes. Fill one or two tall glasses with the wheatgrass cubes, add the juice, and serve immediately.

A Word About Wheatgrass

When I walk up to the juicing counter for a wheatgrass shot or juice and I see the wheatgrass sitting there in one of those square plastic mini-planters, I get so nauseated that I want to run in the other direction. Wheatgrass produced in greenhouses contains mold, which is harmful to anyone’s diet but is an extra-big no-no for me. Besides, wheatgrass grown under natural sunlight contains more chlorophyll than the greenhouse version. My favorite brand of frozen wheatgrass cubes, Evergreen, is made from fresh, outdoor-grown greens. Opt for those, or ask your juice person where the bar’s wheatgrass comes from.