A few weeks ago S planted spinach, parsley and coriander seeds. They started sprouting just before we went down for a flying visit to Victoria, and by the time we got back were coming along quite nicely. This past week we’ve been enjoying the baby spinach – the first of our spring crops for this year, there is nothing like the feeling of going out the back to pick a vegetable fresh from the dirt and be eating it less than twenty minutes later.
Maybe it is my imagination, but I feel like our homegrown spinach is just, well, better than the stuff we buy from the market. The leaves are almost plump, juicy and full of flavour. Mostly I have it chopped up in a lunchtime salad, but a green smoothie is easily the best way to showcase fresh leafy produce.
I know, I know. A million and one green smoothie recipes abound on the interwebs. I’m not saying that mine is better or worse – it is just the way I like it, so thought you might as well. I prefer not to have banana in my smoothie, and as I’ve mentioned before I’m a sucker for pineapple in any form. The pineapple/coconut combination is a classic, and I like the kick from the ginger and lemon. Sometimes I put a spoon of spirulina or chia seeds into this smoothie, but mostly I prefer straight up fresh veges and fruit as a way to start the day.
This smoothie isn’t especially sweet – all of the sweetness comes from the pear and the pineapple. Choose a nice ripe pear, and make sure your pineapple is also ripe, golden, and juicy sweet. If you do prefer your smoothies a little sweeter though, add a spoonful of honey or date syrup, or even half a ripe banana. Play around – smoothies are an art, not a science!
Enjoy!
Sarah x
Green Coconut & Pineapple Smoothie
Ingredients
¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves
1 cup loosely packed baby spinach
3 – 4 tuscan kale leaves, stems removed
4cm fresh ginger, peeled
½ lemon, peeled and deseeded
½ pear, cored
½ cup chopped pineapple
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 ½ cups coconut water
4 – 5 ice cubes, optional
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend for approx. five minutes. Pour into two tall glasses and enjoy immediately.
Serves 2.
highgate hill kitchen 
homegrown IS always the best – the way from your garden to your kitchen is the shortest way possible for the veggies, so they don’t even have the chance to loose nutrients or even just their fresh ‘plumpness’ in contrast to when they sit on the shelf in a supermarket for a few days…