Banana Logic on Smoothies

The Market Inspiration
Our first apartment was quite small (not that we minded too much) but what it lacked in size it made up for with a swath of citrus trees just outside the door, providing us with all the great fruit we could want. Having a nearly endless supply of oranges, lemons, and blood oranges so conveniently located encouraged us to make a lot of smoothies and juice blends that first year. After moving to an unfortunately less citrus-y apartment, with life getting busier and busier, we stopped making the juices as often. However, whenever we slow down and focus on eating more nutritiously, one of the first things we do is start blending up more smoothies for snacks and often times breakfasts on the go. With the help of the market there is always new inspiration for keeping them interesting and tasting unique. My top four market ingredients for making smoothies and juice: grapefruit, cucumber, lime, and ginger.

Grapefruit is a very bold flavor and before you say to yourself, "Grapefruit is so bitter, I wouldn't want that in my smoothie!" Ask yourself if you have ever had a grapefruit from a farmers market or local orchard. The reason why store grapefruit can be beyond bitter is often times they have to pick the fruit too early to be able to ship it far away without it going bad too fast, it leaves the fruit immature and overly bitter. A locally grown grapefruit can be picked at the peak of ripeness to give the fruit a perfect bitter AND sweet profile that is both nutritious and satisfying. For smoothies, grapefruit pairs perfectly with bananas, theses two bold flavors balance each other and is a must try combination.

Cucumber is a perfect smoothie accompaniment with a refreshing flavor. Although a gentle flavor, you can always taste the addition of cucumber in a smoothie and is necessary for extra large smoothies that could be too sweet otherwise for a meal on the go. Cucumber works well in a berry based smoothie to provide that balance.

While grapefruit and cucumber are the base of a smoothie, ginger and lime are the additions that help the main flavors pop. Ginger is great for digestion and adds a warm, spicy flavor. A french-style garlic grater plate makes grinding ginger a breeze. Lime does the same for smoothies as it does for your tacos, it adds a brightness that highlights and elevates all of the other flavors you have. It is refreshing and a staple of all of my smoothies. Try tasting a smoothie without lime, then mix in the juice of a lime and taste again, once you taste the difference you will be hooked.


The Recipes
Tim's Berry Cucumber Smoothie 24oz
1 cup frozen berries, (blend of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
1/2 cup Cucumber (Try lemon cucumbers)
1 lime
1/2 cup baby carrots (If your blender won't blend carrots, use carrot juice.)
1/2 cup Greens, Mix of spinach, kale, and chard.
Orange or Apple juice to cover the other ingredients approximately 1/2 to 1 cup.

Blend all ingredients together and enjoy.


Shannon's Breakfast Blend Juice 12oz
1 Banana
1 Grapefruit
Approximately 1 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon+ grated ginger root (optional)

Blend all ingredients together. Chill and enjoy.

The Pairing
Citrus orchards have been and remain the life-blood for much of Florida, the state that host the action of John Huston's 1948 noir Key Largo, starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Edward G. Robinson. Bogart's WWII vet character teams up with the father and widow of a soldier he had fought beside in Italy. The trio go up against a famous gangster (Robinson) and his toughs, all while the impending doom of a hurricane bears down on them. Robinson portrays one of the best screen villains in history, a cruel but intelligent criminal whose battle of wills with Bogart and Bacall forms the main thrust of the movie. Key Largo is proof that noir isn't confined to dark city alleys but can succeed anywhere, even in the middle of a hurricane. -Z