SUMMER CLEANSING with SUPERFOODS and TONICS

Seasonal cleanses, not only refresh and lighten the body, they also serve to refine the mind and tune the spirit into the energy of each season! This week we’ve been offering a raw food nutritional cleanse, combining local summer berries, cucumber, spinach, zucchini, early tomatoes and young greens with wonderful super foods and herbs as well as citrus and ginger to make refreshing juices and soups that are both cleansing and rejuvenating!

Some super foods and herbs I incorporate on a regular basis are hemp seed and oil, goji berries, aloe, raw cacao, raw honey, young Thai coconut, coconut butter, pau d’arco, acai, rosehips, cordyceps and maca.

I often make an herbal tea as the base for seasonal fruit tonics. For instance in a blueberry acai tonic I create a base of elderberry, nettle leaf , pau d’arco, vanilla bean and lemon peel. The base adds dimension to the flavor and cleansing action of the juice. Pau d’arco is widely prized in the treatment of candida and supports liver and endocrine glands, while nettle leaves are one of the highest sources of plant based iron! Elderberries contain potassium, large amounts of vitamin C and strengthen the immune system and bolster the antioxidant power of the blueberries.

Blueberry-Acai Tonic
Serves 4
For Tea
½ fresh vanilla bean, split open
2T Pau d'arco
2T nettle leaf
2 T elderberries
1 star anise
1 strip lemon zest, only organic
1 quart filtered water, gently heated

place the ingredients in a clean 1 quart mason jar. Pour the gently heated water over the herbs and cover immediately, allowing it to steep for at least 20 minutes.

Tonic
2cups blueberries
1T milk thistle powder
2T acai powder
½ vanilla bean
2T raw honey
pinch of Himalayan crystal salt
lemon zest, optional
32 ounces herbal tea, see recipe

Place the first four ingredients in blender and pour in herbal tea. Add in the honey, pinch of salt and lemon zest, if using. Blend from low-high for about 30 seconds. You can either drink it as is or strain through a fine mesh sieve for a more refined texture. Garnish with fresh mint if desired and ENJOY!

Green Thumb Farm

One of the absolute joys about getting to take time in the Hamptons over the summer is going to Green Thumb Farm in Watermill. This is no easy feat, as Watermill is quite a haul from where we stay out in The Springs, near East Hampton. Yet it is one of the true pleasures and nourishing for of all of the senses to spend time hand-picking produce from the bounty of the Green Thumb Farm. Just a few pictures and some recipes to follow!


Watermelon-Red Pepper Gazpacho

This recipe uses watermelon instead of tomato for an unusual twist to traditional gazpacho. Served slightly chilled, watermelon gazpacho is refreshing as an appetizer on a hot day.

4 cups of watermelon, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ cucumber, peeled, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced (with seeds for more heat)
2t cumin
1t celtic sea salt and as needed for seasoning
Coarsely ground pepper

For Garnish
½ cup red pepper, finely diced
½ cup cilantro or mint
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

Put the watermelon, pepper, onion and jalapeno into a blender or food processor. Add olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and Celtic sea salt and blend until you get the desired consistency. Chill for at least 30 minutes, allowing flavors to combine.
Just before serving, combine the ingredients for garnish and season with a bit of olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
To serve, put about a ¼c of garnish at the bottom of each bowl and ladle the chilled gazpacho over the garnish