Deep purple juice

Days ago I was in one of the larger bookstores in town and found myself sitting on a stack of Gordon Ramsay cookbooks (at last I have found a use for them!) being offered samples of mango and passionfruit juice and browsing through a selection of tempting cookbooks. This was where I stumbled across this great recipe.

Now I have probably told you once too often that I come across recipes while browsing in stores but in my defence, I buy books in these stores too – I add to their profits rather than just treating them as a library. These recipes are merely found in the honest pursuit of a purchase.

Having justified myself, I can now tell you it was actually more a great idea than a recipe – just a great combination of fruits for a deep dark berry-laden fruit juice. I don’t have a juicing machine so it suited me that it is just a matter of giving it a burl in my food processor. It was so thick I felt a spoon could probably stand up in it but it was absolutely delicious – a combination of some of my favourite fruits. I tried to water it down with soda water but it doesn’t work – maybe some yoghurt or tofu might be nice but I didn’t fancy a creamy taste and would recommend sticking to the fruit.

However, be warned (especially if you are experiencing a Northern hemisphere winter) that this is a very seasonal drink. I meant to be patient and wait til I was at a market but then in a fit of whimsy I just bought the ingredients at the supermarket and I worked out it cost me about $12 to make this. But it cheered me up.

Not only does this juice satisfy and delight but I knew it must be good for me so I checked the fruits and found it was. Raspberries, blueberries and cherries were featured in Sweetnicks’ top 20 Antioxidant Rich Foods. This superjuice is likely to protect you from cancer, Alzheimer ’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, allergies, gout etc etc. And take a look at all the nutrients:

- blueberries - high in fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and manganese.

- cherries - good source of dietary fibre and Vitamin C. They also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and iron.

- red grapes - good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K.

- raspberries – rich in Vitamin C, manganese and dietary fibre. Also contains considerable amounts of B vitamins 1-3, folic acid, magnesium, copper and iron.

Finally, after a bike ride, it is a veritable treat to sit in the sun in the backyard, reading excerpts from Nigel Slater’s new book in the Observer Food Monthly (which my sister in Dublin sent to my mum) and drink this pleasing juice.

I am sending this recipe to Cate at Sweetnicks for her ARF/5 A Day Tuesday which encourages bloggers to share antioxidant rich recipes.

Deep Purple Juice
(from The Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook)
Serves 1-2

1 cup blueberries
1 cup pitted cherries
½ cup seedless red grapes
½ cup raspberries

Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

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Apartment Life: Ivy