Thanksgiving Delight

by Hugh
(Fairfax, CA)

The Thanksgiving Delight is a very autumnal smoothie. The orange persimmon globes can be seen decorating tables far and wide at this time of year and are one of my favorite fruits. They keep a very long time in a cool pantry and in fact the Hachiya persimmons need to be fully ripe before eaten. They should almost feel like a trembling water balloon when ripe. Sometimes they have seeds and sometimes they do not, but it is easy enough to remove any seeds before blending. Bananas are covered in brown dots or markings when ripe.

Ingredients

6 to 7 small hachiya persimmons (ripe)

1 bunch of turnip greens

1 bunch dino kale

4 bananas (ripe)

1 ½ “chunk of fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon flax seed

Water as needed

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

I added turnip greens to the recipe because I had the tender young turnips with dinner the night before. I think that’s something often overlooked, the use of the green tops from a wide variety of root vegetables. I think most people know that beet greens can be used, but so can just about every other green leaf or top you can think of. In fact of the top of my head I can’t think of one that can’t be used.

The leaves of broccoli and cauliflower plants are great in smoothies and juices too. Grape leaves and fig leaves are several more that I have enjoyed in a morning smoothie. Tomato leaves are not edible and I’m not sure about eggplant.

Nutritional information

Persimmons are high in Vitamin C, A, and many of the B complex vitamins. They are also high in magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper, and a host of phytonutrients. Also high in fiber.

The kale and turnip greens are very mineral rich and loaded with chlorophyll. Calcium, sulfur, and iron are 3 minerals that are found at high levels. Kale contains high levels of vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, beta carotene, vitamin K, and lutein.

Bananas are high in vitamin C, B6, B5, B2, folate, manganese, potassium, copper, magnesium, and fiber.

Ginger is a digestive aid, which is warming and cleansing, and an overall tonic. High in vitamin B3, B6, vitamin C, copper, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Flax seeds are high in lignans, a phytoestrogen that have been called natural cancer-protective compounds. They are an anti-inflammatory, a laxative, and very soothing for the digestive tract. Flax seeds are high in folate, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, lecithin, and contain all 8 essential amino acids.

One heaping tablespoon of flax seeds provides 2 grams of ALA, which meets your daily omega 3 fatty acid requirement.

As you can see the Thanksgiving Delight is a powerhouse of nutrition that can support you through the toughest of mornings.

If you would like to see more nutritional information on other whole foods then the list of raw foods will be very useful.