Beetroot, Citrus & Ginger Juice

 

  

You know, I think everyone underestimated dear old Manto back in the day. Here we were thinking she was just a crazy woman spouting off about beetroot, but if you think about it, she probably just discovered my all-time favourite juice combo ahead of the pack. Clearly a woman of great wisdom... ;-)

I love visiting markets over weekends and a particular favourite of mine is in Stellenbosch - just big enough to have enough variety in stalls and produce, but at the same time it's got that small-town vibe which I particularly love. It's just to easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of some of the bigger markets! 

The few times we've been we've tried various eats - from chorizo filled ciabattas baked in a pizza oven for that chargrilled taste, to sweetly-crisp Dutch stroopwafels, an array of dips, artisan cheeses (oh how I love cheese!), freshly made falafels wrapped in soft pita bread and of course TheHusband had to try german sausage on a breadroll at least once. Have I told you he's a bit of a hotdog slut? Well, the secret is out. 

But my favourite part (and I suspect his favourite part as well, judging by the commentary afterwards) is the liquid refreshments on offer at the Fresh Goods Market. 

 

Granted, the selection of drinks on offer is pretty limited and not nearly as varied as the food you'll find there. But when you've got home brewed beer on tap for TheHusband and freshly juiced vegetable and fruit juices to please my palate, well, then you've pretty much got all bases covered. I've tried a few of the juices at the juice stall (Dr Juice I think they're called) and while none of them have been anything but delicious, nothing, but nothing comes close to the beetroot juice they make. 

It's hard to describe perfection, but imagine an earthy-sweet jewel coloured drink redolent with the mild flavour of beetroot as base with a few citrus-y top notes and a hit of sinus-clearing ginger to round it off. As you've probably noticed, I'm completely smitten. So much so that I shun all other juice options on offer when we visit the market, opting without fail for my beet-y favourite. 

The only problem being that the market is only open once a week. And even worse - on some weekends we have other engagements, causing me to forfeit my fix... erm juice. *cough* But here's where it gets good. You see, a couple of years ago I made the fantastic decision to bond myself for life to TheHusband and in exchange for that I've received numerous awesome things from said man over the years - including my own juicer for my birthday this year. Score! 

So my advice to you? Get your ass over to the market on Saturdays for your very own beetroot juice fix; alternatively beg, borrow or steal a juice extractor so you too can experience juiced up mornings, *every* morning. Unfortunately it'll have to be sans the limited edition TheHusband though. 

Beetroot, Citrus & Ginger Juice

A Creative Pot original 

Makes approximately 500ml (2 cups)

5 medium sized beetroots, tops trimmed and scrubbed

1 large orange, peeled

1 lemon, peeled

+/- 2.5cm (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled

1. Feed all the ingredients through a juice extractor and serve immediately. Will also keep in fridge for a day or so.