By Aaron Bertelsen

Published: Monday, 08 November 2021 at 12:00 am


Apart from being a great start to the day, a smoothie is a brilliant way of using whatever is fresh and in season. You can experiment endlessly with different combinations. When using something earthy such as kale (see opposite), it is important to add a bit of sweetness to balance the flavours, especially if using shop-bought kale, as this tends to be more strongly flavoured than home-grown. The smoothie master at Great Dixter is Thomas Gooch, a regular helper in the vegetable garden. Thomas says banana is non-negotiable in most smoothies, and that using almond milk instead of cows’ milk helps to bring out the rest of the flavours. He also likes to add a few chia seeds to his blends. Note the inclusion of the turmeric, so important for gardeners of a certain age.

  • 1085
  • Total time 13 minutes
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 3 minutes
  • Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • Kale 15g, chopped with tough stems removed
  • Apple half, peeled, cored and chopped
  • Banana 1
  • Almond milk 120ml
  • Coconut oil 1tbsp
  • Chia seeds 1tbsp
  • Ground turmeric 1tsp

Method

  • Step 1

    Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 3 minutes, or until perfectly smooth.

This recipe is taken from The Great Dixter Cookbook: Recipes from an English Garden by Aaron Bertelsen (Phaidon, £24.95).