TIP OF THE DAY: Serve A Juice Course
| Years ago, many people would begin lunch or dinner with a first course of tomato juice. You could find it on the menus of the finest restaurants.
A vegetable cocktail is a low-calorie, nutritious and filling addition to any meal. Think presentation and turn that glass of juice into a glamorous mini-course. All you need is a good juice, a spiffy glass, the right garnish (that’s where glamor comes into play), a service plate and a cocktail napkin. Our everyday favorite is tomato juice garnished with key lime (now in season) and a fennel spear (you can substitute celery; we halve the key lime and place it on the plate for the individual to squeeze). Test different juice brands to see which taste the best, or see our review of the best tomato juice. But dig a little further—at natural food stores especially—and you’ll find absolutely delicious beet juice, carrot juice, celery root juice, potato juice and sauerkraut juice. The juices from Biotta, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week, are out of this world. A fruit juice can be a dessert course, too. Consider fresh-squeezed blood orange juice garnished with a fresh strawberry, a blend of pear and apricot nectars spiced with a cinnamon stick or your own favorite “fruit cocktail” blend.
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Beyond the tomato: celery root, carrot and |
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