New Blender = Kale Smoothie, Finally.

Small appliances aren’t meant to last forever and some people have a hard time knowing when to let go and move on to a new machine.  Can you relate?  Michel has owned countless kitchen gadgets and machines, most of which have served out their days in a normal way while one or two have met an untimely end—like the grinder he tried to use to turn some South American lapis stones into pigment for painting. 

The blender he’s been using for the past few years was adequate but not powerful enough to liquefy belligerent kale leaves and stems into a potable substance.  When the blender failed to do the job, Michel excavated an old juice machine from the corner cabinet and tried to juice some fresh kale.  The result: Lots of kale pulp and a tiny amount of juice.   It was time to shop for a new blender. 

I began to look for online blender reviews and at the widely touted Vitamix in particular.  It’s supposed to be the best, right?   I always avoid those noisy guys who occasionally make Vitamix smoothies at Whole Foods.  The decibel level is more than I can stand with their product hawking and hands-free microphones, not to mention the machine itself.  It’s like walking through the exhibit halls at the State Fair.  Not my idea of a fun time. 

What I discovered via Google is that, first and foremost, the Vitamix is very expensive ($400-700).  Although I found an abundance of rave reviews, I wasn’t ready to make that kind of small appliance commitment.  I finally came upon a link to something called a “5 Blender Show-Down: Abusive Lab Test (With Video!)” and, of course, I had to read it.  I was surprised to see that the article was on the Popular Mechanics web site because I thought that publication had to do with automotive stuff.  No matter.  The blender dilemma was resolved after just a few paragraphs and Vitamix did not win the show-down.  Breville did.  So, we immediately set out for Williams-Sonoma and the Kale Smoothie was born. 

Michel is delighted with the Breville machine.  The patented blade design is ingenious and it’s very easy to clean—none of those nasty rubber rings and hazardous removable blades.  He’s tried a variety of ingredients for the kale smoothie—carrots, cucumber, berries, apples, etc.  At first I had the sensation of drinking a glass full of lawn clippings, but now I can say with absolute confidence that the drink is quite delicious and, of course, a very healthful thing to consume.  So, play around with ingredients until you find the combo that pleases your palate.  

Blend until smooth:

4-5 kale stems

1½ cups unsweetened apple juice

1 apple, cut into chunks

1 cup fresh strawberries

“a few squeezes” of agave nectar