The Stand

As the snow melts and sleepy plants unfurl from their wintery slumber, our bodies, too, reawaken. And after a long season of hibernation and holiday meals, people searching for a way to shake off the lingering winter blues (and bloat) need look no further than juicing.

Juicing is a delicious way to help restore, detox, and invigorate your body. The process removes the vegetable’s fiber and leaves behind a concentration of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that your body can absorb easily, giving you a boost of energy. Among these nutrients are phytonutrients, which are rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

One popular spot for fresh, organic juices is The Stand in Fairfield, run by owner Carissa Dellicicchi, who is known affectionately around town as the “Juice Queen.” The Stand sources as much of their produce from Connecticut as possible, including Sport Hill Farm (Easton), the Westport Farmer’s Market, Riverbank Farm (Roxbury), and Gilbertie’s Farm (Westport).

The Stand offers a menu with six veggiebased juices and one seasonal. Their most popular is “The Stand(ard),” a combination of kale, celery, cucumber, and apple. For the less adventurous, they offer the “Freshie,” a delicate juice of cucumber, apple, and lemon. Then there’s “Root Veggie” (carrot, beet, celery, and greens), “Sunny” (golden beets, carrot, and turmeric), the “Nasty” (their cureall with all greens, garlic, ginger, and cayenne), and “Remedy” (cucumber, celery, romaine, lemon, and seaweed). The menu also includes juice shots, like wheatgrass and ginger mixed with lemon, cayenne, and turmeric; smoothie blends; various lemonades; and fresh sunflower seed milk, which they make from seeds harvested from a local farm.

Now is the perfect time for juicing, especially as farmers’ markets return, offering leafy greens, succulent berries, and fragrant herbs. But with so much great produce readily available, you’ll need to find a way to keep everything fresh.

“The key to preserving our harvest of local, fresh ingredients year-round is freezing,” Carissa said, so when you have an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, you should juice them and pour the juice into an ice cube tray. Then freeze, seal in a zip-lock bag, and store in the freezer to add to smoothies later. You can also freeze fresh berries in a single layer on a sheet pan, put them in a zip-lock bag, and store in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.

When choosing a juicer, you want to pick one that not only handles firm veggies like apples or beets, but also delicate ones like spring greens. Different styles of juicers are designed for different styles of juicing,

But Carissa recommended a pair of good, general-purpose juicers: the Breville Juice Fountain Elite (around $450), and the Omega Nutrition System Electric Juicer (around $400). Some juicers may cost less, but those usually aren’t as efficient at extracting and they’re likely to leave you with pulp in your juice. You also want one with a good seal, so juice doesn’t wind up splattering out and staining your cabinets.

If you don’t own a juicer, or aren’t quite convinced you need to add one to your kitchen arsenal, don’t worry. You can get your feet (and hands) wet by starting off blending your veggies with water and straining them through a fine mesh colander, nut milk bag, or cheesecloth, although Carissa warned that this method sacrifices some of the chlorophyll and other nutrients.

Carissa said that fruit juice should be kept to a minimum to prevent blood sugar levels from spiking too high. Instead, try blending fruit in smoothies. Keeping the fiber from the fruit in a smoothie will help slow the body’s absorption of sugars.

It’s really important to clean fruits and veggies well before using them. You can wash or soak them in a mixture of white vinegar and cold water at a one to 10 ratio. For waxy fruits or veggies like apples, citruses, or cucumbers, allow them to sit in a cold water/vinegar bath for 10 minutes. Carissa recommended waiting to wash until right before use to prevent greens from wilting as quickly.

If you’re eager to start experimenting with juicing, here are some delicious recipes to get you started.

The Stand’s“Remedy ” Juice

MAKES ONE TO TWO SERVINGS

• 1 head of romaine

• lemon

• 1 cucumber (thoroughly washed and with cap removed)

• 3 celery stalks

• sprinkle of dulse flakes

Clean all produce thoroughly in a 1:10 solution of vinegar and cold water. Let lemon sit for 10 minutes in solution to help remove wax.

With juicer speed on low, juice lettuce. Switch to high and juice lemon, celery, and cucumber (in that order). Stir in a sprinkle of dulse flakes— and enjoy! Drink fresh for best flavor and highest nutrient content. May be stored in an airtight container, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator up to one or two days.

Blend/Strain Green Juice

MAKES AROUND 2 CUPS

• 1 cucumber, peeled and cubed

• 6 romaine leaves

• 8 mint leaves

• 1 handful of spinach

• 1 lime, peeled and seeded

• 1 green apple, cored and chopped

• 1 one-inch piece ginger, skin removed (optional)

• 1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on high until well combined. Strain through nutmilk bag, cheesecloth, or fine mesh sieve into container. Squeeze out remaining juice. Compost the pulp. Put lid on container and store in refrigerator until chilled. For best results, shake and drink same-day. May be stored in an airtight container, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator up to one or two days.

Carissa Dellicicchi was raised in the small farm town of Canterbury, Connecticut and grew up on on homemade recipes and veggies straight from the garden. In 2005, she opened the doors to The Stand’s original location in Norwalk. Catch Carissa at one of her cooking classes or pop-up vegan dinners. For more info visit her at thestandjuice.com.