I’ve never been known to be mean to vegetables, but… today’s the day. I dug up the last of my spring carrots, which had grown vibrant, luxurious greens while snuggling alongside lush chard and kale, gently growing to maturity in a beautiful bed of compost and soil for the last three months. All signs (above ground, at least) pointed to perfectly straight, modelesque root vegetables as the reward. After several minutes of carefully loosening the soil, I unearthed about a dozen piddly, gnarled little things that initially I considered throwing directly to the chickens. However, after a taste, I found that at least they tasted like carrots, disappointment aside.

When life gives you ugly, mangled excuses for carrots, make a delicious smoothie! The perfect medium to hide your garden rejects, and perfectly fresh to get you feeling the fast approaching summer. Imagine the vibrant color your ugly beets could impart!