Microgreens: Fresh, Flavorful Home Grown Nutrition

The Unique Taste of Microgreens impart a kaleidoscope of flavor and color to soups and salads, sandwiches, omelets or a variety of recipes. Enjoy the taste of fresh peas, radishes, mustard, basil, beets, kale and numerous others from tender young Microgreens.

Genovese Basil Microgreens

A Microgreen is a plant in between the sprout and baby salad green stages. Begin cutting and harvesting the Microgreens after the first two true leaves have appeared after the cotyledons.  All Microgreen seeds should be untreated.

The goal was to try Mirogreens as an alternative to sprouts in the winter, and I quickly learned that Microgreens didn’t replace sprouts, they supplement them.  Sprouts are a good super easy permaculture winter food source.  I started sprouting seeds in winter after learning how the Mormon pioneers used them to survive harsh winters. 

Garlic Chive seeds  for Microgreens and jar sprouts

Microgreens are also a good cure for the winter blues! The bright broad spectrum light in the grow dome is visually uplifting.  And you don’t have to hike through the snow and uncover the cold frame to enjoy some great organic greens in stormy weather. I do have a cold frame setup and harvest from it when I can in winter.

The grow light is low wattage and won’t use a lot of electricity, and the light can easily be the only light needed in a room like a study. The Microgreens are placed in a sunny window that gets daytime light when available.  The grow dome and broadspectrum light can be a family gift everyone can work with; I found one at a local garden center. 



When I purchased the grow dome and tray, I also took home a copy of a book by Fionna Hill titled “ How to Grow Microgreens, Nature’s  Own Superfood,”Firefly Books USA, Canada, second printing 2013.  The techniques in this book are more my style than a grow dome, because the dome seemed confining at first. I highly recommend the book.  Taking some examples from Fionna Hill, you can grow Microgreens in just about any container imaginable and keep them on a sunny windowsill if you have one,  although supplemental light helps during darker months. Microgreens can be grown in apartments or small living spaces, indoors or out.

While the dome is a perfect way to sprout seeds, at first it was challenging to both sprout and support greens that are past the sprout stage in one environment. With the first planting there were moisture control problems from sprouting and growing under one lid. The dome does have two adjustable vents.  The moisture needs to be monitored frequently, something I wasn't doing. Seeds should be kept warm and moist while sprouting, but once past that stage they do better without quite so much humidity. Everything was growing great until I decided to add some flax seeds, and they molded quickly.

 Microgreen dome and seed trays.

Growing a variety of different kinds of seed under one small dome can require some planning, some seeds take several days or even a couple of weeks to sprout. Two domes would be a good system if you use one for sprouting and one for growing; the lights are designed to be daisy chained. 

Growing Microgreens is a continuous process; keep rotating in new plantings for a fresh supply of greens.

Considering economics, buying bulk organic seeds, and using your own seeds you have saved or foraged are all economical alternatives.  For example, if you get a “buy” on black eyed peas, by all means use them for Microgreens!  Once you get started you will find what works best for you.  One of the foraged seeds that has done well for me as a beginner is wild mustard, and it doesn’t cost anything to gather the prolific seed siliques in fall. The mustard seeds and greens seem to be especially hearty and mold resistant. Arugula seeds are also plentiful and easy to collect after the plants seed in summer.  To plant Microgreens, plant the seeds on top of a tray full of seed starter mix and wet down with a spray bottle until the seeds begin to absorb water.

Red Clover and Wild Mustard Microgreens from locally foraged seeds. The mustard seeds have been cut a couple of times.

 

The next Microgreens I am planting are the garlic chive seeds that I just got in the mail, and amaranth is on the wish list. The grow dome can do double duty for both Microgreens and spring seed starting. If you don’t have a greenhouse and start seeds indoors, the grow dome is a great way to get a jumpstart on your garden.

When I first planted the cells in the grow dome, which neatly holds eight cells for planting, I made a grid map of what I had planted and I highly recommend doing this.  It is easy to forget where and what you have planted before the seeds sprout, and the grid also serves as a reminder of the total days required for sprouting. 

Sharing Microgreens- My first project idea was to plant some basil in organic egg shells, as a return gift, for my neighbor children, that deliver fresh eggs to my door.  Microgreens are an easy project  for all ages and kids can help in planning what Microgreens to choose for a meal.

Here is a partial list of seeds for growing Microgreens:

Kale, flax, snowpeas, beetroot, mungbeans, peas, rocket, radish, Italian parsley, garlic chives, wheatgrass, broccoli, clover, corn, fenugreek, flax, cabbage, alfalfa, mizuna. You can also grow Microgreens in large flats in the greenhouse, or garden.

I made this quick, easy recipe for Corn, Feta and Microgreen Fritters from Microgreens by Fiona Hill.  The first batch I cooked without the Feta and served with maple syrup- for the second  cooking I added the Feta to the batter and it resulted in a richer fritter. I had some extra sourdough starter and used it for the batter instead of flour and water,  and added Arugula microgreens. 





http://houseandhome.com/food/recipes/corn-feta-microgreen-fritters-recipe

Check your seed collection and start some Microgreens today!

Utah Potawatomi Heirloom Plum Pioneer History and Modern Uses

Potawatomi plums in Utah have a rich Mormon pioneer history.  The trees were planted and grown along natural waterways, canals and ditch banks by Utah Mormon pioneer settlers, and miners, for food.  Prunus americana Marsh., the American plum, is known by most Utahns as the Potawatomi plum, can be seen planted in the historic orchard groves in Fruita, Utah near the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park. The the name Potawatomi plum can be traced back to Native American inhabitants along the middle Mississippi and lower Missouri watersheds. The plum is also attributed to the Corn Bread nation. The Potawatomi Indian Tribe originally inhabited the Michigan state region.

If you are interested in planting the Potawatomi as a heritage plum, here is where the trail gets difficult to follow. 
The American plum is also known as:

• Pottawattami plum
• Wild plum
• Yellow plum
• Red plum
• River plum
• Goose plum
• Hog plum
• Ciruela

The name is not the only twist in the trail; the shape and color of the fruit varies from red to yellow, and is usually orange-red when ripe.

Potawatomi Fruit
Courtesy of Capitol Reef National Park

This is the plum I remember from childhood in Central Utah. The short, shrub like thickets planted along the irrigation ditches have mostly disappeared as new housing and development fill up the land.  Broken fragments of the plum stands remain and are becoming a rarity. Full grown trees are gnarled and generally don't reach more than seven feet tall.

The "Capitol Reef National Park,  List of Fruit and Nut Varieties Including Heirlooms," identifies the Potawatami as Prunus munsoniana. Notice the short stems and white dots on the skin of the fruit.


While researching, I have found many native Utahns refer to any wild plum as Potawatomi. For example, there is a tall spreading tree plum, with yellow cherry size fruit, that some call a Potawatomi along the lower Provo River trail in Provo, just west of Geneva Road. Once plentiful when the river ran higher and trees could grow unimpeded, there are now only about a dozen. The trees start easily from seed but have limited opportunity due to competing species and pavement.

Other Utahns I have spoken with tend to call the various light to dark purple shrub and  hedge tree plums Potawatami. Many of these plums can be seen growing along railroad lines.

Naturalized Yellow Cherry Plum on Provo River

October 2013

Another local plum called a Potawatomi is found growning in my local Utah neighborhood. This plum is unique in that it is one of the last to ripen in September and early October.  The seeds to this plum are not round, they are a longer oval shape with deep grooves.

Local Yellow Egg or Pershore Plum

October, 2013

To plant the Potawatomi from seed, start with cold stratified seeds from fully mature fruit, or plant the seeds in a garden trench in late fall.  Although the Potawatomi is naturally a small shrub or small tree, they don't do well in shade and will not  thrive as an understory planting.

The trees could be planted along roads in run off areas, around ponds, along a driveway edge to catch runoff, or in any area where they will get sufficient water. The trees make an excellent wildlife forage barrier or hedgerow between fields and gardens. The white blooms beginning in March attract pollinators; the fruit ripens in late summer.

Today many energy or food bars use plum puree or plum powder as a main ingredient along with dates. I haven't ever seen the plums identified by what kind of plums however, so buyer beware, you have no idea what type of plums are used or where they are grown. Plums are a very inexpensive source of nutrients and natural sugars.
Traditional uses for plums are jams, jellies, chutneys, and sorbets. The plums can also be dried and have the best, sweetest and unique flavor when fully ripe. 

If you have a Potawatomi plum story and/or seeds and photos please share your comments.

 Source credits:      
 Renewing America's Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods  Edited by Gary Paul Nabhan
 
www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Prunus%20americana.pdf

Capitol Reef National Park

Healthy Biosphere Today: Heirloom Tomatoes in the Permaculture Garden

A Winning Combination of heirloom tomatoes will give you flavorful, long season production and a healthy harvest for your permaculture garden. The seeds are easy to save and increase food security. 


Rich, sweet, Black Cherry heirloom tomatoes are some of the earliest to ripen and produce plentiful bunches of tomatoes all season long. They are one of the largest grape-sized cherry tomatoes available.

Striped Roman heirloom tomatoes also ripen early, producing pounds of enviable yields the entire summer.


Plate of Roman Striped and Black Cherry Heirloom Tomatoes

It's easy to add more tomatoes to the family diet, just set these bite sized Black Cherry heirlooms on a plate for snacking, toss them into salads, or put some in a nutritious lunch to go. Don't let the small size fool you, they have the same sweet flavor as their full-sized counterparts!

The Black Cherry tomato vines will trail along the ground unless you support them, and they grow in large clusters along the vines.
Pick them just before they are fully ripe for best keeping.
Compared to another favorite heirloom, Black Krim, the Black Cherry and Striped Roman varieties had superior insect resistance. This year the Black Krim had a tendency to crack, giving insects easier access.

Striped Roman heirloom tomatoes also ripen early, and are all-star high producers. They have more flavor and are slightly juicier than other Roma varieties. This is the first plant I would pick when I needed a large volume of tomatoes for summer recipes. The skins are easy to slice, and due to the Roma shape they make attractive tomato wedges.

Each year I experiment with different kinds of heirloom tomatoes. Planting this year was hurried because of a move to a new home, and all the tomatoes were transplanted twice before being set out late in the season. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of these new heirloom additions.

 

Sliced Black Cherry Heirloom Tomato
 

A busy sustainable lifestyle is well served by utilizing a diverse garden, filled with tasty heirloom tomatoes of all sizes and shapes, suitable for seed saving, high yields, natural insect resistance, and long season production. Heirloom tomatoes make a wonderful addition to your permaculture garden - and they taste great!

Healthy Biosphere Today: Secret Health and Permaculture Benefits of Chives

Unassuming Chives boast big benefits for permaculture gardens and a healthy diet.
What else can you do with chives besides using them as a healthy, nutrient rich and flavorful potato topping?

My favorite use for chives is adding young, tender blossoms to salads. I have found several new blooms on my spring blooming chives this fall, giving me the inspiration to write about chives. Chive blossoms deliver onion flavor without all the messy chopping, or adding extra water to a salad. Pick off the chive petal blossoms one by one to separate them.

Purple Chive Blossoms Picked This September Morning.

My grandmother used to give me a delicious meal of  home made cottage cheese topped with chopped chives.  I have never been able to match the fresh taste using store bought cottage cheese.

Garlic chives have white blossoms and  bloom in the fall instead of spring; planting both spring blooming purple chives and fall blooming garlic chives give you fresh blooms and stems spring and fall.  Garlic chives are very popular in Chinese cooking, they add just a hint of garlic. Garlic chives have flat stems, while common purple blossom chives have a round hollow stem.
Chives keep their flavor best when added raw onto foods. Chopped garlic chives will also wilt nicely when added to your favorite stir fry. Young flower buds of the garlic chive are very tender when picked before the blooms open. I can't wait to add garlic chives to the garden this year!

Permaculture gardens benefit several ways from chives. Chives can be used as an insecticide for organic gardening.  Chive tea can be sprayed directly on gooseberries and cucumbers to prevent powdery mildew, on cabbages to repel cabbage butterfly,  and on apple trees to help get rid of apple scab. Plant chives near carrots to discourage the carrot fly, and in rose beds to combat black spot. 
Chives help suppress grass, accumulate nutrients, and attract beneficial insects to the garden with spring and fall blooms. Chive attracts bees- spring and fall!

You can grow common purple chives indoors during the winter, give them as much sun as possible and supplement with grow lights if available. Chives can last well into the winter but are tough after blooming.
Chives grow wonderfully in all kinds of pots, use your imagination and make some interesting displays. Keep chives trimmed after blooming to keep them from becoming long and drooping.

September Purple Chive Blossoms.  These didn't last long!

Healthy Chives: Chives combine to make allicin, which is linked to lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure.  Some research shows allicin can help prevent certain types of cancer.
Many use flavorful raw chopped chives as a salt replacement.
Minerals in chives include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium and zinc.  Chives are a source of folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C and K.


Chives are easy to grow and maintain. Add both common purple and garlic chives to your garden for color, companion planting and natural garden benefits, and healthy flavorful recipes.

Check out this Chinese cookbook by Susanna Foo: Chinese Cuisine: The Fabulous Flavors and Innovative Recipes of North America's Finest Chinese Cook. Houghton Mifflin NY, 1995, 2002.

Healthy Biosphere: Willow and Mint- Meadows of Change

Willow and Mint

Sweet, savory fall time.

Lush grasses gather their last fullness before the first cutting frost.

Trees soak up the waning full days of sun

And breathe out a sigh of dropping leaves

Leaving their glory swirling down the avenues, in a final tidal wave of color.

Mints hold to their green

And hide themselves

Under derelict grasses

And leaf banks of warmth

Seeking protection from the certain outlash

Of rain and snow and naked winter days. 

Willows bow gracefully to the fall

Before becoming brittle and angry

As the wind tugs away at slender leaves

And steals the summers wealth of soft cloaked coverings

Left drying and reduced on the ground.

The nights deepen, and fall brings an uncanny hush to the field

As the birds are departing

Leaving scattered seeds for spring yield.

Once again the full moon rises and shines on the land

As it signals the creatures to treasure the fall bounty

Before the darkening days give in to winter

And chill scours the earth.

Laura Istas - Sept. 19, 2013

Healthy Biosphere Today: On the Menu - Garden Corn Salad

It's wonderful to find a new "old" recipe for your in-season garden produce.  This recipe found while shopping a used book sale at a local thrift store in Orem, Utah.

 

Corn Salad:

3 cups fresh cooked corn

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced

3 green onions, sliced

2 small tomatoes, chopped

2 T Mayo

3 T Sour Cream

1 T cider vinegar

1/2 t salt

1/4 t dry mustard

1/2 t celery seed

Tomato Cups or Lettuce Leaves

Corn Salad
Credit: "The Natural Nine" Cooking with Whole Grains
Lorraine D. Tyler
1984 Magic Mill

Layer vegetables in large salad bowl.  Combine mayo and sour cream.  Add remaining ingredients, blend well. Toss with vegetables, refrigerate until well chilled.  Serve on lettuce leaves or in hollowed out tomato cups.  Serves 4-6.



Fresh Brandywine - Chop it Up!
 

Improvising Just a Little - Hmm, how about adding some Loveage!

Saving the Heirloom Tomato seeds too. 

Back out to the garden.....

 

Super good and ready to chill.

The Loveage gave it a unique gourmet herb flavor, I used 2 small stalks and leaves. 

Veggie credits: Corn and Cuke from Vineyard Gardens

I used a Utah's Own Wild Coyote Buttermilk Dressing because I don't have Mayo or Sour Cream.

:Home grown tomatoes,onion and loveage. 

Last but not least: Feeding the compost bin.



Healthy Biosphere Today: On the Menu

On the Menu: 

Arugula Thinnings Salad

Arugula is growing quickly this fall after we received record rain here in Utah.

 

I am thinning the Arugula and using the thinnings for salad - the tender young Arugula is extra mild. 

Hoping for some blooms before we have a hard freeze!  However even if it freezes, Arugula is very hardy and will easily winter over in a cold frame, giving you extra early greens and blooms for salad.

Permaculture Project: Willow Trellis

Permaculture Garden Project:  Willow Trellis

A perfect fall garden project!  The plan is to collect as many uprights and rungs as needed and make the ladders before gathering benders. The trees in this area have been coppiced and are a wonderful fit for this project. There are also  many variations on a theme: Woven Willow, Mini Fence, Trellis, Arbor, etc.
Here is a great link on how to build willow trellises:

Creating a Willow Trellis - Wis. Public TV

The beginning goal was to cut 24 each willow  - 12 for the ladder uprights, and 12 to cut into the ladder rungs. 

The first trip yielded 10 ladder / rung possiblities all at least 5 ft tall.

Next time out I will also use a small saw and a larger lopper.

These are all a minimum of 2" at the base, before cut to length.

Here is a finished project using Woven Willow from the Mother Earth News:

 

Willow ladder uprights - side branches removed, not cut to size

Besides the valuable link above, here are some illustrations from an old book on building rustic furniture from Smith Book Press, "How to Build Rustic Furniture" 1991. These were a good series although I am not sure if it is still in print. If you can find it, buy it!

Nine - Nine September: Hues of Fall

Nine - Nine September: Hues of Fall

Evening time and instead of picking and transplanting I kept getting distacted by the multi- golden, russet sunset hued in deep smoky colors all around me.  There isn't  just a spot wash of color to the west, it looks like I am living on the coast. It's very distracting and surprising to see the colors reflecting across the windows in all directions. The air is soft, rich and humid from the recent rain.

The diversity of the colors of the sunset, and the fall garden are enlightening and fulfilling. The harsh summer light has given way to a musky rich fall and deepening skies.

Colors of the harvest are mirrored in the colors of the sunset. Look at the colors of harvest and imagine the sunset: orange, gold, reds, burgandy, and opaque clouds with blue breaking through.

Next year: Pumpkins and squash to complete the color array!

The apple trees have been completely neglected, and the only pruning they got this year was to keep them off the ground.  The birds have found a haven here in the large, low branched trees, foraging for insects, shade and cover.



Purslane, dandylion and mallow are growing in to compete with the moonscape of four perennial weeds from pioneer irrigation.




New Garden Beginnings

Here it is Labor Day weekend! After the first precious soaker rainstorm the garden is beginning to show some strength.  There is a lot of lawn to take out; I have begun gathering wild edible seeds to aid in soil recovery.

I tried to start some fall seeds by direct sowing them in mid-July; that was a epic fail, even though I kept the seeds shaded and moist anything that did germinate withered.  We have had the hottest summer on record, and it continues even now!

Here are some pics of progress, and repurposing what was already here.  I did bring in some garden compost from a landscape supply 2 blocks away for the beds.

 

Collecting Chicory and Mullein Seed

Epic Mushrooms After Rain



Porch seed starting; Kale veggie pots, Egyptian onions taking root



Peaches

Seeded Arugula - will be ready for transplanting soon.



Small Raised Beds / Cold Frame Combo



Transplanted Currants

Veggie Garden