Go Green for the Fall

Before I get into tonight's post: I've sent off free Earth Balance coupons to four of the six winners in last week's giveaway. Problem is, I've still not heard back from Belinda and TM (are y'all out there?). I'll wait another week, and if I've still not heard from them, I'll re-draw two more names.

The winners who have been mailed coupons are Natasha G., Katelyn W., Amanda T., and Abby H. Congrats y'all! I'll be choosing the North Coast Organics deodorant winners after midnight tonight.

No, this isn't a post about eco-friendliness, though you should probably make that kind of going green an autumn goal as well if you're not already as Earth-friendly as possible. But tonight, I'm talking about microgreens!

I'm not much of a gardener. I grow hot peppers and fresh herbs on my front porch every year, and I do okay. Sometimes, though, I forget to water my plants for a week and they come so near the brink of death. I don't have the proverbial green thumb. But I've been reading Mark Mathew Braunstein's new book Micro Green Garden: An Indoor Grower's Guide to Gourmet Greens, and now I'm sold on the idea of growing microgreens.

Microgreens are baby greens. They're just picked as seedlings or when the plants sprout their first true leaves. You might pay $4 for a bag of baby romaine in the supermarket, but you can grow your own at home for practically free. And the best part — some microgreens can be harvested in as little as a week. Surely, I can remember to water something for a week, right?

I haven't started my microgreen garden yet since I still have a few pages in Braunstein's book to read before I jump in. But that's my fall/winter goal. You grow microgreens inside your house, so you can have fresh local greens all winter. This book tells you how to choose the right seeds (Do you want watercress? Or bok choy? What about turnip or sesame?), how to prepare the soil (you can plant microgreens in plastic cafeteria trays), how to light the plants, and how to harvest and store the greens.

One chapter lists the inside scoop on all of Braunstein's recommended microgreens. You can find out the germination period for broccoli rabe or cabbage and learn about the flavors of each.

And the last chapter is for recipes. Sadly, there are only four recipes. As someone new to microgreens, I'd like a little guidance. But the recipes that are included (pea shoot and red pepper saute, fennel rice balls, microgreen medley salad, and potatoes and greens) sound and look delicious.

I'll keep y'all posted on how my microgreen gardening comes out. If I'm successful, I'm sure I'll be posting pics of the stuff I make with my baby greens soon.

By the way, if you haven't heard of Braunstein before, he's a bit of a vegan pioneer. He wrote Radical Vegetarianism in 1981 (and the cover photo is a power fist made with asparagus!!). He's also a huge advocate for medical marijuana and ending the war on drugs.