Splendid Sprout Salad
By Melissa | June 14th, 2011 | Category: Features, Yum's the Word | No Comments »One tedious gardening task is thinning. Not only is it tedious, but also a little heart wrenching to pull healthy little plants out of the ground that you worked so hard to grow. When planting very tiny seeds, it is hard to space them out properly, so the method of planting way too many and then thinning them out is standard practice.
When dealing with root vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips, you need to give them the underground space to develop. Refer to your seed packets for the proper space between needed and thin out all those in between. Be extra careful when pulling the ones closest to the one you want to leave to avoid damaging it’s roots. I’ve found that this is easiest when the soil is a little damp.
You can compost what you pull, but I do not like to waste all that tasty goodness. To enjoy them, you have to go through another tedious task of washing and removing teeny, tiny, muddy roots, but I find it worth the effort. It’s also a great way to enjoy your first meal out of your vegetable garden for the season.
Radish sprouts can pack quite a spicy punch. I have found cooking radishes lessens the spiciness, and applied this idea to my salad. I popped them into the microwave for a very short time to create a very interesting warm salad. Recipe follows (Serves 1);
Salad:
1 Cup Radish, Beet, Sugar Beet, Turnip & Chard Sprouts (Thinned from garden)
2 Baby Ichiban Eggplants – Coin Sliced
1 oz Shredded Fresh Ginger
12 Dried Raw Kale Chips (See Recipe)
1/2 Mini Red Bell Pepper – Thinly Sliced
1/2 Mini Yellow Bell Pepper – Thinly Sliced
1 Yellow Cherry Tomato – Quartered
1 Cherry Tomato – Quartered
1 Grape Tomato – Halved
Heat in microwave for 40-60 seconds, then add garnish and dressing.
Garnish:
1 TBSP Raw Sunflower Seeds
1/2 oz Finely Grated Hard Cheese
2 TBSP Chopped Fresh Strawberries (no sugar)
Dressing (6 Servings);
1.5 oz White Wine
0.5 oz Balsamic Vinegar
4 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ground Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper Mix (Black Pepper, Poppy Seeds, Coriander, Cumin)
