by Solara Goldwynn, Hatchet & Seed –
With this year’s incredibly slow spring start, finding things to eat in the garden has been a bit more challenging than in previous years. In our family we’ve been sprouting seeds and lentils to add a boost to most meals, and adding in kale and collard greens that survived the hard winter. We also harvest wild nettles and dandelion leaves for a dose of chlorophyll; these wild perennial vegetables seem unfazed by the long winter, although a little slow to emerge.
This month’s recipe is a powerhouse pilaf, almost more like a salad as it combines roasted root vegetables, early spring greens, soaked grains and lots of sprouts. I’ve adapted this recipe from a fantastic book called Grown & Gathered.
Soak several varieties of grains in water with a splash of apple cider vinegar for 12 to 24 hours. I used brown rice, quinoa and buckwheat. Soaking your grains deactivates enzyme inhibitors and stimulates the grain to germinate, making them easily digestible. After they are soaked, cook them to their appropriate individual cooking time.
For this recipe the sprouts I used are lentils and mustard. Each variety was left to soak in water in a jar for 12 hours. After that time I poured off the water and rinsed, putting some cheesecloth on the top of the jar, secured with a rubber band. The jar then rests upside down, on an angle in a bowl, which drains the excess water. Over the next few days I rinsed the seeds and lentils twice a day, and soon they started to sprout; it can take up to three days to get the right sized sprout. The sprouts can be stored in the fridge without a lid for up to two weeks.
1½ cup cooked grains (cooled)
1½ cup sprouted lentils and seeds
2 cups roasted root vegetables (beets, parsnips or carrots work well)
3 tbsp chopped leeks or garlic tops
1 grated carrot
2 tbsp raisins or dried black currants
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
juice of ½ a lemon
feta cheese as garnish
Mix all ingredients except for feta cheese in a large bowl. Add feta to the top at the end and serve generous portions to your friends.
