Winter Gardening – Microgreens
In the cold of winter I miss my garden. While I may be able to pick a little hardy kale if the temperature is not too low and I haven’t used it all, the garden is mostly barren this time of year. And even though I will search through seed catalogues in the next couple of weeks as I plan next year’s crops, garden-wise, there is not a whole lot to do.
But I can still achieve a mini harvest by growing microgreens in my basement under lights or in a sunny, south-facing window. It may be challenging to pick enough for a full meal, but microgreens can be a perfect garnish on a dish or serve as a tiny salad on the side, as with this Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleon from Wolfgang Puck and Saveur magazine that I recently made. Microgreens are especially nice to have on hand when cooking a meal consisting of small plates. You just need to have a little forethought, and plant seeds about 10 days before you will need them, depending on the type of seed.
There are many types of microgreen seeds to plant. Multicolor lettuces and beet greens make for a pretty garnish. Arugula adds a spicy touch. Basil is always good. And radishes grow especially quickly. You can even buy microgreen mixes from seed companies so that when they germinate you have a variety of leaves to garnish your plate.
To plant, use seed starting soil in cell packs or trays. Pack seeds much closer together than you would outside in the garden. And make sure to label what you planted in each tray. When it’s time to harvest, just grab a bunch and snip them off with scissors. After a quick wash and dry, your microgreens are ready to add flavor and flair to your next meal.
