SPROUTS

by Saroya Ransom

I love legume and seed sprouts. I used to grow my own when the girls were kids. I'm going back to that because they are economical and delicious.

When folks hear the word 'sprouts' they think of the mung bean ones in local Chinese food restaurant dishes. You can sprout anything that's an edible seed or legume. Some of the seeds include Alfalfa, Chia, Flax, Sesame and Mustard (they have a groovy spicy flavor) and the legumes are Aduki, Lentil, Fava and Red, White, Pink & Navy. Sprouted legumes are awesome in veggie stews and soups. They also make the most nutritious flour for preparing sprouted bread.

There are all kinds of kits these days. Trays, bubbles and the original sprouter tool, bamboo baskets. I'm Old-Skool so I'm going to use the baskets, like I used to, cuz I'm not a fan of plastics where food is concerned. Especially food that has to be in contact with it for a long period - and with sprouts, your talking exposure throughout their entire Life cycle.

You can get the baskets in various weave and fiber thickness from small fibers woven tightly for small seeds, like mustard, to thicker fibers and wider weave for legumes. What I do think is cool are the new dome-shaped containers that allow you to stack 2-3 baskets under one unit. Now that's cool - and the sprouts aren't in contact with the plastic.

Below are links to 1) Sprout People -- a site that has all things sprout and 2) Handy Pantry Sprout Kit on VitaCost. As Always, VitaCost has the best prices, yet you may find them on Amazon or Ebay as well. When I'm shopping for something, I go to the manufacturer site to get the info and then search the INET to see if I can find a good price.

ENJOY my peeps!!

Handy Pantry Starter Sprout Kit
http://www.vitacost.com/handy-pantry-the-sprout-garden-starter-kit-1-kit

Sprout People
http://sproutpeople.org/sprout-kits/