With all the talk these days about food supply chain issues, food shortages, problems with trucks, ports, ineptitude, Gates buying American farmland, and talk about why a country in Europe (Ukraine) is affecting food in the USA, I just wanted to help you learn what you can grow and eat that is closer to home. Welcome to Food security 101 –
Sprouting Seeds and Legumes (Beans)
I found out that I can sprout the beans and lentils that I have in storage. You could do this, too, even without any kind of vegetable garden plot! This process raises the vitamin content and makes them more like a vegetable than a carby bean. This is important to me because it’s hard for me to digest beans due to gas and their making me comatose the next day. I generally avoid them because they don’t agree with me (and I like to be awake!) I have been enjoying green mug bean sprouts and now brown lentils. (And I am noticing changes to gum tissue. It used be a big hole, and now it is healthier. I am not sure if this change is responsible, as I am doing other things, too.)
The sprouting does not work any any lentil or bean that has been split in half. So split green and yellow split peas, and red lentils, would not work here.
We just soaked the beans and lentils overnight, and then tried to rinse and drain it three to four times per day. (I was soaking them all day for 4 days, but in warm weather that grows yeast) About day 4-6, I moved the mung beans into the fridge using a container with an open vent on it. I try not the eat the green husks, simply because I have digestive issues. I think they would be hard to digest.
There are fancy seed sprouting lids at kitchen stores. I soaked them in a bowl, and put them into a strainer to drain, then back in the bowl. You could also use cheesecloth and pantyhose as a lid for a jar. (Wash those out after each batch to avoid mold.) In warm weather, watch out for growing beans and yeast – avoid filmy liquid on them.
Lettuce Bowl
I started a lettuce bowl in a pot this season – 2022. The main centerpiece was the remainder of that butter lettuce that comes in a plastic container, with the root on it, and was bought in the store. I planted other lettuce seeds around it. The store lettuce did NOT like Denver-style high altitude sun at first, even early in the season. It kept wilting. I had to place it on the East side, so it was shaded from hot western sun which goes from 1 to 9pm. When you plant it, try to use a pot 5-7” deep at least, and keep moist. Gently pull the roots down and deep into the new pot.
Herb Bowl
I also have fresh herbs in pots, that just got moved into a planter box. These were from my last garden at an apartment building–I took them in over winter.
Using fresh herbs is a great way to add flavor, plus biodiversity in your menu. And don’t forget that many of them that we like and use daily have antibacterial and antiviral properties, too. I especially like fresh thyme and basil.
Fresh Garlic
One Fall I had planted garlic bulbs in the garden for the next growing season. By Spring, it was hard to see them due to a plethora of sunflower stalks. But when I did find them, I cut them up and used the garlicky greens in dishes. Yumm!
Green Onion Tops – Sprout Them Again!
After you cut out green onions, you can plant the roots into dirt again. The top and center will regrow again to make more green onions!
How to Eat Fresh Weeds
Remember that all parts of the dandelion is edible. I prefer eating the smaller leaves, instead of the bigger ones. The smaller ones are less bitter. Try to forage over an area, and leave the root to regrow if you can. In addition, I tried elm buds in Spring. They were nutty and delicious. And pine needles are available ear round, and an excellent source of vitamin C. I don’t know if the process is to cut needles up and soak them in cold water (heat kills vitamin C), or eat them straight off the tree. More on that later when I find out —
Just be sure to NOT use Yew trees, which are poisonous.
Another source to learn what is ok to eat is a book by a wild food foraging expert called “Cattail Bob.” I attended one of his lectures and it was very interesting. You can find his two excellent books detail each herb through four seasons with clear, color photos. They definitely cover the Colorado area. Here is his website and book ordering page at www.SurvivalPlants.com.