On a recent trip to the farmer's market, sunflower sprouts from Claverach Vineyard and Organic Farm were one of the only local greens we could find . My husband and I had never had sunflower sprouts before, but we were determined to use them. We asked the grower for some advice on what to do with them. She suggested a salad with the sprouts, some avocado, and some lemon.
We followed her advice, plus we added some goat cheese, garlic, and truffle oil and had an incredible salad. This worked much better than our plan before talking to the grower (to cook the sprouts with some pasta). Apparently, you should eat sprouts raw. I know, I'm a food blogger, I should be aware of these things. However, I don't know it all. I'm constantly learning.
Moral of the story: Don't shy away from items you are not familiar with at your local markets. If you see something and you're not sure what to do with it, ask the grower. They are full of great ideas!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-04-2008 @ 4:54PM
Cheryl said...
I didn't know that about eating sprouts raw. We sauteed some pea shoots last night and they tasted very sprout-like--maybe next time we'll try them raw.
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6-04-2008 @ 8:02PM
Christina said...
The FDA used to warn against eating sprouts raw, especially in pre-made things like sandwiches and salads for restaurants and delis.
I'm not sure if this is a still a big concern, but given the large number of reported food borne illnesses as of late, it's good for people with compromised immune systems to be aware of possible dangers.
Here are a few links for more info: http://www.anapsid.org/sprouts3.html
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/hhssprts.html
That being said, I do occasionally eat sprouts which are packed with nutrients, wonderfully light in the hot summer months, and delicious, although I usually sprout them myself.
www.vegan-vanguard.blogspot.com
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6-04-2008 @ 8:20PM
App said...
Timely post Stefani - our "Happy Box" just came and I had no idea as to what those were. Now I know!
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6-05-2008 @ 7:59PM
Lzbeth said...
This is one of my husbands favourite ingrediants for his homemade vegetarian sushi. In combination with red &/or green peppers, and cucumber, it is especially tasty.
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