Sprout Farm

Day 116: Insofar as growing produce is concerned, I am a notorious failure. I can grow beautiful flowers and don't do too badly with berries, but vegetable science eludes me. However, as with most rules, there is an exception: alfalfa sprouts. I've been hankering for Chinese food, and of course because of the pandemic, I won't go in a restaurant or even order take-out, so the obvious solution is to make my own. YouTube has been remarkably instructive in this regard, although I began my search for recipes with a small degree of experience in my background, hence the presence of sprouter trays in the back of a kitchen cupboard. It's been at least fifteen years (probably twenty) since I used them, and while I could have made do with a Mason jar and a piece of screen wire, the trays are much easier to use. The seeds are spread on the perforated tray with sufficient water in the lower level to just moisten them. The water should be changed out every day to prevent molding, but within five or six days, your alfalfa sprouts should be ready to use. They can go on salads, in spring rolls or stir-fries. Sometimes, I just pinch up a few and eat them straight.