Sprouts

What plating toolbox would be complete without a few microgreens? Sprouts are an excellent, flavorful garnish, a fantastic way to get more nutrients and easy digestion out of grains and beans, and an ingenious strategy for adding organic color contrast to your plate.

The key to growing good sprouts—from chia to arugula—is aeration. For bean sprouting, cover seeds in a mason jar with a nylon esh and rinse and drain two times a day. A thin layer of seeds will sprout in just a couple of days, which is sufficient for a crunchy, spicy garnish. You can keep these growing in well-aerated, screened containers for up to a week. For seed sprouting for foods like chia and arugula, soak seeds in warm water for about an hour, and then sprinkle seeds in between moist towels, checking on their progress every day for a week. Keep the towels moist, and remove the top towel when greens start to emerge. You can harvest them as desired, or transfer them to soil to keep growing. If you want to harvest them to arrest their growth, a ventilated plastic bag or box in the fridge usually gives you 3 days to use them before they get mushy or spoil.