Local farmers in the GTA explain what you need to know about these top-of-the-line side dishes
Ramona Leitao
Microgreens, like Royale Roots Micro Red Radish and Pea Sprouts, are packed with spicy and crunchy flavors.
Tiny but powerful, microgreens are becoming increasingly popular on the Toronto food scene. You can find them on menu items like salad rolls at the jungle-themed Selva restaurant and Fresh’s potent chickpea meat and tofu bowl.
These veggies add punch, visual flare, and extra crunch to a meal, and are now becoming more accessible to the general public.
But there is more to microgreens that just taste and texture say GTA farmers. Here’s what you need to know about these young plants that are fixing dishes all over town.
What are microgreens?
Microgreens are vegetables that grow in the ground and are harvested somewhere between the sprouting and seedling stage. Unlike buds, these baby plants have leaves and take longer to harvest (around seven to 10 days, depending on the plant).
These veggies didn’t come out of nowhere either (pun intended). “The first microgreens, not that they would call it that, were pea shoots that were grown in ancient China thousands of years ago,” says Dirk Kalff, founder of Junction Microfarm.
“They became popular as a side dish or as a side dish in California in the 1990s,” he says. “People picked it up and then it spread all over the world. And now it’s been here forever. “
There’s plenty of variety, too, says Jonah Krochmalnek, owner of Living Earth Farm, Ontario’s largest microgreen farm. From brassicas like brown mustard and broccoli to herbs like parsley, coriander, mint and thyme: “You can grow just about any plant that you eat the leaves of” to create micro-greens.
What Makes Microgreens Unique?
Depending on the green, microgreens offer more iron, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, and other nutrients than adults. In fact, the researchers also say that microgreens often have at least 10 times more nutritional value than the average fully grown vegetable.
“It’s a very dense way to take a vitamin pill, [except vitamin pills do not] replicate natural phytovitamins, ”says Kalff.
William Stavro, co-owner of microfarm Royale Roots, says that microgreens are more concentrated in nutrients due to their level of maturity. “As soon as it’s harvested, it starts to lose nutritional value,” he says of adult vegetables.
On the other hand, “microgreen plants are very young,” says Krochmalnek. “When [they’re] Young people, in the immigrant states they are almost like little children who are full of energy. “
Besides being densely packed with nutrients, they’re also thickly packed with flavor, says Kalff. So “you can use a little to go a long way.”
“I can eat half a head of broccoli, but I could never eat the equivalent grams of broccoli micro-greens because they have so much flavor,” he says.
And because of how little it needs, Stavro says the microgreens are kid-friendly. “My son generally hates broccoli,” he says. “But now my son loves it because he can take a handful of micro-vegetables and eat it. I don’t have to waste so much time cutting and cleaning it. “
Can I grow my own microgreens?
Krochmalnek says that while you may not be able to grow the best quality microgreens, it is possible to grow them on your own. “You just need soil, seeds, some kind of tray to hold the soil and it really takes off,” he says. “Anyone can definitely buy those supplies and put them on a sunny window sill and they’ll grow.”
He also says that growing microgreens is a good learning opportunity for everyone who wants to have a green thumb. “Because the growing cycle is so short, if you make a mistake, you can learn from it very quickly,” he says. “Whereas if you are trying to grow tomatoes outdoors, you have one type of crop per season and it takes several years to become an expert.”
If I don’t want to grow my micro-vegetables, where can I buy them?
Microgreens are now becoming more accessible to buy at grocery stores like Loblaws and Longos, as well as natural and organic food stores, like Whole Foods. Prices typically range from $ 8 to $ 10 per 100 grams, depending on the vegetable.
“You have to be a little insensitive to the price, you have to value your food and be willing to pay for it,” says Kalff, who also says that despite the price, you are still using a small amount compared to the adult. vegetable. “You can put 10 to 15 grams [of microgreens] on a sandwich that makes a big difference and you pay an extra dollar for it. “
Microgreens are also available to buy from local urban farms in the GTA.
What can I do with them?
Microgreens are not supposed to be treated as a side dish, but as an extra crunchy and flavorful garnish for savory dishes.
Most microgreens don’t “take a lot of heat,” Stavro says, so he generally treats his microgreens like a garnish and incorporates them into sandwiches, wraps, salads, and smoothies.
Kalff says many of his customers use micro-greens on pizza and quiche.
Am I supposed to wash my microgreens?
Ideally, if the farmer cuts the micro-vegetables correctly, they don’t need to be washed, says Kalff.
“You want clean cuts where you don’t get dirt,” he says. “If some people want to wash them, that’s fine. But the leaves are so delicate that they don’t like to wash them. ”
Stavro says that because microgreens are relatively fresh compared to adult vegetables you buy at the supermarket, they don’t need to be washed.
“Something from the grocery store has gone through multiple stops, multiple hands have touched it, and many times, there are things on the ground,” he says.
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Ramona Leitao