The Mighty Microgreen

Do you want to learn to grow microgreens? How about how to put on your OWN microgreen class? The Mighty Microgreen (that would be me!) will be putting on a class up at ISU THIS FRIDAY morning. It's free, you get a free kit, you learn a bunch (see the poster), and you even get some samples :). It is put on by the IRH (Institute of Rural Health) and there are limited seats so get registered ASAP. Open to homeschool parents (no children in this class!), and anyone who is interested in both learning to grow microgreens and to teach others.

'Tis the season... For Rhubarb and microgreens!

In our part of the country (SE Idaho) spring has been struggling. We are on fifth spring at the moment. We've had a few beautiful days- and then snow. A few more nice days- and rain. And snow. And ...

This kind of weather grows great w**ds, and beautiful rhubarb. How to use it all without going on sugar overload? Pizza ( and other savory recipes that I'll post soon)!!

RHUBARB PIZZA??

I know, it sounds weird- rhubarb pizza -but it is, well, it's just Wow!! We had it today, and my husband went all the way into town to get more goat cheese for another pizza for tomorrow 😊. Best husband award!!

Rhubarb Pizza

Ingredients:
- Pizza crust ( I use 4 naan or personal size sourdough discard crust)
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup or more mozzarella, shredded
- 1 cup rhubarb, chopped small
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
After baking:
- 2 tablespoons real honey
- Basil microgreens (plenty!)
- Broccoli microgreens (a good handful!)

Directions:
*Brush Naan (or your favorite pizza crust) with olive oil.

* Sprinkle with mozzarella ( don't be stingy!)

*Chop rhubarb small and scatter over the cheese.

*Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and chopped fresh THYME leaves ( if you don't have them.... Wait until you do!)

*Bake at 425 for about 8 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is just brown

* Remove from oven and drizzle with honey
* Top with chopped basil microgreens and chopped broccoli microgreens
*Serve warm

Be brave! Try this!

Look, don't judge. It has green on it, lots of protein... Sometimes you just need a healthy-ish snack, and chocolate rules the world when you're grumpy!

Of course I had to take a picture of it. The first one didn't come out well so I ate that spoonful and scooped another. And another...

Recipe🤣:
Spoonful of peanut butter
Dip out into mini chocolate chips
Garnish with sunflower microgreens

Savor it slowly....😁

Morel mushrooms! What a treat!

The last couple of months have been a period of growth in patience and compassion. My 91yo mum with dementia has moved in with us. We are blessed to be able to have caregivers and hospice to help us through this journey.

Yesterday, the delightful young woman who comes to help with bathing and personal care brought me a treat- fresh picked morel mushrooms. Of course she wouldn't tell me where they found them (like huckleberries, when you find a secret foraging spot, you guard that information!), only that it was somewhere with downed cottonwood trees😁.

I have never had morels so she taught me the basics- they must be cooked before eating, fried is amazing, and they taste like finger steaks!

I put all the bigs ones in the freezer dryer for later, and fried up the little ones. Oh. My. Amazing flavor!

Ingredients
1/2 pound morel mushrooms
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter more if needed
Broccoli And radish microgreens
Begonia or other edible flowers

Mix the dry ingredients. Rinse the morels and pat dry. Gently coat with the floor mixture, and fry in the butter for about 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Blot excess butter and serve warm with broccoli and radish microgreens, garnish with edible flowers.

( All begonias are edible, with a lovely citrus flavor!)
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Ok, I'm a day late. But with the Force, it's never too late... May the Fourth be with you🤣
Photo compliments of my son and AI😁🌱
This is my official come-back post. Although I've been teaching locally, shipping educational and personal kits across the country (thank you for your orders!), I've had some additions to my life during the past 7 months. My 91yo mother developed dementia and a host of other difficulties from the resulting refusal to eat healthy and drink water. She wanted to live on her own, but even with long, daily visits to help her, then moving her to an assisted living facility (fail), we realized that only by bringing her to our home and giving 24hr personalized care, a healthy diet, lots of fluids ( mainly water), and hospice would she be ok. She did not want to- she desperately wants her independence. But what a difference in her health this change has brought! As you can imagine, running a business and caring for family needs can be difficult, and posting has been on my list- but, shall we say, down a ways in priority 😁.

Time and energy is more in control now, and I have microgreen wisdom to pass along. Thanks for sticking around, and be sure to shoot me those questions!

Best year ever coming up!
Margo

Why Pea microgreens? Because they have so much going for them. Easy to grow, mild and sweet, SO nutritious, educational...shall I go on? 😁🌱
Read the post- 10 Reasons to Give Pea Microgreens to Children.

10 Reasons to Give Pea Microgreens to Children - The Mighty Microgreen Pea microgreens can be a nutritious and appealing addition to a child's diet for many reasons: Health Benefits Nutrient-Rich: Pea microgreens are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. These nutrients are crucial for a child's growth and dev...

Purslane Pea Microgreen creamed soup. I haven't tried it yet, but on the hunt for purslane recipes that are low calorie and highly tasty. Recommendations appreciated!

The Mighty Microgreen sent you a Pin! Discover even more ideas for you

Microgreens require light, porous, clean soil. Light and porous because we are growing our little powerhouse greens in very crowded conditions and we need to make sure their little roots have the air required.

Here is a little science to explain the need for porous soil: Root cells burn glucose. Glucose is transformed into cellular energy (called adenosine triphosphate or ATP) that's used to drive the metabolic processes, mainly water and nutrient uptake to transport to the growing seedling. Oxygen in the soil diffuses into the root hairs and gets transported to all parts of the roots to allow the transformation of the glucose. Without sufficient oxygen, the roots can't do their job.

The bottom line is that if the soil is too compact or heavy, it does not retain oxygen. Garden soil does not work- it's too heavy for the tiny roots. Potting mix is marginally better (Read the blog post for cautions there!) , but the best choice remains coco coir.

The other important consideration is the cleanliness of the soil. We are harvesting our microgreens right above the soil. We want to be sure that the soil is organic and without possible harmful pathogens. Again, the best soil is coco coir- not just any coco coir, but one that has been specifically prepared for microgreen use- ours.

The coco coir soil discs from The Mighty Microgreen are organic and triple washed, to remove salts. Each small disc is specifically sized to rehydrate to 1 cup of soil. They rehydrate in just a minute, and the bonus is that they are fun to use!

One last thought before I send you off to read the full blog post about microgreen soil: Don't throw that used coir away- it is FULL of wonderful nutrients! After harves put the coir/roots in your compost or garden, or dump the used coir under a bush or tree to spread the nutrient love around.

Read more about microgreen soil here: https://themightymicrogreen.com/the-best-soil-for-microgreens/

🍦🌱 Happy National Ice Cream Day! 🌱🍦

I love a good challenge, and when it comes to adding microgreens to absolutely anything, even ice cream, I'm up for it! A couple of summers ago, I created something truly magical: Fresh Mint Chocolate Ice Cream with pea microgreens. 🌿✨ And let me tell you, it has wowed everyone who's tried it!

Today, on this special occasion, I invite you to take on the challenge too. Celebrate National Ice Cream Day by making a batch of this unique and delicious treat for yourself. Trust me, the combination of the refreshing fresh mint flavor and the vibrant pea microgreens is simply irresistible. 🍃🍨

So, go ahead, give it a try—I double dare you! 😄👉 And don't forget to let me know how it turns out. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised by the incredible flavors and the added health benefits of microgreens.

Happy National Ice Cream Day! Enjoy this special treat and savor every delightful bite. Recipe: https://themightymicrogreen.com/fresh-mint-ice-cream-with-pea-microgreens/

🌱 Personalize your microgreen kits! We want to hear your preference! 🌱

When it comes to the trays in our Seriously Simple Microgreen kits, we want to make sure they suit your style. So, we have a question for you: Would you rather have all black trays or all one-color trays? Let us know in the comments! 🖤💚🌈

But that's not all! Our Seriously Simple Microgreen kits offer much more than just customization. They are the most economical, long-lasting, and easiest-to-grow kits for all ages. 🌱💪

We believe that growing microgreens should be accessible to everyone, which is why our kits are designed to be budget-friendly without compromising on quality. Plus, with their durability, these kits will serve you for many harvests to come. 🌿✨

Whether you're a seasoned green thumb or just starting out, our kits make the growing process a breeze. They are perfect for all ages, from kids to adults, so the whole family can join in on the fun of nurturing and harvesting their own nutritious microgreens. 🌱👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Experience the joy of growing your own fresh, healthy greens right at home with our Seriously Simple Microgreen kits. Let us know your tray preference and get ready to embark on an exciting microgreen-growing journey! 🌱💚

🍫🍌 Indulge in a guilt-free chocolate delight! 🍏🥄

Scoop up pure chocolate goodness with graham crackers, bananas, apple slices, or simply a spoon. This incredible dip is not only delicious but also packed with nutrition. It's a treat that will leave you feeling good about every bite. 🌱✨

Made with a combination of garbanzos, microgreens, fruit, and unsweetened cocoa powder, this dip offers a wholesome alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth. And the best part? It's so easy that even children can make it! 🙌👧👦

Imagine the joy on their faces as they create their own scrumptious snack or dessert, knowing it's not only tasty but also good for them. It's a win-win situation! 🍃🍫

So go ahead and get creative with your dipping options. Whether you prefer the crunch of graham crackers, the sweetness of bananas, or the crispness of apple slices, this dip will enhance the flavors and make your taste buds dance with delight. 🤤🍎🍌

Enjoy this guilt-free indulgence knowing that you're nourishing your body with essential nutrients. It's a snack or dessert that you can feel proud to serve to your loved ones. 💚🥄
Recipe: https://themightymicrogreen.com/chocolate-dip/

🌱🌿 Boost your family's health with a simple and powerful change! 🌿🌱

"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."

Microgreens are the perfect example of this principle. They may be small, but they can have a tremendous impact on your family's well-being. 🌱✨

Introducing Seriously Simple Microgreen Kits! 🌱🙌 Planting a tray of microgreens takes less than 3 minutes. Once you've covered them, you leave them alone for 3 days. After uncovering and placing them near a window, simply give them 1/4 cup of water daily. In just 7 days, you'll be ready to enjoy your own homegrown microgreens. It truly is THAT SIMPLE! 😃💚

Unlike other kits you find on Amazon, my kits offer so much more value. For the same price, you'll receive multiple crops, a variety of seeds, and all the essentials for success. Plus, the trays included in my kits are built to last for years, ensuring countless harvests. Even kids can get involved—I've seen my own granddaughter grow microgreens at just 3 years old! 🌱👧🌿

My purpose is to empower you to make HEALTH the cornerstone of your family culture. I understand you have a lot on your plate (figuratively speaking!), and I'm here to help you tackle the nutrition problem with just a 5-minute daily investment in your health. 🌱

Don't wait any longer—start your microgreen journey today! Let's create positive changes together for a healthier and happier family. 💪💚

🍴🥙

I love this! Check out her page- she is the master of getting fit right now- Great diet, and daily exercising. What a role model!

I'm at it again 😏. Speckled peas and super booster salad. I started them on Saturday and uncovered them, and moved them to the windowsill just now. Can hardly wait for them to be ready to eat 😎. Read in my newsletter from this morning that microgreens have up to 40x the nutrients of the full-grown plant!!! That boggles the mind, doesn't it? They are fun to grow, taste delicious, and are good for you, too!! What are you waiting for??? Go get a starter kit and start growing!!!! And then come tell me about your experience 😎

These are soooo good! They are full of peanutty goodness, and just enough honey, chocolate chips, and coconut to make you think you are eating dessert instead of a healthy snack! If you don’t like coconut- just leave it out and add a little extra oatmeal. They are called 'Mighty Balls' because of the incredible amount of nutrition in them- including micronutrients from the microgreens.

A favorite of kids, teens, and adults alike, these are easy and quick to make, and brings your nutrition to a new high for the day!

Peanut butter, a little honey (or maple syrup), flax seed, coconut, oatmeal, pea microgreens- they are adaptable, vegetarian or vegan, gluten free- and YUMMY!

Click the link for the short and sweet recipe: https://themightymicrogreen.com/peanut-butter-mighty-bites/

This goes to show you that microgreens can be added to almost any meal!
I went on a walk up in the hills with my son and his little family. Such a beautiful area with a huge variety of fauna and flora. We came across this giant mushroom, as big as a soccer ball. I have been a forager for many years, but always drew the line at mushrooms. But this huge thing...

Very curious about it, that evening I did some research and discovered that it was an edible puffball. A couple of days later I finally had time to go back up and brought it home to experiment with. I found 's website with a bunch of puffball recipes (!) and my 13yo grandson chose the Puffball Pizza recipe to start with,

In his words "It's pretty good. It doesn't taste like a mushroom at all". High praise from a mushroom-hating teenager! Of course, we both added microgreens to our pizza after baking- a few more micronutrients, a bit more zip and flavor.

What odd edibles have you foraged for in your area?

Solyanka is a thick Ukrainian soup made with surprising ingredients- pickles and olives! Soups are a mainstay in Slavic cuisine, and Solyanka is one that is popular in most of Ukraine. Microgreens takes Solyanka to a whole 'nother level! Add chive, radish, broccoli...or absolutely any type of microgreen that you have growing at the moment, and up the nutrient and taste value in this unique and wonderful soup.

There are many different recipes for Solyanka, but they all have potatoes and pickles. Most have sausage and other meat, as well as cabbage, carrots and other available vegetables. Some add olives, others add fish or dill.

Go to my recipe blog for the recipe: https://themightymicrogreen.com/solyanka/

2012- The Year of the Microgreen.
Researchers at the University of Maryland looked at nutrients like Vitamin C, E, K and beta carotene found in 25 different types of microgreens. They discovered that the microgreens contained four to 40 times more nutrients than their mature counterparts.
“We were really surprised,” Researcher Qin Wang said of the findings, which were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. “Some of the numbers were really, really high. We thought it might have been a mistake but we double-checked so many times and there were no mistakes.”
At that time, the production of microgreens was low and the cost was high. But, with research to back up what a few people had believed for years, microgreens were about to explode. All of a sudden they were the new ‘super food’ and with science to back up the claims, entrepreneurs in cities across the country jumped in to begin competing for a market share of this emerging food product.

That was just 11 years ago, and wow! have things changed in the microgreen world! There are large companies devoted to growing microgreens on the east, west, and south coasts of the US, in large interior cities, and across the provinces of Canada. Microgreens can be found in grocery stores in many areas of the country- no longer are they reserved for high-end restaurants, they can be found in sandwich and burger shops, in cities, and in the rural parts.

Microgreens are becoming mainstream…for some. To Be Continued…

By 2008 microgreens had spread slowly through the restaurant world with occasional forays into health food stores and local farmer's markets.

Because they could not be shipped easily, only those near a microgreen grower were fortunate enough to have access to them. Between 2000 and 2008, microgreens began slowly popping up in local farmer’s markets along the coastal areas of California, Oregon, Florida, as well as along the east coast- but rarely in the central part of the country.

The growers that were good at explaining the benefits of microgreens worked hard to bring them mainstream- but succeeded in very limited areas. Because no research had been done on the nutrition contained in microgreens, most people looked at them as a novelty. However, in 2012 things drastically changed … to be continued

There is a little controversy about who christened these little greens with the name 'Microgreens'. A chef by the name of Craig claims he made up the name in 1992, others claim it was their idea...but whoever used the term first or most frequently, by 2000 it had become a standard way of differentiating 10-day-old greens from their older counterparts, the 'baby greens'.

An important change by the year 2000 was that they were catching on outside of California. No longer were microgreens confined to the west coast of the USA. They had spread to large cities across the country- and had made their way to the UK and Europe. They were still reserved for high-end restaurants because of the cost and the relatively difficult process of growing them in large quantities at that time.

However, microgreens got an added boost from an unfortunate series of events- major recalls of alfalfa sprouts due to contamination during the late 1990s (and continuing to this day- but that is another story). Because Microgreens are grown in a much safer environment than sprouts, they replaced them on many menus.

Next week: going from exclusivity to mainstream- sort of.

We call this Stas’s Salad.

For special celebrations in our family, everyone makes their favorite foods. We have a very eclectic group of recipes from all over the world that have become favorites, and we love to find ways to include microgreens in old and new favorites.

This special salad recipe is from a young man who became part of our family for a year as a FLEX exchange student more than 15 years ago. He was homesick for all the flavors from home so we found what he needed to make his special salad, and he spent hours making this for us. It was an instant hit with everyone in our family!

Give this a try next time you need a special salad or side dish!
https://themightymicrogreen.com/russian-salad/

Spoiler: coir is the best microgreen grow medium!

Seed germination and microgreen nutrition start with the right growing medium. It is important to have a soil with good physical characteristics, such as both air and water-holding capacity, as well as one that is pathogen-free. Microgreens are grown in high-density conditions. With many seedlings and roots in a small space, it is vital that the soil have the ability to retain both air and moisture.

Because we eat a product that is harvested a half-inch from the soil, the soil must be pathogen-free to protect health. Coco coir satisfies all the requirements!

For a discussion on where coco coir comes from and why mine is the best❤😊🌱, head over to
https://themightymicrogreen.com/the-best-soil-for-microgreens/

The great news is that you don't need a big yard outside. The benefits of growing a garden extend to micro-gardening! Whether you go 'big' or 'small', a garden is a wonderful way to increase nutrition.

April is National Garden Month! Check out these amazing health benefits of gardening and start your own garden today!!!