My favourite lunch is a garden salad made from ingredients that inspire me during my midday wander around the garden. Usually I gather a collection of interesting leaves, herbs, edible flowers and even edible weeds, often ending up with twenty ingredients in my bowl – a leaf from this and a leaf from that.
To add extra protein to my salad, I sprinkle on some sunflower seeds, drizzle some tahini and top with homemade buckwheat sprouts and kim chi – all organic.
Sprouting is a wonderful way to improve the value of our food and increase our body’s ability to uptake the nutrients and protein.
Sprouting takes a dormant thing and brings it to life. Fresh sprouts are the best so I make just enough for 2 days at a time.
Buckwheat is the easiest of all sprouts since the soaking time is only 20-30 minutes, rather than hours or overnight.
Buckwheat sprout instructions
- Soak a big handful of organic raw buckwheat in water for 20-30 minutes.
- Drain and rinse until the water runs clear.
- Put a piece of breathable cloth cheesecloth on the mouth of the jar. Drain well so the buckwheat is not sitting in water.
- Rinse morning and night making sure to wash off all the gooey starch that comes out of the seed.
- When the sprouts are about the length of the seed give them a final rinse, seal the jar and store in fridge for 3-4 days.
About Buckwheat
- Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is an ancient food, domesticated in Asia over 9000 years ago.
- It is actually not a grain nor related to wheat. It is a seed, in the same family as sorrel and rhubarb, and a great source of protein, contains eight essential amino acids , rich in complex carbohydrates,
- Among it’s many benefits, buckwheat is a brain booster, is high in vitamins and minerals iron, is a good source of fibre, balances cholesterol and strengthens capillary walls.
- Buckwheat is used in the garden as part of a cover crop mix. The flowers are great attractors for beneficial insects.
- Sow buckwheat in spring.
- Flowering starts in just 4 weeks and seeds can be harvested from 8-12 weeks.
- It is quite drought hardy and grows in a range of soils, even infertile ones.
I have sprouted in the past, and want to try buckwheat after reading this post. I will have to check where I can find the organic seeds around Brisbane.