Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. My harvests this past week were truly tiny, pretty much not enough to weigh. I was on a restricted diet for most of the week, which kept me away from many of my favorite menu items. I did make a batch of potato/cauliflower soup one night, which I topped with some scallions I have growing in a container in the greenhouse. The potatoes and cauliflower were not from the garden though. I also sprinkled some homemade smoked paprika on top for a bit of color and extra flavor.
Baked Potato Soup
Once I was free to eat what I wanted, I made bean tacos one day for lunch. The lettuce came from the grocery and the Rio Zape beans from Rancho Gordo, but I was able to harvest a bit of cilantro sprouts to put on the tacos. The sprouts have a lot of flavor, and with a few of the seeds still attached you get a little coriander taste as well.
cilantro sprouts
I served the tacos with some of our fermented veggies on the side. We’ve been enjoying the ferments all winter, and this day I opened a jar of Curtido I made back in November. I made it using our cabbage, onions, peppers, garlic and oregano, and it was tart and crisp with much the flavors of salsa, despite the fact there are no tomatoes in it. I kept the heat level mild by using our ripe Aji Angelo peppers and a bit of mild green Senorita jalapeno.
Curtido with bean tacos
I’m growing the sprouts in the basement under fluorescent lights, and it has proven to be an easy way to grow cilantro in the winter time. In the below photo you can see the cilantro in front and some sunflower shoots growing in the back. The sunflowers have done quite well for me this winter too. They are ready to harvest too, and sprout sandwiches are on the menu for lunch today. I also have a container with microgreens planted in them, and they should be ready in a day or too.
cilantro sprouts growing under lights
On Saturday the temperature got up near 70°F, very warm for early February to say the least. My wife and I went for a long walk, and later on I took advantage of the warm temps to grill some burgers. I made a fresh batch of Moomie’s Famous Burger Buns for the occasion, and they turned out tall and fluffy. This recipe never fails me, and we haven’t bought buns (or any other bread) for many years now. This batch is topped with sesame and poppy seeds.
Moomie’s Famous Burger Buns
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And be sure and check out what everyone is harvesting!
What a great idea for winter cilantro. I do something similar in the summer when it bolts so quickly. I sow thick clumps in the garden and cut the clumps when they are still just a few leaves, which of course in the summer means they are about to bolt! So not quite sprouts, more like baby cilantro.
I’ve never thought of growing cilantro as sprouts, great!
Well, I’ve had a stomach bug this week so not much to report. Am heading out to volunteer at the veggie farm tomorrow though, yay.