Have you ever thought of growing your own fruits and veggies? We first started thinking about it last year, but the process was easier said than done. The seeds we used at first had a very low germination rate, with minimal growth results. The only thing that seemed to be growing were some kale we had bought as seedlings from The Home Depot! Cue in the initial disappointment…
The more I was reading about homesteading, the more I saw the name True Leaf Market being mentioned as a reliable purveyor of quality seeds. I went online, bought my first few packets of seeds from them – and the result was history, as they say 🙂
True Leaf Market is a small US business that has been selling heirloom, certified organic and non-GMO seeds since 1974. The company prides itself with being a tried-and-trusted supplier of organic seeds, and an opponent of genetic engineering.
Having used their seeds for about 9 months now, I wholeheartedly recommend them. Not only is their germination rate astonishing, but the resulting produce is super delicious! Take, for example, the salad below, one of the very first I made last fall, soon after we started growing microgreens from True Leaf Market seeds. Here I used Champion radish microgreens and cooked wheat berries, the latter from Janie’s Mill (you can check out my review of this wonderful organic grain grower here). I added feta from Caputo Cheese, organic carrots and pomegranate, and I “bathed” them all in a lemon & cumin extra virgin olive oil dressing (I was inspired by Lemonette’s superb Zesty Cumin dressing) I served this warm for lunch – so wholesome and delicious:
Since then, I have used microgreens in a variety of dishes, from salads (such as the one below, featuring Sitka Salmon Shares wild Alaskan Coho salmon, pan fried with Aleppo pepper, red cabbage, carrots, cucumber, chia microgreens, pumpkin seeds, and holiday grapes)…
…to stuffed veggies, such as the sweet potatoes below (filled with leftover Scandinavian smoked salmon & farro salad, eggs and cheese, and topped with green onion and lettuce microgreens) …
… and the air fried aromatic portobello mushrooms below (stuffed with hummus, spicy roasted chickpeas and red kidney beans, and topped with the same awesome Champion radish microgreens)…
… to refreshing pizza accompaniments, such as this vegetarian pizza, nesting on a bed of full grown lettuce and lettuce microgreens. Packed with some of my all-time favorite ingredients such as roasted red peppers, Peppadew peppers, olives, and fresh mozzarella, this pizza benefited from the addition of greens as a delightfully crunchy balancing act. I just had to add some avocado, too, I couldn’t help it 😋
A simple garnish can do delicious wonders! In this case, I used True Leaf Market red veined sorrel microgreens to decorate meatballs made from sweet Italian turkey sausage “bathing” in a thick, scrumptious sauce made with San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP tomatoes. Sweet, aromatic perfection:
Speaking of full grown lettuce, I have loved growing lettuce of all kinds in my new hydroponic system, with seeds from True Leaf Market. It’s amazing how much lettuce you can get out of one seed (I have been harvesting up to 5 times per head of lettuce!):
In the simple salad below I used a mix of homegrown greens, onions and tomatoes, sprinkled with homegrown dehydrated spinach powder. The sweet potatoes and the mozzarella are not homegrown/homemade, but I’m working on it 😄
If you’re craving a scrumptious detoxifying pasta, I recommend a pasta salad such as this one, which features detox-friendly homemade pasta with activated charcoal (a favorite of ours), oven-roasted organic mini peppers, and an abundance of homegrown beauties: Swiss chard, Freckles lettuce, cherry tomatoes, radish microgreens, spring onion, and cilantro, with a cute cilantro flower on top – all of these are grown from True Leaf Market seeds:
When it comes to herbs, in addition to cilantro, I recommend you grow lovage. After last summer, when my attempts to grow lovage outside were a failure, I am super happy to announce that my lovage has been thriving in hydroponics. The seeds must have made a difference, too – this time I used True Leaf Market lovage seeds, and the lovage took off, at last. Not only is lovage a super herb packed with vitamins and minerals, but it is also a great aromatic, and a popular find in Southern European cuisines. The flavor of lovage is often described as a mix of celery and parsley. I would describe it as “celery, amplified” – more like tarragon, rather strong and pungent, so a little goes a long way (in my experience, anyway) Last but not least, its flavor reminds me of my childhood, and this definitely makes it special in my book 😀
I have thoroughly enjoyed working with True Leaf Market seeds, and I am very excited about our ongoing partnership. I am thrilled to be able to work with a company whose values mirror mine, and who cares about seed saving and overall clean eating as much as I do. I look forward to creating more delicious dishes as the summer goes on. These marvelous seeds are an amazing source of inspiration – and for this joy, I am very grateful 🙂
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