Many places sell a bean mix that contain a variety of different lentils, peas and beans.  I used mung beans (these are the beans that sprout the long white bean sprouts you typically find in Asian food) and green peas as I like the combination of starchy and sweet favour.  Plus they both sprout in 3-4 days so they are compatible for timing.

Fill a 1L mason jar 1/4 of the way with dried organic beans/peas.  Cover them with water and leave on your counter to soak overnight, 8-12 hours.  Cut a square of cheesecloth and secure it tightly with a canning jar ring.  Strain off water and set back down on your counter.  Rinse the jar contents now 4 x per day, straining off all the liquid.

After 4 days or so, the contents of the jar sprout and jar will start to fill up – it’s time to eat them!  Add raw to salads and sandwiches or toss into stir-fries and soups.  I have also heard of people adding them to smoothies although I’m not tripping over myself to try that one.  Any other ideas on how to use these sprouts in recipes?

See this post featured at At the Picket Fence’s Inspiration Friday and North Coast Gardening’s Miscellany Monday.

Update: I buy my seeds from West Coast Seeds but you can also find them online here.

Chocolate Mint: add 2 drops each peppermint and spearmint essential oils, 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa powder to give it a rich brown shade, and 1/2 tsp of honey to make lips shiny.

Milk Chocolate Mint SPF 25: as above but add 1/2 teaspoon of titanium dioxide before pouring into the pots which will make the balm the colour of milk chocolate and give lips protection in the sun.

The kit contains a moisture oil blend, beeswax, carnauba wax, 5ml essential oil blend (mint medley), 4 containers, and instructions.  I LOVE the recipe but if you want to make your own (or want to skip the beeswax) here is a great recipe for Vegan Lip Balm.

Two years ago I used the white-fleshed figs when they were really ripe to make fig ginger jam.  I skinned every fig and just used the flesh for this jam with lots of texture from the seeds and chunks of candied ginger.  It turned out so well that I saved and savoured the jars knowing they would have to last.  One sad, sad day my last two jars hit the tile floor on the laundry room and smashed in a glassy figgy mess.  As I was contemplating licking it off the floor (and picking the glass off my tongue from the splatter that hit my leg), I decided I better make some more to avoid this sort of desperate craziness. 

In 2009, I used both kinds of figs together to make jam, again making Fig Ginger Jam , but this time I left on the skins.  This changed the colour and texture of the jam as I needed to pulse the jam with an immersion blender to chop up the skins this time making it thicker.  And because I had added the candied ginger in the jam before blending, there were no yummy candied ginger chunks.  The colour was not nearly as nice as the 2008 jam (which was a rich, shiny, golden colour) but it tasted just as good.

I made a second Jam in 2009 as well, Fig, Brandy and Honey Mandarine.  This had a lot more citrus and some richness from the brandy both of which went very well with the figs.

Then came August 2010:

I don’t know if it is a love for figs, the daily harvest delivery from my neighbour, or the squirrel in me but I made 7 recipes from the figs this year:

• The Original Fig Ginger Jam
• Fig Sesame Jam
• Italian Balsamic Caramelized Figs
• Fig Balsamic Vinegar
• Amaretto Figs (recipe to come)
• Caramelized Fig Torte
• Fig Ice Cream (recipe to come)

Oh, and I froze some halved figs too.  Whew.  I actually went out yesterday to see if the trees had any more ripe figs (um, crazy) and thankfully, that’s it for the year.  I can put this figgy month to bed enjoying a pantry full of riches, of the fig persuasion.

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/2 c unsalted butter
• 1 c flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt, optional
• 2 eggs
• 12 Italian prune plums
• Sugar and lemon juice for topping
• 1 tsp cinnamon, or to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl.  Add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.  Spoon the batter into an 8”, 9”, or 10” spring form pan.  Split and pit the plums and place the halves, skin side up, on top of the batter.  Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon, depending o the sweetness of the fruit.  Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake about an hour.  Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired.  Or cool to lukewarm and then serve plain or with whipped cream.  Yield: 8 servings.  Note: to freeze, double wrap torte in aluminum foil place in plastic bag, and seal.  To serve, defrost and reheat briefly at 300 degrees.

For variation: 

 Strawberry Coconut Torte 

 Blueberry Lime Torte

Whole Wheat Caramelized Fig Torte with Amaretto Caramel

Fallen Applesauce Recipe

• 1 crate fallen apples
• apple cider
• water
• 1-2 cups sugar (many of my apples were sweet, so I used less than a cup of sugar.  Plus I like it to taste true to the apples).
• cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Wash, core and peel the apples (cut out worms or any bruising) only use what you would eat fresh.  No need to peel the apples!
2. Cook the apples, sugar, cinnamon sticks and spices slowly in a cup of cider and a cup of water.  Add more liquid, sugar and/or spices as you cook to get the flavour and consistency you like.  Personal taste is the only rule here!
3. When apples are tender, remove cinnamon sticks and set aside.  Blend apples with an immersion blender until smooth. You can add the cinnamon back in now if you’d like.
4. Continue to add liquid and cook the apples, until you get the consistency and flavour you like. 
5. Ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.
6. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude if necessary).  The applesauce can also be frozen if you prefer.

Wash & remove thick stems from a bunch of kale. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil & sprinkle lightly w/Kosher salt.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 min until crispy.

½ cup cranberry or blueberry or cherry juice

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

3/4 pound pork tenderloin

Salt and pepper

Mix first 3 ingredients in a bowl and marinade tenderloin for a minimum of 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill pork off heat on BBQ for 10-15 mins.  Keep basting with marinade as it cooks. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve it sliced widthwise ½” thick.

Cherry Reduction

1/2 pound dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped (about 1 cup)

1 tsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp finely chopped red onion

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp sweet wine (I used rhubarb wine)

Process all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fine.  Transfer to a skillet and bring to a boil on med-high heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce to medium and continue stirring as the sauce thickens and reduces by about half the original volume, about 8 minutes.  Spoon finished reduction over pork tenderloin to serve.

Sautéed Fennel

2 fennel bulbs

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Chop fennel bulbs by slicing the bulb crosswise starting at one corner and continue to create ¼” thick pieces.  Discard the stalk and foliage.  Warm olive oil in a skillet on med-high heat.  Sautee fennel until slightly soft, about 3-5 minutes.  Do not overcook.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Spinach Chive Toast

Handful of chives

Handful of spinach

Large knob of butter (about ¼ cup)

Dollop of olive oil.

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until butter is completely mixed, and spread on hot toast. Season with salt and pepper to taste.