Grow your own supplement

I wrote something about sprouting seeds (alfalfa and the like) for the two-part Grow Your Own special supplement that appeared in the Guardian and Observer this weekend.

If you bought the Observer you can see a rather scary "demon eyes" picture of me and my sprouts on page 27 - if not you can read the piece online, thankfully sans picture.

Both guides - vegetables and fruit - are well worth a look. They're clearly laid out, full of great advice, and replete with words of wisdom from the likes of Carol Klein, Bob Flowerdew and Joy Larkcom. Add culinary advice from Angela Hartnett on how to use your crops in the kitchen and, well, what more do you want for free?

Comments

[Rebecca (Sallygardens Smallholding - living sustainably in rural Ireland)]

Sounds delish. Have you tried eating pea sprouts? There are always a huge amount of peas in a seed packet ... so broadcast sow the leftovers in a 6" wide swath. When they are roughly 5" high snip them and add to salads. They are delicious, very tender and look beautiful with their twisted tendrils.

[Kate]

Yes, the key here is the bit about getting rid of the water after soaking and rinsing. On my first attempt to sprout alfalfa recently, I was dutifully rinsing twice a day and then refilling the jar with water. After ten days, and no sprouts, I went looking for more info than was on the seed packet! Second attempt about to start ...