Coffee with Moe - Spring_2023

Fast Food
I started to write an article on Plant
Power and realized straight away
that there was enough information
to potentially overwhelm, or break
into two separate articles. I went for
option 2.
In this edition of Coffee with Moe, I
focus Part 1: Fast Food
An easy to grow powerhouse, the
sprout.
Coming to the fall edition of
Coffee with Moe, I will explore Part
2: Microgreens. With tips and tricks to
turn a corner of your countertop into
your own productive produce section.
Enjoy & stay tuned.
If you’ve ever met me, you may
know that I LOVE with a capital
sized AFFECTION gardening and
surrounding myself with the energy of
green.
I’m the girl who would rather travel
in winter, so that I might spend every
spare hour of my spring, summer and
autumn wandering and otherwise
tending to my garden. But, alas, I’m
Canadian. Growing days are fleeting
and winters linger here for months on
end.
So what’s a person to do?
Grow sprouts of course.
Sprouts or micro-scale vegetables
as some trendy folk call them, are a
gateway into growing food indoors.
They are easy to produce, take little
know-how, have very minimal light
and attention requirements but they
are jam packed with protein and high
in water content. The perfect summer,
and lets be honest, year round snack.
I don’t know where your health
stands, but the proverbial “they”
have done studies and results show
that sprouts can increase your Good
Cholesteral, the HDL kind. While
decreasing your triglycerides and
Bad or LDL cholesterol with regular
consumption and that’s good news
for your heart.
What else can sprouts do for
you? While that might completely
depend on the sprouts you grow,
they’re all considered more potent,
condensed versions of their grown
up counterparts. Generally, sprouts
are touted as being loaded with
magnesium, folate, vitamin K
& phosphorous. Check out the
nutritional benefits of the plant you
are sprouting for an idea of the
powerhouse you are unleashing in a
sprout.
If this weren’t enough reason to grow,
sprouted seeds increase in fiber when
sprouted, but decrease in any fibre
induced gas and bloat by acting like
a prebiotic. That means they feed
your faithfully consumed probiotics,
keeping them working hard for longer
in your digestive system.
Without further ado,
Let’s dial in on the 411 of sprouting
shall we?
Is is true that anyone can
sprout?
Yes, definitely.
Do I need a whole swanky set
up to get started?
No. All you need is the following:
- 5 minutes or less in both the
morning and evening for prepping
and rinsing (in filtered water)
- A shady corner of your kitchen.
(Sprouts are negatively impacted by
sun and heat)
- A clean wide mouth mason jar
- A clean lid that will allow airflow and
bug protection. (Cheese-cloth/ elastic
or sprouting lid)
- A towel or draining rack to catch
leftover water drips post rinsing.
Are sprouts expensive?
At 2 tbsp of seeds/beans a batch/
jar, they don’t have to be. It really
depends on the sprouts you choose.
I buy bags of organic Mung Beans in
the import aisle at the grocery store
for my everyday sprouts and buy
more expensive sprouting seeds to
mix & match. Check out Mumms*
at www.sprouting.com They are a
great family owned Canadian Bulk
Seed supplier. This is where I buy
everything but my Mung Beans.
Do I need to buy organic?
Yes. Beyond the fact that it’s a safer...