sprouting, brewing, fermenting, growing, culturing...a tour of the living foods in our home

This post is linked at Real Food Wednesdays from Kelly the Kitchen Kop!

As I loftily surveyed my kingdom last night (the kitchen/living room/hallway is as much as I can see at once, but it was quite impressive), I thought fondly about the abundance of living things that are growing, brewing, sprouting and fermenting themselves in my home.

It's kind of like having children. I coo at them, talk about how cute they are (those little sprouted tails! adorable!), pamper them, make sure they are at the right temperature, and occasionally put them to 'bed' (in the fridge).  (I also eat them, which is where the children analogy kind of breaks down.) It is a joy to see how foods can, with a simple set of circumstances, transform themselves into another entity altogether....something that is highly nutritious and tasty too. There is a tiny universe of microbes, enzymes, proteins, and nutrients all swirling around, underneath my nose! Cultivating living food is a world of wonder and amazement to me.  And it's so rewarding to see things happen like they should! So I thought I would give you a little photo tour of the living foods currently residing with the Moores.

Let's start with something simple (and not frightening).  Sprouting is fun, easy, and a very simple way to increase the nutritional value of the seeds, legumes and grains we put into our bodies. It's my understanding that without soaking or sprouting, the nutrient 'packet' in grains and seeds (the fuel for the seed to begin growth) will pass through our bodies unused.  During soaking or sprouting, the nutrients are activated/released, and become available for our bodies to absorb and use.

Lentils...

...pinto beans (I think I need to let these grow a little more)...

...and chick peas! These haven't totally sprouted yet, but you can see the little pointy ends where the tails have begun to squirm their way out.

What do I do with these things? Use them the same way I would the unsprouted versions. Just the other day I made "sloppy joes" but used 2/3 sprouted lentils and 1/3 beef.  It was incredibly tasty, and we got the nutrition of both the meat and the lentils.  And since good meat is so pricey, I'm all for the frugalness the lentils offer.  We ate it on plain bread, openface. SO good. We both agreed it should go into our regular rotation! Here's my recipe inspiration for my sloppy joes. 

cooking dry beans

If you told me a few years ago (heck, even one year ago) that I'd soon be passionately (or not) writing on the topic of cooking dry beans, I'd have laughed at you. Yet here we are. :)

I've been discovering lately that many of the staples of convenience, like canned foods, aren't always the best option. And I love eating beans and other legumes.  (Legumes definitely win the sexiest word contest, I think.) They're extremely healthy, and they provide lots of protein, especially when we don't eat acres of meat. Sure, it's easy to rinse a can of black beans and dump them into a burrito.  But for lots of reasons, I have been purchasing dried beans and cooking them up myself.  Come to find out I really enjoy it, and it's super easy, and there's not much reason NOT to do it this way.

Yep, this takes longer, at least the first time around before you have a nice convenient frozen stash. Most beans need soaking overnight or at least a few hours.  I usually put them in water when I go to bed, or when I get up in the morning and they'll be ready to eat by dinnertime.  I've really savored the realization that not all meals need to be made in twenty minutes flat, with no prior consideration. Sure, quick cookin' is a necessity sometimes, and my life isn't nearly as full as others' are, especially parents. I don't know how they do it.  But I decided to start doing this based on a few "mommy blogs" that recommended it. And if moms can do it, I should be able to find the time too.  Here are some of the reasons I've decided to go this route:

• Canned foods almost always contain bisphenol A (BPA), the dreaded synthetic chemical that the FDA is even starting to "suggest" we minimize our exposure to. (It has to be pretty bad for the FDA to say something.)  I've learned that it's found in many plastics and also in the liners of tin cans, from whence it leaches into foods, especially under high heat (like in the microwave for your plastic containers, or as the food is being canned at the factory).  BPA is a hormone disruptor, shown to cause problems including recurring miscarriages, male infertility and other reproductive problems, insulin resistance, greater risk of prostate cancer, and breast cancer.  One of the ways to reduce exposure is to minimize the use of canned foods.  It's also recommended to stop microwaving and dishwashing your plastics, as this also causes the chemical to leach into your food, especially if they are acidic like tomatoes. This could be a post all on its own!  (BPA is especially toxic to small children and fetuses.)
• Canned foods often contain preservatives, super high amounts of salt, and other random junk that isn't food.  So the food itself, apart from being contaminated by industrial chemicals, isn't always the most nutritious, either.
• Not surprisingly, the fresh stuff tastes way better. Like, a hundred times at least.
• Not that canned beans were ever cost-prohibitive, but dried beans are a fraction of the price of canned. I can buy organic dry beans for about half of what I was paying for off-brand, nonorganic canned beans.
• There is less waste. Even though our cans get recycled, I'd rather not use what we don't need. I take my tupperware containers (retired from the microwave and dishwasher and general use) to the bulk bins, fill'em up, and create NO garbage at all.

So the first step, after you've chosen your dry beans, is to lay them all out and pick them over. Take out anything that isn't a bean and throw it away.