Herb Society Evening Meeting on Microgreens

To: All Members of the South Texas Unit of The Herb Society of America, Recent Guests, and Those Interested in Herbs

From: Karen L. Cottingham, Program Chair

Re: Wednesday, March 22, 2017 Evening Meeting: Herbal Micro-Greens for Macro-Taste and Macro-Nutrition. Please read the attached publicity announcement in addition to the article below.

For some people, March means that those who “wear of the Green” can pinch those who don’t. March also inspires thoughts of green-clad leprechauns, green beer, and maybe getting “green in the gills”. On a more sober (but still “green”) note, March is officially National Nutrition Month. Your HSA-STU has managed to combine these two seemingly disparate March traditions for our March 22, 2017 evening program, Herbal Micro-Greens for Macro-Taste and Macro-Nutrition.

Micro-greens are intense nutrition in a little green outfit, and that’s as good a reason to celebrate as any! So invite your family, friends and neighbors to the party and sample the intensely flavorful and nutritious small-scale seedlings that are often featured in pricy restaurants. Jacob Martin, owner of Old School Produce, will show you how you can plant your own micro-greens and have a succulent crop just seven to ten days later. You can then prepare beautifully embellished, nutritious, and imaginative meals fresh from your own miniature garden!

Please bring potluck dishes that you believe will be enhanced by the micro-greens, sprouts, shoots, and micro-herbs that Jacob will bring for sampling. Looking at his website (oldschoolproduce.com), these might include deep purple opal basil, bright fuchsia micro red amaranth, delicate pea tendrils, frilly micro carrot tops, and succulent sunflower sprouts.

Potluck suggestions include roasted vegetables or vegetable pur̩e; grain- or legume-based dishes such as barley, quinoa, beans, or lentils; simple pizzas; pasta with cream sauce; grated zucchini or carrot salad; guacamole; or hummus. Small sandwiches would also be great. Use your imagination and use what you have. My first experiment with micro-greens was a fresh and delicious salad of sunflower sprouts and mung bean shoots mixed with blueberries Рall tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and topped with pumpkin seeds. It took just a couple of minutes to make, but the compliments are still flowing!

The meeting will be held in the beautiful Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion at 1500 Hermann Dr. The entrance to the Pavilion’s parking lot is where Crawford Street T-intersects with Hermann Drive. The spacious meeting room is reserved for us from 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm to allow us plenty of time to set up, socialize, eat, meet, and clean up. We’ll see you on March 22!