Monday, September 6, 2010

COLOR-MAD MONDAY: QUINOA QUESTIONS


Do any of you know anyone who has ever tried growing quinoa (pronounced keen'-wah)? It happens to be one of my favorite new foods - a tasty, nutty-flavored grain with more protein than any other, which you cook just like rice, only in less time - but it never occurred to me to try growing it until I came across this packet of seeds the other day. Just look at those colors!

From what I could discover on-line, it's not all that difficult to harvest, thresh (beat it around in a bucket) and winnow it by hand, but I'm not sure about climate and space requirements. One of the articles I read said it wouldn't like our heat, but the packet says that in warmer climates, you can plant it in late summer or early fall for a late fall or winter bloom. I guess the real problem is space. How many square feet would I have to plant, to get one little bowl of that fabulous quinoa salad like they serve over at Linda's Fine Foods - the one that's chock full of things like pistachios, dried cherries, feta cheese and apricots, all tossed together in a yummy vinaigrette dressing. If I only get about a tablespoon of grain from each plant, it would hardly be worth the space. Still... just look at those colors!

4 comments:

Linda Hoye said...

I have wanted to try quinoa but wasn't sure how to prepare it. Based on your recommendation, I think I'll pick some up and give it a go.

Jessica said...

We love Quinoa, but usually just buy it in bulk from a natural foods store. I'm excited to see all the colors that come from your garden!

Hill Country Hippie said...

Yeah, getting it from the store would probably be much easier, huh?

Hill Country Hippie said...

Plus, when I was googling for information, the pictures of the plant in bloom didn't show anything nearly as colorful as what's on that seed packet. Guess that's marketing for you.