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!
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4 comments:
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.
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!
Yeah, getting it from the store would probably be much easier, huh?
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.
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