Cooking Brussels Sprouts the Correct Way Helps Fight Cancer

Cooking Brussels Sprouts the Correct Way Helps Fight Cancer@

By Arlene Wright-Correll

At Home Farm Herbery we grow Brussels Sprout Long Island Catskill Heirloom Seeds and this popular Brussels Sprout variety produces miniature cabbage-like heads which are extremely tasty and nutritious. 

However, Did you know that Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties? Although boiling reduces the level of the anti-cancer compounds, steaming, microwaving, and stirring we steam them al Dante or sauté them quickly.

It is amazing that just one little thing can change an item’s consistency so quickly.  When we sauté them we cut them in halves or quarters to allow them to cook quickly.

Brussels sprouts are rich in many valuable nutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K. They are a very good source of numerous nutrients including folate, manganese, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, choline, copper, vitamin B1, potassium, phosphorus and omega-3 fatty acids.

Choline is not often referred to for its benefits yet; the primary criterion used to estimate the Adequate Intake (AI) for choline is the prevention of liver damage as assessed by measuring serum alanine aminotransferase levels. The AI for adults is 550 mg/day of choline for men and 425 mg/day for women.

So do yourself a big health favor and put Brussels Sprouts into your diet and cook them correctly.

May the Creative force be with you!

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery LLC

How to Sprout Broccoli, Sprouting - Di Cicco seeds

How to Sprout Broccoli, Sprouting - Di Cicco seeds

Add 2 tablespoons of broccoli sprouting seeds to a wide mouthed quart jar.

Cover with a few inches of filtered water and cap with the sprouting lid.

Store in a warm, dark place overnight.

I use my pantry for this.

The next morning, drain the liquid off and rinse with fresh water. Be sure to drain all the water off.

Repeat this 3-4 times a day. Continue to store your seeds in a warm, dark place.

 After a few days, the seeds will start to break open and grow. The biology major in me is absolutely enamored with this process!

Eventually, the sprouts will be an inch or so long and have yellow leaves. Now you can move the sprouts out into the sunlight.

Continue to rinse them 3-4 times a day until the leaves are dark green. Now they are ready to eat!

This whole process will take about a week. Patience is key!

Once they are ready, replace the sprouting lid with a standard Mason jar lid and store in the refrigerator.

Serve on top of salads, stirred into soups, or however strikes your fancy.

DID YOU KNOW?  Broccoli sprouts are 10x – 100 x higher in some cancer fighting compounds than the actual mature vegetable!

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery LLC

http://www.localharvest.org/broccoli-sprouting-di-cicco-seeds-non-hybrid-C24895

How to Grow and Use Lemongrass

How to Grow and Use Lemongrass

Lemon Grass Seeds - 'Cymbopogon Citrates'

Lemongrass is a fragrant perennial plant that thrives in warm climates and offers a lemony flavoring to dishes. Lemongrass can grow up to 5 feet tall, either planted in pots and kept indoors in cooler climates or grown outdoors in subtropical or tropical regions. Lemongrass is easy to grow from seed, requiring no special pretreatment in order to germinate. Plant the seeds in late January to March.

Fill a seed tray with a 2- or 3-inch layer of a mixture of equal parts organic compost, sphagnum peat moss and coarse sand. Place the lemongrass seeds ¼ “deep about 1 inch apart.

Spread a thin layer of organic compost or vermiculite to just cover the lemongrass seeds. Gently water or mist the seeds to moisten the potting mixture.

Wrap the seed tray in clear plastic cling wrap or slide the seed tray into a sealed plastic bag. Keep the seed tray at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mist or gently water the seed tray daily to keep the seeds moist. Remove the plastic wrap or bag when the lemongrass seedlings sprout and place the tray in full sunlight. Seedling emerges in 14-28 days.

Home Farm Herbery offers the best heirloom Lemon Grass Seeds. 

Once you have grown your lemon grass you can easily make Lemon Grass Tea and here is our recipe.

Bring the water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan.

Add the lemongrass and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the tea for an additional 5 minutes.

Strain the stalks from the liquid. Stir in the sugar until dissolved.

Serve warm, or chill in the refrigerator and pour over ice.

However, should you not have any inclination to grow your own lemon grass,

Home Farm Herbery offers the best dried Lemon Grass and here is the link.  

Here is our Authentic Tom Yum Kung Recipe

Serves 2 people:

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

1 cup of shrimps

5 medium sized mushrooms

2 limes

1 tbsp. of lemon grass

3 kaffir lime leaves

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 ½ tsps of cilantro 

3 chili peppers

1 tablespoon of nam prig pow

Caution: if you have a sensitive stomach, cut down the chili content to say one or even half a chili.

Cooking Instructions:

Boil the water in a 2 quart pot.

Peel the shrimp

Put the lemon grass in the water and boil for 4 minutes.

Pour the fish sauce and 1 juice of lime into a serving bowl

Crush the chili into the same bowl.

Remove the stems from the kaffir leaves and add the leaves to the pot.

Dice the mushrooms to 1 inch portions and add to the pot.

Add the shrimps and switch off the heat.

Scoop out the shrimp into the serving bowl after 25 seconds.

Pour the broth into the serving bowls.

Add the nam prig pow and sprinkle in the cilantro and serve.

If the soup doesn’t have the required punch, add more fish sauce or lime juice depending to flavor.

We carefully select our produce varieties for excellent taste and quality. Our produce is grown without pesticides or herbicides resulting in highly nutritious food and healthy soil.

May the Creative Force be with you,

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery

December Art contest winner is Gena Strategos.

December Art contest winner is Gena Strategos.