It’s not that easy to have a garden when there is about 6 weeks of frost free growing, and you have all sorts of fatties either rooting up, scratching up, stomping on, or munching down anything that is trying to grow. Sprouting is one answer.  I stocked up years ago because I thought the “end of the world as we know it” was going to come a lot sooner than it has, at least for us anyway. It has unfortunately happened to so many around the globe, due natural disasters or all the “World Peace” delivered by drone to various and sundry places; they really want our freedom and Walmart, but just need a little coaxing.

Getting prepared to weather any storm is not a bad idea, as any of our worlds could change drastically when we least expect it.

I’m not going to go into the amazing increase of vitamins and minerals, and the elimination of enzyme inhibitors… when you sprout nuts, grains or seeds, but this is where I order them from and they have a wealth of information: Handy Pantry and Wheat Grass Kits.

Green peas are very easy to sprout, crunchy and good.  Rinse them well and soak in clean, filtered water for at least 24 hours, changing the water a couple of times.

After about 24 hours they have plumped up very well and softened. Rinse them a couple of times a day and drain well, using a screen or sprouting lid on the jar for air circulation. After about three or four days of rinsing and draining they will have sprouted. I made a large sprouted pea/grapefruit salad with two of the jars.

Peel and slice grapefruit which makes it easy to pull apart into small sections.

I added one diced onion, processed quickly in the food processor, and sliced fresh mint into small strips, a pretty rough chiffonade.

I had some rosemary, ginger, turmeric aoli in the refrigerator.

Stir well.

Obviously I had sprouted too many peas for the salad I made for a party, and had another 1/2 gallon jar of sprouts which needed a purpose so they would not spoil. The sprouts themselves are a little bitter, and garlic fixes everything. My winter stash of garlic has a few sprouting, but that does not matter to me. I processed a whole head of garlic for this hummus.

Add the pea sprouts and you will have to process in batches if you have a large quantity like this.

I had some raw cheese I made and marinated in olive oil, spices, garlic (of course)… You could use any cheese or skip the cheese altogether.

Making a hummus or pesto does call for olive oil, so I used the cold, flavored olive oil from the marinated cheese.

If you are using room temperature olive oil, you could add it in while the machine is running. You will know when you have added enough, as the consistency will begin to smooth out.

Add salt to taste. You could add cayenne or any other herbs/spices… to your liking.

Pack the hummus into pint jars. You can see the jar on the right has a lot of air pockets, and you want to get all the air out you can. I fold up a paper towel, or something, and bang the jar on it several times, which will force all the air up and pack the hummus down very well. You want to leave about a half inch at the top of the jars.

Add a layer of olive oil at the top, which will seal out air and prevent any oxidation.

I obviously used cold olive oil which I had, but you could just pour it on top.

Hummus or pesto makes a great snack to have on hand or to put in your lunch for work or for school.  Place some at the bottom of a jar and add sliced carrots or celery and put the lid back on.

Hummus or pesto lasts a long time in the refrigerator, if unopened. When it is opened, you can smooth out the surface and put another layer of olive oil on top to preserve it for over a week or so. Store in the freezer for long term, great for guests dropping by or to bring a friend.

All we are saying… is give peas a chance. A little peace wouldn’t hurt either, or just a big fly swatter whenever one of those pesky drones comes around.