Microgreens have become a hot item over the last several years, starting with chefs adding them as a delicious garnish, and more recently, a nutrient powerhouse that can be added to anything from soups & salads to pizza & pasta. You may have seen them at the store and found how tasty they are & easy to cook with, or on the other hand, wondered what the heck to do with them and how long they keep fresh. Well, we hope to answer all of your microgreen questions here, give you some tasty tidbits of info, and beyond all of that welcome our newest farm and magical microgreens provider, TERI.
TERI
If you haven’t heard of TERI, they are the Training and Educational Resource headquartered in Oceanside, specifically for those with developmental disabilities. TERI is all about enriching the lives of their clients, and changing the way the world views those that are touched by special needs. They do this in several innovative ways, including the Campus of Life in San Marcos (a one of a kind model of sustainability and community outreach), and their farm in Vista. The clients get to work at the farm, boosting quality of life and purpose. The organic food grown goes to TERI clients, homes & families (they have CSA boxes just for TERI clients), and is also a source of providing funds for programs. The microgreens are grown to sell to local restaurants and businesses.
Before Covid, 30 restaurants bought their microgreens from TERI, and they were able to have on-demand options, where chefs could request what type they would like grown. As times change, and demand changes (restaurant sales were down as much as 80% in the beginning of the pandemic), it became a perfect opportunity for TERI and Daily Harvest Express to work together, and offer microgreens to you. Frankly, this may be one of our most exciting farms to source from!
Growing Organic Microgreens
Andrew, the farmer who has built the microgreens program, has had a real passion for organic farming and has worked hard at it his entire adult life. For the microgreens, he has designed a way to grow the veggies that set them apart from all others. So, when we purchase them, we don’t just get the gift of giving to TERI, we also get super nutrient dense microgreens that are grown to last. In fact, they stay fresh twice as long as other microgreens, which are typically grown with peat or coconut coir. Andrew chooses a diverse living soil, loaded with nutrients which make the plant live longer even after being picked & put into your box, and give a healthier veggie to enjoy.
TERI grows 12-15 varieties of microgreens and as with all local farms we will have the seasons best as they are available. We really hope you take advantage of adding these super healthy & easy to cook with veggies, and add some to your box for next week. It’s such a win for everyone!
Add microgreens to your box on the build a box page here. And to learn more about TERI’s agricultural program, visit their website right here.
Good for you & Easy to Eat
Microgreens offer so much nutrition because they are picked at the stage of the plant’s life cycle when they have the most nutrients, it’s that simple. You can get from 4 to 4o times more nutrients in microgreens vs. full grown veggies. And because of the way they are grown & picked, the varieties are endless.
You’ll find them pretty easy to use with any recipe, as you can simply add them to dishes from breakfasts to dinner, and if you want, you can even make them the main feature of your dish, like with these veggie patty stacks. Or sneak them into a dessert or bread, here’s a great way to do that with this recipe.
However you use them, enjoy your microgreens to their fullest, and thank you TERI for the amazing ways you serve San Diego County!