Micro Greens -- The Next Step in the Evolution of Salads -- now available to the home gardener from Botanical Interests Seed Company

We are a seed packet company whom recently released a product for the consumer that up to now has been available only in gourmet restaurants: Micro Greens, the next generation in salads!

There is a real change going on in the world of salads.

Admit it - As a kid, you loved Thousand Island dressing on iceberg lettuce. What a great recipe for parents to get their kids to eat yucky" lettuce!
As we got older, our favorite orange concoction was just a little too sweet; the texture and flavor of leaf lettuces with a little oil and vinegar was much more appealing. Blends of different types of lettuces known as Mesclun" mixes became popular (such as Botanical Interests Bon Vivant Blend). For significant amounts of money on a weight basis, you can buy these mixes from a regular or health food grocery store or you can easily grow them yourself. Additional greens" such as Arugula, Mizuna, Mache, Radicchio, Mustards, and many others with even stronger, spicier flavors and more unique textures began to show up in these Mesclun mixes, making them even more flavorful and exciting (such as Botanical Interests Bon Vivant Spicy Blend). Sprouts added another dimension to greens"; you could now add the texture and flavor of greens to sandwiches, crackers, soups, salads, and just about any food.

And now, the hottest, newest food in gourmet restaurants and the next revolution in the development of the salad, Micro Greens, is available to the home gardener from Botanical Interests seed company.

Micro Greens are a special combination of varieties grown only to 1" or 2" high before they are harvested. For Botanical Interests Micro Greens Mild Mix, we chose the hearty flavors of specially selected varieties of Beets, Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Pak Choy, and Swiss Chard. Our Micro Greens Spicy mix includes such delectably exotic species as Red Acre Cabbage, Peppergrass Cress, China Rose Radish, Red Giant Mustard, and Sawtooth Mustard. Color, flavor, texture, and germination times were all characteristics considered when designing these mixes; it is important that the emergence times of each of the varieties be similar so that ALL varieties are ready for harvest at the same time, thus producing a complementary palate of flavors and textures. Seedlings are cut at the soil line when they have at least two true leaves (not the initial cotyledon leaves) -- somewhere between 1"and 2" tall. Once harvested, small plants can be used in salads, on sandwiches, on crackers, in stir-fry, as a garnish on soups or anywhere you might use greens or sprouts. Micro Greens may be a small in size, but they add a fresh, vibrant, crunchy, nutritional punch to any food they accompany! There is speculation and some proof that vegetable plants grown to an immature stage are very healthy and contain compounds that fight certain diseases. At a minimum, Micro Green Mixes have copious amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and just taste satisfying!

Another advantage of Micro Greens -- they can be grown inside under proper lights during the winter and during the heat of the summer -- for the fresh taste of veggies YEAR ROUND!

   But admit it -- dont you still like the flavor of Thousand Island (and maybe a bowl of Captain Crunch) just once a year?!

        Botanical Interests seeds are offered in independent garden centers, health food grocery stores, and at www.gardentrails.com.