Episode 9: The Alfalfa Experiment

Ford On Food

I've learnt heaps from my kids various science experiments. My daughter once grew alfalfa. The instructions on the pack of seeds read “Grow your own edible natural sprouts in just 3-6 days”. The seeds went in jar with a little water and covered with cloth. Much like a Harry Potter spell, hey presto we were eating alfalfa four days later. The only home science experiment I ever did as a child was to hide my uneaten school lunch under my bed. A week later, a Jurassic forest of fuzzy mould and an entire civilization of creepy crawlies had spawned. At least my daughter’s alfalfa was edible. Alfalfa is the immature sprouts of a perennial clover-like plant from the pea family. The sprouts are a highly nutritious ingredient, and I reckon they have a pleasant, nutty flavour. However, a lot of people consider them rabbit food. Ironically, I once saw a box of alfalfa seeds in a pet shop with a picture of a rabbit on the front. The plant is often cultivated until mature and sold as Lucerne cattle feed. However, if you’re in the mood for some healthy sprouts, here are some ways I've seen alfalfa used:
- Baked in bread with pumpkin seeds.
- Made into a salad with radish and mandarin.
- Juiced with carrot, just wrap the sprouts in a lettuce leaf and send through the electric juicer along with carrot.
- On a sour dough sandwich with fresh sand crab and chilli mayonnaise.
- In a mountain bread wrap with roast beef and horseradish cream