Robert Gerenser’s name may be best known for his family’s years of owning a New Hope ice cream shop, but his personal interest is in growing microgreens.
Gerenser and his partner Timothy DeLuca operate Somewhere That’s Green and grow 22 varieties of microgreens at their Solebury farm and at their stand at the Stockton Farmers Market in Stockton, N.J.
“We usually have 15 varieties on hand” in Stockton, he said, which is the only retail outlet for the greens. They also provide greens for a variety of restaurants in the area.
The greens, grown in shallow pans, include familiar vegetables including broccoli, pea shoots, sweet kale, red cabbage, radish, cress, cilantro, parsley, onion, popcorn shoots and arugula. Somewhere That’s Green also sells mixed vegetables including an Asian mix with kohlrabi, radish and tatsoi mustard and Italia-Brassica blend with arugula, broccoli, kale and cabbage.
Because they are baby plants Gerenser said they are extremely flavorful and packed with nutrition. Just a small amount counts as a full serving of vegetables, he said. Most varieties tend to be rich in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper and contain antioxidants.
In addition to the greens, Somewhere That’s Green sells grow kits for those who want to create their own microgreen gardens at home.
Somewhere That’s Green also sells salads made of the greens with homemade dressings for those walking around the market looking for lunch.
Gerenser said that at home he likes to sprinkle the greens in salads and use them for flavorings in dishes. They also are good sprinkled on avocado toast for a little extra flavor and texture.
This recipe is from rootsy.org; use whatever greens you like.
Microgreens are a great way to bridge the salad gap that often happens with seasonal eating. This is more of a process than a recipe and you can use whatever fruits and vegetables you have on hand to make a fantastic seasonal salad.
1 cup microgreens
½ cup grated carrots and/or beets
1. Wash the microgreens and use a salad spinner to dry them.
2. Put the microgreens on a dinner plate.
3. Wash all the vegetables and fruits and finely chop or slice them.
4. Put the other fruits and vegetables on the microgreens.
5. Add the feta and seeds.
6. Add some oil and vinegar for a dressing.
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