Recipe: Indian Style Moong Dal

Mung Beans are on sale this week and I was looking up recipes on line. I found this one for Indian Style Spicy Moong Dal. It looks interesting. If anyone wants to try it, let me know how it works!

Recipe found at: http://foodandspice.blogspot.com/2007/06/indian-style-spicy-mung.html

1 cup of whole dry mung beans
... 3 cups of water
1/4 of ghee or oil, or a combination of butter and sesame oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 - 2 teaspoons of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 tablespoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated or finely chopped
3 - 4 jalapenos or hot chilies, finely chopped
1 medium-large tomato, finely diced
1 - 2 teaspoons of sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Soak the mung beans in the water overnight.

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, and stir and fry for a minute or two. Next, add the ground spices, stir for about 15 seconds, and then add the onion, ginger and hot chillies to the pan. Fry until the onion wilts and begins to brown.

Add the mung beans and their soaking liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered until the beans are just tender - about 20 - 35 minutes. Add more water if necessary just to keep the bean covered.

Now add the chopped tomato to the beans, along with the salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes, or until the beans are tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir in the parsley near the end of the cooking time.

WEEKLY SPECIALS!
COME GET EM!

California Organic Medjool Dates - $7.00/lb
Clark's Local Organic Wildflower Honey - $3.00/12oz bottle
... California Seedless Grapes - $1.50/bag
Lacinato Kale - $2.00/bunch
Denver Tofu - 50% off ($1.50 each)
Celery Hearts - $.25 each
Altan Alma Organic Mung Beans - $4.00/1 lb bag
Altan Alma Organic Local Anasazi Beans - $3.00/1 lb bag
Altan Alma Organic Cocoa Powder - $3.00/1 lb bag
Altan Alma Microgreens - buy 2 for $5.00, get one free
Altan Alma Petgrass - $1.00 each
Organic Carrots - $2.00/2 lb bag

Growing small with big nutrition

Lately, I've been reading You Grow Girl, by Gayla Trail http://www.yougrowgirl.com/books/, a how-to book about growing urban gardens everywhere. It teaches what you can grow in the tiniest, darkest of spaces, from stairwells to fire escapes, balconies to front porches. I've been inspired to learn more and more about what's possible in terms of our own ability to grow nutritious food inexpensively.

A lot of our Louisville and Denver customers grow microgreens in their apartments and have found that they are delicious and versitile and the nutritional benefits are noticeable! Microgreens have been found to be more nutritious than fully grown plants and they are sweeter. You can use them in salad and they are great for cooking.

Do you like trying new things? Try growing microgreens. You can buy seeds at our store or online at

http://stores.ebay.com/Boulder-Altan-Alma-Organic-Farm

IT'S FUN AND EASY!

Directions for Growing Microgreens

For Peas and Sunflowers:

1.     Place seeds in a jar or bowl.  Cover with water.  Leave overnight. 

2.     Drain water off, rinse with fresh water and leave to drain overnight.

3.     The seeds should just be starting to sprout.

4.     Place 1” of organic soil in a container with holes.  Wet soil and then cover soil with seeds.

5.     Place container on a saucer or plate and put in a window or under a grow light.

6.     Water daily.

7.     Microgreens should be about 6” tall within 4-7 days.

8.     Once they have reached desired height, move container into fridge and bottom water ONLY.  (Place water in plate so roots can soak it up)

9.     Use scissors to cut microgreens off as you want to use them.  They should last 7-10 days in the fridge.

For Wheatgrass/Petgrass:

1.     Place seeds in a jar or bowl.  Cover with water.  Leave overnight. 

2.     Drain water off, rinse with fresh water and leave to drain overnight.

3.     The seeds should just be starting to sprout.

4.     Place 1” of organic soil in a container with holes.  Wet soil and then cover soil with seeds.

5.     Place container on a saucer or plate and put in a window or under a grow light.

6.     Water daily.  Once wheatgrass is 2” tall, it needs to be WASHED Daily.

7.     Microgreens should be about 6” tall within 4-7 days.

8.     Once they have reached desired height, move container into fridge and bottom water ONLY.  (Place water in plate so roots can soak it up)

9.     Use scissors to cut microgreens off as you want to use them.  They should last 7-10 days in the fridge.

For All Other Microgreens:

1.     Fill a container (with drainage holes) with organic soil.

2.     Wet soil and then cover soil with seeds.

3.     Place container on a saucer or plate and put in a window or under a grow light.

4.     Water daily (Do not let soil dry out but using a spray bottle to keep seeds moist works best).

5.     Once they have reached 1” tall, begin bottom watering ONLY.  (Place water in plate so roots can soak it up). 

6.     Move into fridge once 3” tall.

7.     Use scissors to cut microgreens off as you want to use them.  They should last 4-7 days in the fridge.

Note:  The peas can be placed back in a window sill and may bless you with a second growth!!!

Tomato Soup with Altan Alma Ingredients!!!

Tomato Soup with Altan Alma Ingredients!!!

4 cups chopped Fresh Tomatoes
1 sliced Onion
2 cups Pacific Natural Foods Organic, Free-Range Chicken Broth
... 2 tablespoons Horizon Butter
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Altan Alma Flour
1 teaspoon Altan Alma Salt
2 teaspoons Altan Alma Sugar (or to taste)
Basil, Cilantro, and Anaheims to taste

Combine over medium heat: tomatoes, onion, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend all of the flavors. Remove from heat and run the mixture through a food mill into a large bowl, or pan. Discard any stuff left over in the food mill.

In the now empty pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar, salt, basil and cilantro and adjust to taste. Let sit for spices to blend. Serve warm and delicious.

NEW WINTER HOURS STARTING 10/7/11:
2-7, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

EXCITING NEW CHANGES AND A MASSIVE WINTER HARVEST SALE - COME GET IT!

COME IN AND FIND OUT ABOUT OUR EXCITING NEW CHANGES!

PLUS, RECEIVE 10% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE FOR OUR WINTER HARVEST SALE.

OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, ALTAN ALMA WILL BE CHANGING THE FOCUS OF OUR STORE TO BECOME A WHOLESALE AND RETAIL CHEF'S CORNER AND GARDEN.

IN-SEASON MARKET WILL STILL CARRY ALL NATURAL AND LOCAL GROCERIES FOR YOUR EVERYDAY NEEDS.

INQUIRE AT ALTAN ALMA FOR DETAILS.

Basil-icious!

The wonderful thing about cutting back the basil is smelling the aroma and tasting the sweet leaves as you trim. Our garden has four different kinds of basil, each with its own unique taste and smell, and each good for a different kind of cooking. Over the last few months, I've enjoyed testing each out to see what is best in spicing up a spaghetti sauce or curry, which basils can make a salad taste lemony and which minty, and how pesto tastes different with various kinds of basil. Our basil plants have done so well this year and they still have more to give. I'd love to share some of the joy of these summery plants with you while they are still thriving. Come in and I'll cut you some fresh!

I found a great website, if you'd like to learn more about basil. http://www.basilgardening.com/types-of-basil/

Enjoy!
-Sara