What Are Microgreens

Microgreens are not a garnish. They are not the fiddly bit a chef puts on a plate to look clever. They are young vegetables and herbs, picked just after the first proper leaves appear, when the flavour is at its most intense and the goodness is packed in tight.

Weight for weight, many microgreens carry far more nutrients than the full grown version of the same plant. They taste of exactly what they are, only more so. A radish shoot tastes more like radish than a radish does.

We grow seven, and each one earns its place. Here is who they are.

Sunflower. Our crunchiest. Nutty, a bit like a fresh pea, with a satisfying bite. The one that converts people who think they do not like greens. Brilliant in a sandwich or straight off the tray.

Pea

. Sweet, tender and unmistakably pea. Tastes like the first day of summer

. Lovely raw in a salad, wilted into a stir fry at the last second, or piled on top of anything that needs freshening up.

Radish. A proper peppery kick. If you like a bit of heat, this is your one. Wakes up a sandwich, a taco or a bowl of noodles in seconds.

Kale. All the goodness kale is famous for, in a softer, friendlier form. Mild, green and honest. An easy way to get the good stuff into a fussy eater.

Broccoli calabrese. Mild and fresh with a gentle broccoli note. This is the one the health crowd get excited about, and with good reason. A little goes a long way.

Rocket. That familiar peppery bite, but brighter and more alive than the bagged stuff. Perfect on a pizza the moment it comes out the oven, or through a salad that needs some attitude.

Coriander. You either love it or you really do not, and if you love it, ours will ruin the supermarket version for you. Fresh, citrusy and fragrant. Made for curries, salsas and anything that needs a lift.

“People are often surprised by the flavour,” says Andrew Bowie, founder of PeachyKeen. “They expect something delicate and a bit worthy. Then they taste the radish and their eyebrows go up. That reaction never gets old.”

The trick with all of them is freshness. Microgreens are at their best within days of being cut, which is exactly why growing them here in town and selling them straight to you makes such a difference. No long journey, no sitting in a warehouse. Cut, collected, eaten.

Find out more about our Urban Farm here in Kirkcaldy and how we use 100% renewable energy to grow everything.