FAR Research | Microgreen sandwiches

Grow microgreens then eat them in a yummy sandwich.

Students will be able to:

use a simple germination set-up to grow and harvest microgreens
appreciate how seeds can be transformed into edible microgreens through germination
understand the farm-to-table chain of events.

Students could bring sandwiches or buns for lunch that contain fillings compatible with microgreens, e.g. cheese, pickle, ham, etc. Harvest the microgreens and include them as an extra filling.

Seeds suitable for mild-tasting microgreens, e.g. beetroot, cress, mizuna, lettuce, amaranth, beet rainbow lights.
Paper towels.
Plastic bags (up to A4 size).
Trays to fit inside plastic bags. Meat trays are ideal, but must be thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water.
Water.
Optional: bread and butter for making simple sandwiches ready to include the harvested microgreens.

Place a wet paper towel in a large clean plastic tray. Caution: If it is a used meat tray ensure it is thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water.
Sprinkle microgreen seeds over the wet paper towel.
Slide the tray inside a clean plastic bag and place in a warm position (but not in direct sun).
When the seedlings are 1 cm high, uncover and place in a position that receives some sun, but ensure it is not too intense. Keep the paper towel moist.
Use clean scissors to trim your microgreens for sandwich fillings.

What part of the plant are we using in microgreens? How are microgreens different from sprouts?
The food chain might include discussion of the seed supplier (health shop, garden shop, supermarket, on-line trader) — back to the seed merchant who would have cleaned and stored the seed — back to the farmer who grew the crop — back to the soil, fertiliser, water and sun needed to grow the crop.
For seed production the crop would have been grown long enough for it to have completed its life cycle and gone to seed, which was harvested by the farmer.