Sprouted beans

What announces the arrival of spring like sprouts?  I'm not necessarily talking about alfalfa or bean sprouts - tasty as they are - but I want you to think a step back in time to the point when those sprouts had just popped through their shell.  Then you want a bit more variety.  You may have seen them in some of the better grocery stores - ironically, for something essentially cheap to make, they usually cost a premium.  Back in grade school did you ever do that exercise where you put the beans or seeds between paper towel and keep them damp till they sprouted, then you put them in the soil to grow?  This is basically the same thing, without the planting, just go straight to the eating part.  Aside from being really healthy for you, a nice mix is really colourful and bursting with flavour.  The actual mix will depend on the supplier (or you if you do it yourself), but I look for the mixes with generous amounts of the baby garbanzos - they're my favorite and they are easy to spot.  Adzuki beans, mung beans and lentils are also common in the mix.  

If your kitchen or pantry has the space, why not experiment with sprouting your own?  All those nutrients at a fraction of the cost and you can stick to your favorite mix.  To break it down to the real basics, you start with giving the beans a real good soak - overnight, then drain them well - good drainage prevents rot - then keep them at room temperature, covered and damp till they sprout.  I've seen reccommendations for rinsing them well every other day or so, but the biggest alert is generally regarding drainage - some companies market perforated trays just for sprouting beans and seeds

Probably the most obvious thing to make is a sprouted bean salad - some red onion, feta cheese cracked pepper and roughly chopped herbs and you've got deliciousness written all over it.  Sprinkle them into a nice brothy soup for a flavour punch and texture.  I love to make a saute, especially if we're serving pork.  You can actually go into a hot pan with all the things I listed for the salad (add in some garlic) and be done with it in a minute or two, or you can work it like a cassoulet, and cook the sprouts slowly with some bacon lardons, onion and garlic, then bind them at the end with a touch of cream and even some cheese (feta still works well here).  They are so versatile, they can handle just about anything you want to do with them - let me know what you come up with.