HERITAGE HAUNTS: Microgreens - A Book Review And A Meeting Video On YouTube
- 18 hours ago
- 3 min read
Edited by Cathy Tylka, for Let's Talk Plants! April 2026.
The book review is from the April 2015 edition of the newsletter, and the YouTube meeting video is from July 2024.
BOOK REVIEW - Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Nutrient-Packed Greens by Eric Franks and Jasmine Richardson.
Reviewed by Caroline McCullagh.
Somehow, we’ve managed in this column to go from the highest to the lowest. We looked at redwoods in The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. Now we’re looking at some of the smallest plants – unless someone writes a good book about mosses. This is one of those books that if you need it, here it is. If you’re not interested in microgreens, move on. But how could you not be interested? Microgreens are seedlings. They’re bigger than sprouts (who hasn’t grown bean sprouts?) but smaller than baby greens. You can grow them in a limited area with not too much work. They’re ready to harvest in two weeks, more or less. You can use them in salads, soups, and sandwiches – just about anything. They come in a variety of colors: reds, yellows, greens, and purples. Flavors range from sweet to savory. They grow year ‘round, no matter the weather. They’re like what you see sold in the grocery stores as mesclun.
Are you getting more interested?
This book is well-organized and informative, whether you want to grow microgreens as a backyard project or commercially. The ten chapters cover the ten-step process for growing, the tools and equipment you’ll need, plus suggested sources, and even recipes. There’s also a comprehensive chapter on composting, which you can do with the roots after you harvest. The plants the authors recommend and discuss include amaranth, arugula, basil, beets, broccoli, purple cabbage, celery, chard, cilantro, garden cress, endive, mustard, bok choi, peas, radishes, and Tokyo Bekana. (This last one is new to me.) I can tell you from experience that your dogs and pet birds will love microgreens. I can’t speak for cats. Four chefs plus the authors provide recipes: Broccoli Tart, Spring Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberries and Basil – wow! These are just some of the possibilities. And they’re not too complicated for the home cook. Besides the fact that this book tells you as much as you’d ever want to know about growing microgreens, it is beautiful in design. There’s lavish use of the color green in the separator pages and section titles. Add to that the many different shades of brown. They all blend together in a pleasing design.
Microgreens (ISBN-13: 978-1423603641) is a 192-page paperback, copyright 2009. (Editor’s note: paperbacks are still available new and used on Amazon and the title is also available as an eBook in 2026.)
Amazon.com: Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Nutrient-Packed Greens eBook : Franks, Eric, Jasmine Richardson: Kindle StoreÂ
It’s loaded with photos of techniques and equipment as well as of the individual microgreens on black backgrounds, striking in their simplicity and beauty. Published by Gibbs Smith. Gibbs Smith is also the publisher of my two history books, co-written with Richard Lederer: American Trivia and American Trivia Quiz Book, of which eBook versions are available in 2026.
American Trivia: What We Should All Know About U.S. History, Culture & Geography - Kindle edition by Lederer, Richard, McCullagh, Caroline. Reference Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Want to learn even more about microgreens? Check out the SD Hort General Meeting presentation on YouTube:
Ins and Outs of Growing Microgreens with Andrew Keener from TERI Inc. July 2024.
