Herbs & Greens

09 Jan Learn About… Chervil

"Learn About..." is a recurring post where we'll look at lesser known herbs, greens, etc., and discuss their origin, health benefits, and everything in between! If you're a fan of French cuisine, then Chervil, or Anthriscus cerefolium, is an herb that you are more familiar with than you know. Its uncanny resemblance to flat-leaf parsley may have led you to mistaken it as chervil's close cousin, but like parsley, it holds its own in the culinary world.

05 Dec Learn About… Wheatgrass

"Learn About..." is a recurring post where we'll look at lesser known herbs, greens, etc., and discuss their origin, health benefits, and everything in between! Triticum Aestivum, better known as wheatgrass, is an incredible plant. Everyone knows it's good for you, but do you know exactly what nutrients you get? Despite its name, wheatgrass actually has no wheat in it—yes, good news for those who are allergic to gluten. It's prepared from the cotyledons (a part of the embryo within the seed of any plant) of the common wheat plant, and often pressed to create juice.

07 Nov Learn About… Buckwheat

"Learn About..." is a recurring post where we'll look at lesser known herbs, greens, etc., and discuss their origin, health benefits, and everything in between! Buckwheat is a funny name for a plant, but whether in seed form or in lettuce form, buckwheat is an item you should start incorporating into your diet, not only for its lovely, delicate flavor, but also for its nutritional benefits.

05 Sep Learn About… Fenugreek

"Learn About..." is a recurring post where we'll look at lesser known herbs, greens, etc., and discuss their origin, health benefits, and everything in between! Fenugreek, or faenugraecum in Latin, which means "Greek hay" as the dried plant was used as fodder, is a plant that's part of the pea family. Its origins reach far back into history. Stemming from the Near East as long ago as 4000 B.C., fenugreek is common in Southern Asia, popular in Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi cuisine. It's an incredibly versatile plant, often used as an herb, spice, and vegetable.

01 Aug Learn About… Beet Tops

"Learn About..." is a recurring post where we'll look at lesser known herbs, greens, etc., and discuss their origin, health benefits, and everything in between! Beet tops, or bull's blood, are exactly what they sound like—they're the leafy bits at the top of your beets. People hadn't been using them in their cooking for a while, discarding them as you would the tops of carrots, but the funny thing about this is way back when, only the greens were eaten. Now, people are once again incorporating beet tops in their cooking and at the same time eliminating the amount of waste they make when they eat beets!

21 Jul 6 Amazing Things That You Can Grow in an Urban Cultivator

Now that you've been introduced to our Urban Cultivator appliances, which provide the ease and convenience of growing your own fresh and nutritious microgreens, vegetables, herbs, and flowers 365 days a year, it's time to experiment a little. Sure, you can definitely grow oregano, basil, and parsley. Those are pretty standard things to grow in our units. But did you know that you could also grow edible flowers? What about komatsuna? Do you know how to use nasturtiums? Here are some amazing things that you can also grow in our Urban Cultivators!

08 Jul The Real Health Benefits of Microgreens

We've talked a bit about microgreens and their health benefits, but just how does it all breakdown when these tender young things go head-to-head with their mature counterparts? Urban Cultivator is currently working on an extensive study about the nutritional impact of microgreens with the University of Alberta, but while that study percolates, here's a starting guide all the nutritional details you wanted to know about microgreens vs. their mature counterparts.

06 May What are Microgreens, and Why Should You Care?

The on-going joke about fine dining is that the dishes that come out of it will never leave you full. Microscopic servings of food on large plates, it’s not for those who have an appetite. Well, it looks like there’s a method to chefs’ madness. You’ve seen these little greens—formally known as microgreens—stylishly topping your meal as garnishes or dressed in vinaigrette as a salad. But what exactly are microgreens, other than the obvious fact that they are very small in size? Microgreens are essentially seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs, and while they’re hugely popular now, seemingly available in every café and restaurant, microgreens have actually been incorporated into the dishes of many chefs since the ‘80s.

26 May The Urban Cultivator Herb Guide Has Arrived!

Curious about what you can grow in a kitchen cultivator? Wondering what to use all of those fresh herbs for? We've just started an online resource for all "grow your own" enthusiasts, and we call it the Urban Cultivator Herb Guide. At this time we outline 27 common herbs that can be easily grown in the Kitchen or Commercial Cultivators. We tell you how to keep your herbs happy, and in the future we will have recipes available for you to discover each of these amazing herbs and veggies right from your kitchen.