Sorghum
An Ancient Grain Made New Again: How Sorghum Could Help U.S. Farms Adapt to Climate Change
A USDA scientist examines sorghum plants. (USDA photo by Peggy Greb)
I came upon this article in one of my favorite newsletters for solid info on food, food politics, farming, health, and the environment. I hope you will take a moment to read the article and maybe join as a Civil Eats member if you have the funds and the inkling.
This story caught my eye for two reasons one; it’s about an ancient grain I first found and fell in love with after being diagnosed with Hashimotos, the second is that’s it’s about finding new ways to work with ancient grains in this ever-changing climate crisis. Sorghum is a gluten free whole grain that can be used as cereal, rice substitute, ground into flour and popped like popcorn for a treat as well as many other uses that you will read about in the attached article. My first foray into sorghum was whiskey! It was winter and I was craving a good Irish coffee when I came upon a brand of whiskey made from sorghum. It lifted my spirits in more ways than one. It also intrigued me and lead me to do more research into what this grain was and how to use it. I found that I could use the grain the same way as many others that were no longer an option for me now that I was gluten free. I could use it instead of rice which as many gluten free folks know can become super boring and unfortunately most rice’s are high in arsenic, not the best idea to consume on the daily. Now I am not saying to not eat rice I am just saying as many gluten free people know rice and rice flour are used widely in the many gluten free products that are now available in the stores. Keeping an eye on how much we are consuming is important, I eat rice and I do not fret over it; however, I do try to switch up the type of grains I consume. Diversity is positive in every aspect of life.
That all said, as well as sharing the article I wanted to share a recipe for a sorghum Tabouleh. I don’t know about you, but I love some well-seasoned freshly made Tabouleh and missed eating it for a long time. This sub is a fantastic way to get your Tabouleh fix and eat a grain that is full of nutrients that will keep you feeling fueled and energized. Sorghum contains B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, fiber, & protein.
As always with whole grains prepping the grain for maximum digestibility is key.
I always rinse and soak my grains at least a few hours before cooking. I also like to cook this grain like pasta, lots of salted boiling water and cook until the grain is tender and popped open a bit. Once cooled off it can go straight into the Tabouleh recipe that follows.
I hope you enjoy it.
Eat Well my friends and take good care of yourselves
Rosie
