Millet? Isn't that birdseed?

Actually, what my friend said was that if I got tired of eating the millet, I could always use it as birdseed! I bought a 50-lb bag of organic Colorado millet recently ("Grains and Beans--Some Success"). I've given away several pounds to friends, and put the rest into 1/2-gallon jars for longterm storage.

It's not a good idea to keep it in the paper bag it came in; we don't want "critters" to get into it, like mealmoths and flour beetles. After an infestation years and years ago, I got into the habit of putting grains and flours (and chiles) into glass jars for longterm storage. I've also jarred the anasazis, pintos and quinoa.

Next step was to start looking for millet recipes. I've come up with several. I'm Really liking the millet. I no longer feel bad that my rice is nearly gone. But there's a trick to cooking millet, especially at this elevation.

What worked for me: put 1 cup millet in saucepan, cover with boiling water, let stand for several hours. Then run some fresh water over it, drain, return to pan, and add about 1 1/2 cups of fresh water and a little salt. Bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes, covered. The millet comes out all perfectly cooked and not gummy.

Now you can use it in a recipe.

Ukrainian Millet and Mushrooms

1 cup millet, soaked and cooked as above
1/4 lb non-cured bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
(portabellas or shiitakes are nice)

Put bacon in a skillet and saute gently until done but not crispy. Add a little butter or olive oil if bacon is very lean. Then saute the onion and mushrooms for a few minutes. Stir in the cooked millet. Serve.

Vegetarians can omit the bacon and use 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup mushrooms. Vegans can substitute olive oil for the butter. Any of these variations would be good. This is good for breakfast too.

Localizing: Colorado organic millet, bacon from Rocky Plains, onion from a local CSA or grower, Hazel Dell mushrooms.

Quick Lunch with Millet

This assumes that you have cooked millet and roasted vegetables in your frig. Warm the millet with a little water and/or butter or olive oil. Top with some roasted vegetables. Done! This with a slice of local cheese makes a wonderful lunch. The combination of the sweetness of the vegetables with the millet is very nice.

Quick Lunch with Quinoa

This assumes that you have cooked quinoa and boiled potatoes in your frig. Heat the quinoa and chopped boiled potatoes with a little butter or olive oil. When well warmed up, make a little well in the mixture, add a bit more olive oil into the well, and crack an egg into it. Pop on a lid, cook for a few minutes until egg is set. Scoop into a bowl and top with a little salsa. The combination of potatoes and quinoa is very nice.

BTW, quinoa should be rinsed in hot tap water before cooking. It has a little bitter coating that rinses off.