Millet Madness

The very first time I read about the grain millet,  I revolted.  Literally.  Who could even think about eating millet?  It was birdseed… who on earth was the first person to look at a pile of birdseed and decide to cook it up?  So I passed it by time and time again.  Every time I saw a recipe that called for millet, I turned up my nose at it and turned the page.  I just kept having these recurring images of the Road Runner happily gobbling up a triangular pile of little seeds that looked like millet.  But then whole grains and seeds really started getting some attention.  All the magazines were touting the benefits of whole grains, and more and more recipes started popping up for them as well.   I could get on board the whole grain bandwagon.  I already enjoyed eating oatmeal and I love barley in things.  I even embraced quinoa.  Couscous and whole wheat pasta made an appearance, and finally, one day, I bought a bag of millet and brought it home.

I opened up that bag of millet and gave it the sniff test.  Imagine that, it smelled like nothing.  I looked at those teeny tiny little orbs, and I had my doubts.  But I rummaged in the pantry, found an empty Tupperware container and gave it a home.  I even pulled out the label-maker and gave it a label.  Millet was here to stay.  And that’s where it stayed.  Every single time I would think about trying to make something with millet, I kept thinking about that crazy road runner eating his little piles of seeds.  Maybe my subconcious kept remembering that eventually, those little piles of seeds turned into little piles of gunpowder, carefully laid by that crazy coyote, I don’t know.  But I could not bring myself to cook with that millet.

Until the other day.  I’ve been working really hard at using up old food in the freezer and things lurking away in the pantry.  When I peeked in the pantry to assess the dried bean situation, I was pleased to find several varieties, and then I saw the millet and I determined that I was going to use that millet in something if it killed me.

I found a recipe on Vegweb for Millet with chard, and I thought to myself that at the very least, if I cooked the millet with some of the wonderful chard from my freezer, I could at least enjoy the chard.  So I adjusted the recipe to suit my tastes, and cooked it up.  I think I only made one mistake, and that was that I made a full recipe.  I knew before even beginning that the kids would refuse to touch it.  So while I should have cut the recipe in half, I have to report that I was pleasantly surprised with the millet.  It was nutty and toasty, and the dish as a whole was a pleasant success.  Andy enjoyed it, his only concern was that it was a touch mushy, but flavor wise, it was delicious.  It was mushy, as I’d overcooked it waiting on a few other things, but overall, my first whirl with the millet was a success.  This Millet with Chard and Carrots was very tasty and made an excellent side dish.  Honestly, I thought it would have been completely in its element as a stuffing for peppers or tomatoes, or maybe even as a vegetarian enchilada filling. I’m putting the leftovers in the freezer for a time when peppers are not $2.00 a piece.

I will no longer be afraid of millet, and I can successfully cross it off my list of foods I fear. 

Millet with Chard and Carrots

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil. Saute the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and saute for another 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the millet, the stock, the salt and the pepper. Bring to boil.  As soon as it starts boiling, cover and cook for 15 min.

Stir in the chard (or spinach), cover, and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the millet is tender.