Delicate looking and sometimes long and lanky, microgreens are highly nutritious, young, tender, immature seedlings that are harvested early. In an indoor vertical garden in Woburn with LED lighting, Smita Das, 39, and her husband Uday, 43, both raised in India, cultivate young broccoli, kale, arugula, kohlrabi, peas, and others for their business, Giant Gorilla Greens, a microgreen delivery service in Greater Boston. “We mimic sunlight and keep it like a summer day with 18 hours of light on and six hours off,” says Smita. Their harvest is up to 4,000 pounds of greens a month, with some growing in eight days and others in 11. “It feels like instant gratification,” says Smita, who is also a pilot. In the early days of the pandemic, Uday, who works for a tech company, raised the greens in his backyard, giving much away to neighbors. The raves they earned for their young vegetables prompted them to scale up and launch the business. They also harvest deep purple and green radish that are spicy and peppery, and sunflower microgreens grown from sunflower seeds. A mix that blends kale, arugula, broccoli, red cabbage, kohlrabi, and mustard microgreens is also offered. As for the name Giant Gorilla Greens, the outsized image resonated with the couple, and the name is imbued with meaning. “We were thinking about how gorillas eat greens, and they’re so strong and giant,” says Smita. “Our greens are tiny, but they’re big on nutrition.” They add texture to salads and sandwiches and boost smoothies (from $5.99 and up for 2 ounces; $12.49 and up for 6 ounces; $20 minimum for delivery). For delivery information and to order, go to giantgorillagreens.com. Giant Gorilla Greens are also available at Deluca’s Market, 239 Newbury St., Boston, 617-262-5990; Formaggio Kitchen, 358 Huron Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-4750; and Pemberton Farms Marketplace, 2225 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 617- 491-2244.
Small business, tiny greens, huge nutritional value, big taste
