Jim and Kristen Mitchell, a Scottsdale, AZ-based husband-and-wife team, have just launched Humble Seed, a company that offers premium organic seed kits that produce an array of edible plants.

Four themed garden kits are available:

1. Hot Mama’s Peppers and Chiles (including Yankee bell, habanero, cayenne, Caribbean red and Anaheim chile peppers)
2. Uncle Herb’s Favorites (including bouquet dill, common sage, Greek oregano, cumin and German winter thyme)
3. Veggin’ Out (including Washington cherry tomatoes, Bull’s Blood beets, De Cicco broccoli, Marketmore cucumbers and black seeded Simpson leaf lettuce)
4. The Producer, a bulk fruit and vegetable kit for community gardens and organizations

Each kit contains at least 10 premium heirloom, non-GMO, non-hybrid and organic seed packets for environmentally conscious growers.

 “My whole life, I’ve been trying to find one calling—one passion that would help people,” Jim says. “I really connected to growing my own food. There are so many health, financial and environmental benefits, and creating a stable, healthy food supply reduces our reliance on other economies.”

“We are extremely excited that we’re helping empower people in a down economy,” adds Kristen. “Families can now get fresh food at a fraction of the cost found at your local produce section.”

Kits start at $21.95. The website also features books, recipes and seed-growing tips.

Humble Seed’s launch party is Thursday (Earth Day), with proceeds benefiting Waste Not, a local nonprofit organization that delivers food to more than 80 agencies that feed the hungry.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) comes from the goosefoot plant, native to South America. Cultivated for centuries for its high-protein seeds, it’s also a great source of fiber, iron, calcium and phosphorus. The ancient Incas, in fact, called it “chisaya mama” (mother of all grains).

Quinoa can be substituted for rice in most recipes, which is what Andrea Beaman did when she created this Quinoa Pilaf. A contestant on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” she served it with Curried Sweet Potato for a hearty vegetarian meal.

If you have difficulty finding organic quinoa at your local market, you may order it online through Amazon.com. We recommend Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Quinoa.

Quinoa Pilaf

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Rinse quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add a pinch of sea salt. Cover and reduce flame to simmer. Cook for 12 minutes.
3. In a frying pan, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil for 2–3 minutes. Add shitake mushrooms, sage and sea salt (add black pepper to taste), and cook for 3–5 minutes.
4. In a mixing bowl combine cooked veggies, dried cranberries and cooked quinoa.