Seedy places

A growing trend is sprouting from city kitchens this spring -- and it's sow delicious. By CLAUDINE KO

A growing trend is sprouting from city kitchens this spring -- and it's sow delicious.

The seed: Sunflower The dish: Spring Puntarella Salad, $12, at The Lion, 62 W. Ninth St.

“We were trying to get a creamy rich vinaigrette without adding eggs,” says The Lion’s owner/chef John DeLucie, “but we didn’t want to overpower the delicate herbs.” When executive chef Jason Hall suggested a sunflower seed-based vinaigrette, DeLucie’s response was, “You’re crazy.”

But the fresh concoction, made from sprouted sunflower seeds (which have more protein than raw seeds) pureed with lemon juice, garlic, chili flake and extra-virgin olive oil, managed to evince both an earthy nuttiness and richness in flavor without the extra fat and cholesterol from eggs. And sure enough, the sprouted sunflower seeds were added to the shopping list during their regular treks to the Union Square Greenmarket.