Women and Girly Men fight off Breast Cancer, with the Native Mexican Diet www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20080409/mexican-diet-may-cut-breast-cancer-risk I started looking into this a couple months ago, when Fabi started gathering mesquite pods and grinding them into flour, she also makes tea out of the pods and beans. Also a great book for recipes prepared from native plants (Arizona and New Mexico) is American Indian Cooking / Recipes From The Southwest.
Every year the guy who takes care of my yard gathers 3 or 4 large trash cans of the pods from our mesquite tree and he said his wife makes flour from this and she makes somthing out of the pods that are still "fresh" but not sure what it is I think it is a drink. those he picks while they are still on the tree. I may have to get some from him next time he comes by and give it a try.
You're right Bill. They are healthy, high in protein and have a great flavor. Raf & I picked a bunch a couple of years ago and tried to grind them ourselves. I think they were not dry enough because they really "gunked up" my grinder. There is a traveling Hammer Mill (the RIGHT machine for grinding mesquite pods...LOL) that comes up from Tucson each October. They will grind 2 - 5 gal buckets per person for a minimal fee. It is truly amazing what foods are naturally growing around us!