What is that in my box?
Daikon radish
Daikon radish is a type of radish native to China and Japan and is the large, white, carrot-like vegetable in your box this week.  It has a mild flavour and crisp texture and can be eaten raw, pickled, roasted or sautéed. My favourite thing to do with daikon is to add it to my gyoza. Like water chestnut, it gives a great crunch and flavour to any pot-sticker. Daikon works great in stir-fries, but also roasted like chips or pickled. Not to forget Kimchi! Daikon is high in antioxidants and Vitamin C and is a great source of fiber.

Pickled Daikon with Turmeric

  • 1 daikon radish
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) salt
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) sugar
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) rice wine vinegar
  • 5ml (1 tsp) ground turmeric
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) water

Peel the radish and then slice it thinly, as desired.
Sprinkle with salt and leave for 2 hours in order to draw out moisture.
Place the salt, sugar, vinegar, water and turmeric in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Continue stirring the pickling mixture until all the salt and sugar have dissolved. Set aside to cool down.
Squeeze the excess moisture out of the radish and place the vegetable in a sterilised, airtight storage container.
Pour in the pickling liquid, ensure all surfaces of the radish are covered. Wait for at least 2 days before eating. Lasts up to 2months in the fridge. https://www.greedygourmet.com/recipes-for-diets/vegan/takuan/

Spicy Daikon Chips

1 Daikon radish, peeled & sliced
3 1/2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chile paste (I like Sambal Oelek)
1 teaspoon low sodium Tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ginger pulp, freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 245C and place your oven rack in the centre.
Cut the Daikon into chips. In a small bowl, combine the oil, chile paste, Tamari or soy sauce, ginger, sugar and salt.
Drizzle this over the Daikon slices and then use your hands to toss them until they’re all evenly coated and in a single layer.
Place the baking sheet in the preheated 245C oven and roast until they are golden brown on all sides, about 30 minutes. Also, gently toss/flip them about halfway through the cooking time.
Add a double layer of paper towels to another baking sheet, and when the fries are done, place them on top of the towels to drain and cool. https://cookingontheweekends.com/spicy-roasted-daikon-french-fry-recipe/

 

Farewell to Darren

This week we are saying farewell to Darren, a man who has played a leading role in turning our farm from 11 acres of scrubland into what it is today. Darren is migrating up north to start a new chapter. His presence at the farm will be sadly missed, so it’s important we take this opportunity to celebrate the contribution he’s made to this community.

From our humble beginnings, when we relied on our big volunteer days to get the farm going, Darren was one of the first community members on the ground. He always went above and beyond with his consistency and commitment.

In 2016, we took on the task of running a work-for-the-dole program to kick off the regeneration of our native riparian zone, and the establishment of infrastructure for our future. With a background in social services and facilitating large teams in environmental work, Darren formally joined our team to coordinate this program.

Over the last four years, Darren has facilitated, trained and supported groups of community volunteers, former refugees and young people to make enormous contributions to our farm. Darren has always gone above and beyond with his commitment to the people he works with and the farm itself. His commitment to empowering individuals and the wider community to make positive change is inspiring.

Notoriously humble, Darren is leaving us quietly and without a big fuss. But we must appreciate that his legacy will remain at the farm for generations to come, in the form of the hundreds of rainforest species that will create a biodiversity belt in the future, all our animal and human infrastructure that brings so much life to our corner of the world, and all the people that Darren has mentored and inspired to make a positive contribution to the world.

On behalf of the Green Connect community, thank you Darren, and best wishes for the future.

Cal Champagne
Green Connect Farm Manager