Veg Box Evolution

The past few months have been a wild ride for everyone the world over, and at Green Connect it has been an absolute rollercoaster. The implications of the global pandemic and the related increase in our veg box numbers coincided with our timeline to complete some serious development projects. These projects included our new washing and packing sheds, our education space, and our kids and demonstration gardens.delivery change

Amongst all of this, I needed to take a step back from the farm to become a dad, and at the time it seemed like it was going to be impossible. Handing something over can be incredibly time consuming and energy intensive… unless of course your handing it to people who have a passion for the organisation and the capacity to jump in and learn on the go. That is where Amy Carrad came in. Amy is a bit of a fair food champion around the Illawarra and has long been a passionate contributor to Green Connect: whether she’s volunteering at the farm, organising and managing people during community days, or promoting what we do out in the community.

Begging Amy to take on the veg box packing during this crazy period was my strategy to take a step back, and of course she said yes. And she has done such an incredible job! Along with Su Meh, Pleh Meh, Taw Meh, Kaw Meh, Sarah and Olivia, Amy has spent her Wednesdays throughout winter and spring packing as many as 240 veg boxes per week to go out to our community. It needs to be said that with all the construction going on and the weather heating up, the conditions for packing have been increasingly harsh, with our electricity being taken away and then our packing shelter! Things will be shifting around the farm next week and we will now be packing and delivering earlier in the week.

So, I wanted to use the insert this week to thank our team for their incredible work! The way that this team has taken on and owned this transition period is a great sign of the resilience that Green Connect is building within our team, and a great testament to what people can achieve when they are committed to achieving positive outcomes for people and planet.

Enjoy

Cal Champagne

Green Connect Farm Manager

 What’s that in my box: We’re all familiar with the Avocado but did you know that this versatile veg can be used as an egg supplement in cooking? They’re also a great source of many nutrients, including heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin K, folate and vitamin C.
For more information on how to store & cook any of our vegetables, visit: https://draxe.com/ and type in the veggie you’re looking for.

Takeout Style Chicken and Snow Peas – Serves 4

https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/takeout-style-chicken-and-snow-peas/
Ingredients
For the stir fry:snow peas and chicken
450 grams chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda – see note 1
2 cups snow peas
1  clove garlic
1 green onion
1 tbsp oil
For the sauce:
1/4 cup chicken stock/broth
1 tbsp corn-starch
1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine 
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
pinch pepper 
1/4 tsp sugar
Method
Slice the chicken into thin strips and place in a not metallic bowl.
Sprinkle over the baking soda and leave for 15 minutes.
Whilst the chicken is marinating:
Trim the snow peas, peel and slice the garlic and thinly slice the sting onion and set them all to one side. Rinse the chicken really well to remove any traces of baking soda and then pat dry with some kitchen paper. (This can be down up to 4 hours ahead of time) In a small bowl mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside. Pour the oil into a large skillet or fry pan over a high heat and let it get hot. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the snow peas and chopped green onions and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Turn the heat down to medium, then add in the garlic, give the sauce a stir and pour it over the meat. Cook for a minute or so until the sauce has thickened and has coated the meat and veg. Serve hot.

Chickpea, Feta and Parsley Salad – Serves 6 as a side

https://simpleprovisionsblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/chickpea-feta-and-parsley-salad/
Ingredients
1 medium red onion, dicedchickpea and feta
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
Pinch red chili flakes
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
4 spring onions (scallions), green part only, chopped
1 cup chopped parsley
Juice of one lemon
150g feta
Salt and pepper
Method
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the red onion till lightly golden. Add garlic and chili and cook till the garlic is fragrant. Set aside to cool so it doesn’t melt the feta when you mix it in.Drain the chickpeas, rinse and place in the salad bowl. Add crumbled feta, spring onion, parsley and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Add the cooled onion and garlic mixture and remaining oil and mix well.