Daikon Alley...

Brynwood Needleworks - Daikon Alley

 

Do you get the reference for my blog title today? If you're a Harry Potter fan, you may giggle at my corruption of the name of a place in the books and movies. (Diagon Alley) J.K.Rowling used such clever names in her stories. Anyway...

 

This is the view from our north lawn toward the north. Two acres of the field, past our lawn, belongs to us. The rest belongs to a farming neighbor. He leases our two acres from us. We love his farming practices. He's a great steward of the land, plans his annual schedule admirably, and uses the practice of crop rotation to minimize chemicals and other controls.

Brynwood Needleworks - This Winter's Crops

 

Last year he planted corn, followed by winter wheat. After taking off the wheat this year, he planted radishes and clover to prevent erosion and feed the soil over this upcoming winter. We were fascinated. We've lived around farmers over half of our married lives, but this is the first time we've seen a radish crop. 

 

After doing a little investigating, we learned that these are not red radishes. These are daikon radishes, which help aerate and feed the soil. In the spring he'll till them into the soil, so he invited us to take what we wanted, if we cared to try them.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Daikon

 

I walked over to the field the day before yesterday, and was surprised to find the radish heads sticking up out of the ground. I grabbed the greens, near the top of the radish, and it easily pulled out of the ground. This one was actually small, compared to the few up pulled after it.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Quite The Handful

 

Aren't they gorgeous? I asked my online friends how they prepare them, and learned that these can be served roasted, mixed into a salad (raw), used to make kimchi (a fermented concoction), and more. I actually ate one fresh out of the field (after I washed it under the garden hose), and it was delicious and spicy.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Dinner Side Dish

After bringing them into the farmhouse, I cleaned them, cut them into 3/4" rounds, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted them as a side dish for our dinner. They have a completely different taste once roasted, and I see them as a completely acceptable substitute for potatoes. I'm going to have fun experimenting with different seasonings and methods. 

 

It will also be interesting to learn just how long I can harvest small bundles into the winter. Perhaps they won't be viable after the ground freezes. I don't know. I do know, that without being greedy, we will have a few more dinners using daikon before the cold weather arrives.

Brynwood Needleworks via Pinterest

Hard to believe it's October already, isn't it?