Cook with Microgreens Recipe 1 : Quinoa, Daikon Radish Microgreens and Tapioca Salad.

I'm hooked. I love Daikon Radish Microgreens. Radish Microgreens come in a number of different varieties. I've tried three so far and hope to try more. The stems on these different radish microgreens look different. Radish Microgreens have white stems, Red Radish microgreens... yes, you guessed it have reddish stems and China Rose Microgreens have these lovely pastel pink stems.

Besides the diverse range, I'm drawn to growing Radish Microgreens for 2 other reasons. First they are quick to grow. I've grown Sunflower, Maple Pea, Kang Kong, Red Amaranth, Red Cabbage, Beet, Fenugreek, Fennel, Dou Miao, Buckwheat, Mustard Microgreens and more.  And Red Radish Microgreens, in my experience always win my speed of growth race. First to sprout, and shoot up. Always.

The second reason; flavour. Radish Microgreens have this lovely "wasabi" like flavour. It just adds a little zing to any dish.

I am not a foodie. But I take great pride and effort in making time to cook and create in the kitchen. It gives me time to unwind, an opportunity to be creative, stay connected to the food system, keep the family healthy through meaningfully curated ingredients and most importantly create memories, dishes and stories with my 5 year old son.

This dish I created was borne out of two things growing abundantly close to me. First the red radish microgreens at home and second some awesome tapioca growing at work, at the Goodman Community Farm which we are currently working on. 

Last November, we planted tapioca stem cuttings on the Goodman Community Farm @goodmanartscentre. In about 8 months, these fuss-free crops grew, even in our absence. They were ready for harvest when we returned a few weeks ago! The amazing thing is that planting tapioca is not just an end of #growyourown food, but also a means. The tapioca roots successfully broke through the dense soil. 

I went back excited with some roots as loot (could not stop myself from that gardening pun :) ) and turned it into a yummy salad with an Asian sesame dressing and punchy Radish Microgreens. Now here is my recipe for Quinoa, Daikon Radish Microgreens and Tapioca Salad. Hope you try it some day.

Oh by the way, I cook by eye balling volume based on how many people I need to feed and what is lying in the pantry. So please, make adjustments accordingly. Please do not let the lack of precise measurements stop you from trying a simple recipe. I will try my best with some measurements.

• 1 cup Red Quinoa - Cook as per instructions on the package. I tend to buy Bob's Red Mill Quinoa.
• 3 pieces of Tapioca - Steamed until soft and fluffy.
• 2 handfuls Radish Micogreens - Harvested, washed and cut into half. I cut into half as they produce long stems.
• Half a Beetroot - Raw, julienne thinly.
• 1 avocado - cubed
• 4 small radishes - thinly sliced.
• 2 Shallots - My mum's pro tip: thinly sliced, soak in iced cold water for 5 min and strain before adding to your dish. This reduces the pungent flavour and scent while keeping the crunchiness. Great way to introduce raw shallots to kids. 
• Chopped Walnuts - Or sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

Dressing- Emulsify the following: 

• 2 tbsp Tahini paste
• Soya sauce- to taste
• Honey- to taste
• Lemon juice- half a lemon 
• Coconut oil 
• Salt and pepper- to taste

Prepare your ingredients, place in a bowl and drizzle your dressing. As simple as that!!

For more recipes, click to see Tanghoon soup with Buckwheat microgreens  and Raita with Sunflower microgreens.

If you'd like to grow your own microgreens, you can bulk order our Mighty Microgreens Kits! They'd also make a great gift for your community, employees or students. And do tag us on on Instagram if you made your own dishes with our Might Microgreens Kit!

Nova Nelson

I’m a Social Entrepreneur, Permaculture Designer, a gardening coach, content creator and educator. I started Cultivate Central as a solo enterprise. It started as a blog about my journey in Permaculture Design. It then evolved and grew into a small social enterprise. Today, I focus on creating regenerative food gardens, developing and delivering educational experiences, championing vermicomposting and building collaborative community programmes with organisations, corporates, developers and schools, with a small but talented team. I’m passionate about helping them embark on a journey of earth care centred on building regenerative food systems and cultures.

How did I find myself doing what I do? Read my story here.