Green Papaw and Macadamia Salad

Green Papaw and Macadamia Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

Dressing:
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 small red chillies, sliced
1/2 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes,
drained
2 tablespoons Thai palm sugar, grated
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon macadamia oil

Salad:
1 medium green papaw or 1/2 large green papaw, seeds removed and grated
200g green beans, blanched and sliced
2 cups wild rocket leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1 cup raw macadamias, roasted and roughly chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

To make the dressing, pound garlic, chillies and onion in a mortar to make a paste. Add the drained shrimp and palm sugar and lightly bruise then add the tomatoes, fish sauce, lime-juice and macadamia oil, pound and bruise to release the juices from the tomatoes to make your dressing, it should taste hot, sweet, sour and salty.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Pile onto a serving plate and serve.
Serving suggestion: delicious with barbecued prawns.

Aussie Bees Go Nuts For Macadamias

Millions of bees are about to go buzzing mad for Australia's beautiful blooming macadamia trees in a fantastic frenzy feast which will play a crucial role in developing the world's finest nut, the only commercially successful native Australian food product.

Marking the first stage of the macadamia growing cycle, the explosion of bees and fragrant pink and white blooms is a natural spectacle lasting around two weeks, starting in Bundaberg at the end of August then drifting south along the eastern seaboard of Queensland and New South Wales to Nambucca, finishing around early October.

This year's blossoming cycle is anticipated to be shorter but much sweeter than previous years with the return of colder winter weather in growing areas producing a return to a more normal growing pattern.

Better farmgate prices have also allowed Australia's world class macadamia growers to improve their investments in making sure their orchards are in great condition to produce an awesome blossoming and high level of nutset, which will eventually ripen into nuts should they reach their full potential.

CEO of Australian Macadamia Society Jolyon Burnett said the strong start to the season has all the makings of a bountiful yield, if the conditions remain favourable. 'Weather conditions are just right for a good quality blossoming, it's very exciting. The shorter cycle will also make life easier for our growers as they will be able to consolidate their tree husbandry over a shorter timeframe unlike previous years which saw milder conditions create an earlier blossoming which lasted over a longer period. Growing Australia's native nut takes lots of loving attention so this should help them to manage and protect their crops better."

Grower Cathy Ferndale said: 'The first sign of flowers always brings a lot of anticipation. It's truly enchanting to watch the trees erupt into new life and the bees do their magic. While there is still a lot of hard work to be done of course between now and harvest, and a good blossoming does not always guarantee a good crop, the season is shaping up quite nicely. Our fingers are crossed the weather keeps working with us over the next six months."

The Australian Macadamia Society is also preparing to create a buzz with the launch of a new research project looking to identify the most effective way for pollination be it through honey bees, native bees or other insects. It is hoped the research will provide valuable new knowledge to enhance the nation's production of macadamias and boost future growth.

Australia is the birthplace of macadamias and this year marks the 40th anniversary of the delicious nut's commercial production dating back to 1974. From humble beginnings, the industry now has over 750 growers who produce around 40,000 tonnes of nuts-in-shell each year, of which 70 per cent is exported to more than 40 countries around the world. Macadamias' reputation and appeal have been built on their unique creamy, buttery flavour and texture, which is a source of great pride amongst those involved in the industry.