Senwes Scenario June / July 2019 | Page 25

IN THE KITCHEN Buttermilk and Honey Chicken Kebabs Following the success of our #braaiviriboere campaign where chicken featured quite early on, we thought we’d include a 3-in-1 recipe to support three farmers in one go. So here are the Buttermilk and Honey Chicken Kebabs. The three finalists at the 2019 Agri NW Young Farmer of the Year awards function are from left to right, Pieter Ernst, Dawie Rothmann and Janna Du Rand. Dawie Rothmann was the winner. Winner of the 2019 Agri NW Young Farmer award!  By Julian Soutter Senwes Graduate T he Senwes sponsored 2019 Agri NW awards evening lived up to the expectations of the day, with Dawie Rothmann, a young veg- etable farmer in the Brits region, walking away with the crown and being the 2019 young farmer of the year. The man of the moment cultivates grain and vegetables such as wheat, soya beans, beetroot, carrots, spinach on his farm. The key factors behind the success of Dawie are his ambition to continuously grow in the farming industry and to increase his production level. He also plays a huge role in his community by serving on various farming committees that aim to uplift upcoming farmers as well as farm workers. The 2019 young farmer of the year conference took place on Friday, 12 April 2019 at the Uurpan Safari Lodge in Schweizer-Reneke. The event welcomed various speakers including well-known entrepreneur, Marnus Broodryk, who touched on important subjects that will have an impact on all young South African farmers. Topics such as change, innovation and entrepreneurship were discussed at the conference. This initiative was taken to uplift the increasing number of young farmers coming through in the industry. Food security is one of the most important factors in South Africa, if not the most important factor, to sustain the industry. South Africa has faced serious drought conditions for the past six years, with inconsistent rainfall which has made the agricultural sector somewhat unat- tractive for young entrepreneurs. This, however, could be an opportu- nity for many young farmers out there, to apply the correct skills and attitude to their respective farms. INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup hot sauce 1/4 cup tomato paste 3 tablespoons honey 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 small sweet onion, grated 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 1 kg skinned and boned chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 5 cm chunks 10 wooden or metal skewers Vegetable cooking spray Grilled lemon halves Romesco Sauce METHOD  Whisk together hot sauce, tomato paste and honey in a large bowl until smooth; whisk in buttermilk, onion, garlic, black pepper and salt until blended.  Place buttermilk mixture and chicken in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal and chill for 3 hours.  Meanwhile, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes (Omit if using metal skewers.)  Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350°C to 400°C (medium-high) heat. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Thread chicken onto skewers, leaving space between pieces; sprinkle with salt.  Grill kebabs, covered with grill lid, 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Serve with lemon halves and Romesco Sauce. SENWES SCENARIO | WINTER 2019 23