GROWER produce

Simple, seasonal recipes that follow WA’s transition from warm to cool

Recipes by Buy West Eat Best

THOSE lingering warm days and mild nights still call for fresh, vibrant salads that put local ingredients front and centre. As the evenings begin to cool, quick pickles become an easy way to capture flavour now and enjoy it as winter approaches. And for those in between nights, when you want something satisfying without going too heavy, a hearty sausage and vegetable bake brings just the right amount of comfort.

These recipes highlight how WA grown produce fits seamlessly into every stage of autumn eating. They’re simple, adaptable, and designed to let the quality of the ingredients shine, just as people have come to expect from what’s grown across our state.

Ingredients

1–2 cups vegetables*

2–3 tbsp herbs & spices*

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar (white, brown or apple cider)

2 tsp salt

2–3 tsp caster sugar, to taste

Method

1. This method is very flexible, and will yield about 1 large jar of homemade pickles. While the pickles vary widely, depending on the ingredients you choose, the method remains the same. See suggested ingredients below.

2. Chop vegetables into bite-size pieces and place into a sterilised jar along with the herbs and spices, leaving a

1cm gap from the top. Ensure they are packed in tightly.

3. In a large saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring to the boil over medium heat, ensuring the sugar and salt have dissolved.

4. Carefully pour the hot vinegar solution into the jar, ensuring there is no trapped air and there is enough liquid to completely cover the vegies.

5. Tightly seal the jar and leave the vegies to pickle for at least a few hours. The flavours will develop the longer you leave them. Some vegies, such as sliced onions, will be ready after a couple of hours while others, such as cauliflower or cabbage, will need a few days.

Suggested ingredients

Vegetables — cucumber (spears or sliced), red onion (sliced), baby onion, zucchini (large or baby), red and white cabbage, wombok, chillies, capsicums, cauliflower, radishes, carrots, fennel. Herbs (fresh) — garlic, dill, rosemary, thyme Spices (dried) — peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander or mustard seeds, chilli flakes, star anise.

Mix and match different combinations to find your favourite. You can also scale up the recipe to make more jars.

Ingredients

800g quality sausages

1 zucchini, sliced

3–4 large potatoes, peeled & sliced

2 beetroot, peeled & sliced

1 red onion, peeled & sliced

½ cauliflower, sliced

3 garlic cloves

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil few sprigs of rosemary salt & pepper, to taste

1 cup chicken stock washed baby spinach leaves, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC.

2. Place the vegetables and rosemary in a large baking tray and drizzle with oil.

3. Toss with your hands to coat and spread out so all the vegetables are in one layer.

4. Arrange the sausages between the vegetables and season.

5. Cook for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven. Turn all the ingredients and pour the chicken stock on top.

6. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes, or until golden.

7. Serve on a bed of spinach leaves.

Ingredients

Salad

2 rounds pita bread extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground sumac salt & pepper

1 buttercrunch lettuce, torn

1 English cucumber, sliced

5 roma tomatoes, diced

5 spring onions, thinly sliced

5 radishes, thinly sliced

1 cup Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped

½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

Dressing

¼ cup red wine vinegar 2 tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp ground sumac

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 175ºC.

2. Cut the pita rounds in half and brush the top side generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with sumac and salt.

3. Place on a lined tray and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden and crisp.

4. Remove from oven to cool slightly, then break into bite-sized pieces.

5. Arrange lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radish, spring onions and herbs in a salad bowl.

6. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine.

7. To serve arrange pita pieces over the top of the salad.

Ingredients

Roast vegies

500g pumpkin, peeled & cut into chunks

2 carrots, peeled & sliced

2 beetroot, peeled & cut into chunks

2 corn cobs, husks & silk removed, quartered lengthways & cut into 5cm pieces

150g green beans, topped & tailed & cut into 5cm lengths

4 eggs olive

oil spray

salt & pepper, to season

Tahini dressing

⅓ cup tahini

¼ cup water

1 tsp honey

2 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ tsp ground cumin sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan-forced) and line a large tray with baking paper.

2. Arrange all the vegetables except the green beans on the tray and spray generously with olive oil.

3. Season with sea salt & freshly ground black pepper and cook for about 40 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through, checking and turning vegies as necessary.

4. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and cook the beans for three minutes. Using tongs, remove the beans into a bowl of iced water and leave for two minutes. Once cool, drain the beans and set aside.

5. Bring the water in the saucepan back to the boil and add the eggs. Cook for six minutes, then drain them and transfer to a bowl of iced water for five minutes to cool before peeling.

6. To make the dressing, put all ingredients except the salt and pepper in a food processor or blend and process at high speed until smooth. Taste and add seasoning as desired.

7. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove from the baking tray and place in a serving bowl. Toss with green beans. Roughly chop or break the peeled eggs and scatter across the salad.

8. To serve drizzle with tahini dressing to serve.