When I first returned from Australia, I had to spend a few more days in isolation. Bored of reading and writing and knitting, I took to something I hadn’t been able to do from the confines of my hotel room for the last seven days. I cooked as much as I could. I was in search of the perfect summer recipe.
One of the most instantly recognisable features of my family home is the garden. My mum and her partner have adopted an off the grid lifestyle. One that my supermarket-going self has a hard time adjusting to, but once I can get back into the swing of picking what I eat, it couldn’t be more delightful.
This recipe began as a mash-mash of inspiration I found online, in an attempt to counter a 7-day compulsory stay with some of the most tragic food imaginable, all eaten from paper boxes from the comfort of hotel linen.
I collected seasonal foods from the garden, some wild-caught venison sausages from the local butcher (mum’s not quite up to that stage of her lifestyle yet) and an abundance of herbs. You could change up the sausages for any kind of meat you prefer, lamb would go delightfully, or you can skip it altogether in favour of a plant-based alternative. Serve with flatbreads smothered in homemade hummus.
Much love to Nadia Lim for the summer recipe inspiration, and to mum and Michael for enjoying every mouthful.
Ingredients:
- 6 wild-caught venison sausages
- 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 telegraph cucumber halved lengthways and sliced
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 red capsicum, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup black kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves torn
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
- 100 g feta cheese crumbled
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 drizzle balsamic vinegar
Method:
- Preheat barbecue grill on medium heat. Alternatively use a cast iron pan on the stovetop.
- Cook sausages for 3-4 minutes each side until well browned and cooked through.
- Remove sausages from the heat and leave to rest.
- Toss the capsicum into the hot pan and sauté until sweet and softened. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Slice cooked sausages and toss with capsicum and all other remaining salad ingredients.
- Dress with lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar just before serving.
