After all that Christmas food, why not make a lovely leftovers salad using ingredients that keep well, so you can whisk up something fresh, nourishing and full of flavour from your Mullum market haul?
This salad is adapted from a recipe by the lovely Belinda Jeffery, whose cooking is all about simplicity, generosity and letting good ingredients shine.
Lovely leftovers salad
Start with 1½ cups dried black turtle beans from the Mullum Co-op stall. Rinse them well, soak overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain and cook in fresh water until creamy and tender – this can take anywhere from 1½ to 2½ hours. Drain the beans well and set them aside while still warm.
In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup olive oil from Grumpy Grandma, 2½ tablespoons lime juice from Jumping Red Ant, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard from Church Farm, 1 small clove garlic from Forest Organics (finely chopped), 1 small golden shallot from Summit Organics (finely chopped), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon sugar. Add the warm beans to the dressing and gently stir, allowing them to cool and absorb the flavours.
While the beans are cooking, grill 1 large red capsicum from Everest Farm or Jumping Red Ant until the skin blackens, then cover, peel and chop. Brush 2 corn cobs from Everest Farm or Jumping Red Ant with a bit of olive oil and grill until tender and lightly charred, then slice off the kernels.
Fold the capsicum and corn through the beans, along with 1 small chopped chilli from Jumping Red Ant. Add 1 diced avocado if available, or substitute 1 small finely chopped cucumber, as avocados reach the end of their season. Finish with a handful of greens from The Farm if you like.
Serve at room temperature with a bright, herby and generous salad, perfect for post-Christmas eating and a beautiful way to honour both market produce and Belinda Jeffery’s timeless approach to food.
See belindajeffery.com.au for more inspiration.
Mullum Farmers Market is on every Friday from 7am to 11am at Mullumbimby Showground.
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