Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets recipe: Beef, Pumpkin and Goats Cheese Salad

Posted on 2 July, 2016

There are some weekly rituals I really don’t like missing. One of them is heading to the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets and stocking up on beautiful, fresh, good quality produce.

I often head there around lunch time on a Sunday, and the family are kept happy with baked goods from the bakery. While they’re munching away, I head over to the number of many food and produce traders for my weekly fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat and seafood.

I love the atmosphere and experience —it’s vibrant, bustling and such a treat for the senses. Think coffee, sizzling kransky, baking bread… Mmm…

What you’ll find at the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets

The quality is always top notch. Fruit and vegetables are fresh and delicious and the other products don’t disappoint either; think perfectly ripened, flavourful cheeses cut from the wheel, preservative-free bread baked from unbleached flours, hormone-free meat, free-range eggs and sustainably-fished seafood.

I also like that when I purchase many of the products from Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets I’m supporting local businesses, farmers and suppliers. This means value for me and also a future for our local food industry.

I had the fabulous pleasure of creating some delicious, winter-seasonal recipes to showcase some of the fantastic produce available at the markets, which we’ll roll out over the next few months. I hope you enjoy them! I sure did!

Beef, Pumpkin and Goats Cheese Salad

Serves 4

Just add goats cheese for a delicious winter dish!

Today’s recipe is all about combining different flavours for a meal that hits all the right notes. I paired creamy, salty goats cheese with sweet and in-season pumpkin and beetroot, roasted in some spices. Served with a good quality cut of beef steak, a sprinkle of lentils and baby spinach and a drizzle of sweetened balsamic vinegar, it’s a warming and delicious way to eat a ‘salad’ in the middle of winter, with beautiful seasonal produce.

Pumpkin is a great source of beta-carotene, a nutrient converted into vitamin A by the body. The vibrant beetroot offers a spectrum of health-promoting antioxidants and combined with some fibre rich lentils and iron rich steak, you’ve got an immune-boosting meal to ward off those nasty colds and flus and keep you full and satisfied on a cold winter’s night.

What you need

Salad

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp ginger spice
1 tsp nutmeg spice
500-600g jap pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 beetroot, peeled and cubed
400g scotch fillet
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tin brown lentils, drained and rinsed
200g goats cheese, crumbed
¼ cup fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper

Dressing

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
½ brown sugar

What to do

Prepare the ingredients as per the recipe. Toss the pumpkin and beetroot in olive oil, ginger and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread over a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, distribute the baby spinach leaves, red onion and lentils over four dinner plates.

Season the steak and cook on a hot grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until your liking. Set aside and cover with foil to rest

To make the dressing, place the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat, stirring, until all the sugar dissolves and the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Set aside.

Evenly distribute the roast pumpkin and beetroot across the four plates and sprinkle with goats cheese and fresh sage. Thinly slice the steaks and distribute amongst the plates.

Drizzle each plate with a few teaspoons of dressing. Serve and enjoy!

the essentials

What: Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets
Where: 12 Dalby Street, Fyshwick
When: 8am to 5:30pm, Thursday to Sunday
Web: www.fyshwickfreshfoodmarkets.com.au

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