The
Good Life
Summer barbecues with that farmers’ market style Brookfarm premium Victoria Cosford One of Conscious Ground’s new sausages has 30% of their bacon in it – offcuts from the bacon production – and I can just imagine what a fabulous flavour they have. The smoked, nitrate-free bacon, stallholder Felix tells me in his irresistible South American accent, is ‘becoming pretty famous in the area’. It’s barbecue season, so I’ve been checking out farmers’ market offerings and seeing how many there are. Other new sausages in Conscious Ground’s range include a beef one with caramelised onions, a pork-fennel-pepper one, and a chorizo which, Felix tells me, is his ‘home recipe.’ But there are also pork and short ribs – ‘we call them assado’, he says, ‘and they’re the best cuts for our barbecues.’ Of course there’s the Hayter’s Hill Farm stall as well, full of sustainably farmed beef and pork, and 10 varieties of gluten- and preservative-free sausages,
glossy eggplant, huge zucchini, capsicum, all of them glorious right now and only requiring a slice-up and a grill, slicked with garlicky olive oil. Or from the Morrow Family Farm there’s sweet potato, pumpkin and sweet corn. Throw in some halloumi from Nimbin Valley or Deb Allard, leafy greens from Gourmet Salad Hut and a loaf of Crabbes Creek sourdough and you’re set! Q Conscious Ground, Hayter’s Hill Farm, Gourmet Salad Hut, Nimbin Valley Cheese, Deb Allard Cheese and Morrow Family Farm are at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7 to 11am.
plus chops and steaks. Or, if you are lamb-inclined, grab one of Warren Wiggins’ butterflied Dorper legs: bone out, split open and rolled out. Marinate for a minimum of three hours (ideally 24!) in dried oregano, lots of garlic, zest and juice of a lemon, olive oil and seasoning, then barbecue for about 20
minutes. Heavenly! Warren also suggests lamb cutlets, cooked 3-4 minutes each side, or ‘shoulder chops are good too!’ he says. As for non-meat eaters, a great platter of barbecued vegetables is a thing of joy. From Summit Organics, Jumping Red Ant, or Organic Forrest you can pick up
roasted nut mixes S Haslam If you haven’t seen the Brookfarm macadamia farm in the Byron hinterland, you probably haven’t been to Brookie’s distillery just outside of Byron, or heard about the rainforest regeneration of what was once degraded, cleared farming land. Brookfarm recently released two new premium nut mixes: Australian Lime & Sea Salt and Smokey Australian Saltbush, which they describe as a
‘delicious, savoury, salty blend of oven-roasted Australian macadamias, whole almonds, cashews and pumpkin seeds’. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to confirm their deliciousness firsthand, as my family immediately ate the two packets I took on holidays, leaving me to feast on airport food, which I think speaks for itself. If you want to test them out yourself, they are at independent grocers, health food stores and online at brookfarm.com.au.
Q Local Dorper Lamb, Cheeses Loves You, Summit Organics, Forrest Organics, Jumping Red Ant and Crabbes Creek Woodfired are at New Brighton Farmers Market every Tuesday from 8 to 11am and at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7 to 11am.
Mexican Cantina at the Australian Hotel Ballina The Australian Hotel otel is a classic Aussie pub ub with cold beer, live ve music and good food, right in thee heart of Ballina, just 150 metres from the banks of the Richmond River iver and five minutess from ch, Shelly Lighthouse Beach, Beach and the airport. irport. The pub has undergone some me renovations lately, the l and d th latest addition to ‘The Pub’ is the Mexican Cantina, the converted bistro with a revitalised laid-back interior and casual outdoor dining space – the perfect setting for sampling their range of thirst-quenching beers. Or, if you’re after a cocktail to beat the heat, the house Coconut Margarita is not to be missed! Keeping in with the coastal vibe, the
COFFEE SH
Q The Australian Hotel 103 River St Ballina australianhotelballina.com.au
FB: theaussiehotelballina
These Brookfarm nuts have vibrant Australian flavours
BOOK NOW FOR THE EASTER EDITION!
A collection of the tastiest options for eating and drinking in the Northern Rivers
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Open 6am – 12pm Monday – Saturday Shop 6/108 Stuart Street Mullumbimby. #ELPELBFRσHHBVKRS ALLPRESS ESPRESSSO www.echo.net.au
Prawn Tostada (BalBallina Praw avocado lina prawn, p crème, salsa verde, crèm pickled red onion, pickl jalapeno and radish) jalap and Crispy C Fish Taco (using the daily catch) are the perfect p combination of fresh. fre Wednesday’s offering is two-for-one tacos, and Sunday is all tucking into a about tu Carne A Asada (Black Angus fflatiron, charred onion, peppers, i poblano bl pickled veg and salsa verde) while the kids eat free. If you’re up for a night out, stay for the live music on Thursdays from 8pm or boogie the night away to funk soul with a vinyl DJ every Saturday from 9pm.
Contact: adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au/eat-drink Insta @byroneatdrink
`ëŕƖëſƷ ǪǨǽ ǩǧǩǫ The Byron Shire Echo 17