Salty River Farm Recipes

There's no pizza sauce like the kind you make yourself with fresh oregano and thyme. This is our quick slap it together pizza sauce recipe - tangy, garlicky and herby. Fast, no cook with a thick consistency ... it's all about flavour for us.

170g tomato paste (3/4 cup)
5 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, either finely grated, crushed or chopped
Freshly torn oregano and the leaves of thyme, striped off the stalks
1 tsp sugar
.5 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper (as much as you like)

Just mix the above together, smear on your pizza base and load up with toppings. This recipe makes 3 large (30cm) pizzas, and freezes well.

Pattypan, summer squash, scallopini - whatever you call it, this is one of our favourite crops. Full of yellow and green sunshine, they look like happyness itself!

But how do you cook them?

Simple ... slice into wedges, brush with olive oil, dust with salt and pepper and grill in a pan or on your bbq. Get some good colour on the two cut sides, and eat while there is still a bite (don't cook until mushy).

That's all there is to it. Delicious summer sunshine!

Make a big batch of basil pesto while it's in season. Double or quadruple the recipe, split into little containers or ice cube trays and freeze for later in the year when you're missing the classic summer taste of basil. Stir through pasta, use as a superdouper sandwich flavour bomb or dollup into your soup!

1/4 cup pinenuts
1 1/2 cups Salty River Farm basil
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup shredded or grated parmesan
5 tbsp olive oil

Toast the pinenuts in a dry frypan, taking care not to over brown.

Place the pine nuts, basil, garlic and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin steady stream until well combined. Add more oil until you reach desired consistency.

Can be frozen for 6 months.

Oh yum - this is one of our favourite lazy day breakfasts. It isn't really a recipe as such, but an idea that a baker once gave us - she said "fried sage is wonderful with fried eggs" and this favourite was born to us.

Heat olive oil in a fry-pan, when hot add sage leaves. Fry a bit - but don't colour too much. At this stage, you could take them out of the pan ... and set aside to scatter onto the eggs later. I'm a messy egg fryer ... so I often just leave the leaves in and break the eggs over them. Cook eggs until your ideal done-ness, season with cracked pepper and salt ... eat. 

This is the kind of salad that's even better the next day. The zucchini takes on the salty olive flavour and the feta softens and becomes part of the dressing. Super handy if you're in need to get a dish out of the way the day before!

3 cups diced zucchini
100g diced or crumbled feta cheese
2 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped shallot or red onion
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper or to taste

Mix all ingredients together ... taste ... adjust seasoning and enjoy!

Thai basil chicken is fast, easy and super tasty. Spicy, garlicky and savoury with a hint of sweet, Thai basil is the key ingredient in this recipe. Thai basil tastes like normal basil but spicier ... and with an aniseed flavour.

This recipe serves 2-3. Double the recipe for 4 people.

250g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces
1 spring onion, cut into 4cm lengths
1 cup Thai basil leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1.5 tbsp vegetable oil

Sauce ingredients:
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp water

Put sauce ingredients into a small bowl and combine.
Heat oil in wok or pan over a high heat.
Add garlic and chilli and cook for a few seconds.
Add white end of spring onion and the chicken and fry until cooked.
Add sauce and cook until reduced to a thick glossy sauce.
Toss through green part of spring onion, and basil leaves.
Serve immediately with jasmine rice.

Radish pickles
This recipe provides roughly enough pickling liquid for 2 x 300ml jars.

Sliced radishes to fill whatever jar you’d like to use
1/2 cup white or apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper optional

Place radishes in hot, sterilised jar. Bring vinegar, sugar, water, salt, spices and bay leaf to a boil. Ladle hot pickling liquid over radishes. Lid jar and let cool before storing in fridge up to 4 months.

Radish greens pesto
2 cups radish tops, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1/4 a lemon
1/4 cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped macadamia or peanuts, toasted
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more if needed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wizz it all up in a processor - it's as easy as that! Great folded through pasta or potatoes, or serve with fish or chicken.

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar
30g basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

500g zucchini or scallopini, julienne or noodled
1/2 cup sliced, pitted black olives
1/3 cup thinly sliced sundried tomatoes

Place all the dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, season to taste.

Put the zucchini, black olives and sundried tomatoes in a bowl and pour over the dressing, turning to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and enjoy!

Crunchy, sweet, salty, creamy - caesar salad is so easy to throw together and is so delicious. I haven't been specific with quantities for lettuce, bread or bacon - this is flexible to your taste and how many people are going to enjoy it!

Here's how we put ours together:

Salty River Farm mixed leaf salad
1 cup mayo - we love best foods mayo
1 sm clove garlic, chopped or grated finely
1 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Mustard - we use Earthbound Honey's Honey Mustard
Bread to make croutons - we adore Gourmet Gannet's sourdough
Bacon - Salash Deli make amazing spec with no nitrates
Parmesan cheese - grated

To make croutons - cut bread into 1.5cm cubes. Rub through olive oil, salt and pepper. Toast in oven until a bit crunchy and lightly golden.

Grill or fry bacon until a bit crispy. Let cool, then dice into small 1cm pieces.

Make dressing by combining mayo, garlic, mustard and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble - brush or coat cos leaves with dressing. Lay leaves down in a single layer on a platter, scatter over croutons, bacon and then parmesan. For larger quantities, make another layer on top.