5 grain salads for summer gatherings

November 10, 2016

It’s coming into that time of year where the hearty root veggies just aren't cutting it. The days of chunky winter soups, wholesome family roasts, and heavy shepherd’s pies have come and gone, and the season for deliciously healthy summer salads, jam-packed with Australian-grown pulses and grains, is nigh.

With the help of some of Melbourne’s finest chefs, who love sharing their Mount Zero produce recipes, we’ve put together a list of our favourite summer salads that are oozing with fresh local produce.

Barley, apple and roasted cauliflower salad

Provided by GAS Eatery & Supplies, South Melbourne

There’s no wonder this GAS Eatery & Supplies recipe makes it onto our list, with its chopped dill and rocket, topped with pearled barley, cauliflower florets, sliced apples, fresh dill, and goats curd, drizzled with mustard and honey dressing. This is a recipe for a ripper summer dinner party.

Grab the Recipe here.

Mount Zero grain salad with barberries

Provided by Transformer Fitzroy

This decadent summer salad is courtesy of the team at Transformer Fitzroy. Featuring cultured butter, fresh herbs, barberries, black lentils and scrumptious quinoa, this recipe is certainly a plate-filling crowd-pleaser that’ll have your neighbours coming back for more.

Grab the Recipe here.

Roast pumpkin and freekeh salad with Pedro Ximenez soaked currants

Provided by Innocent Bystander

You know it’s time to get your freekeh on when someone pulls out this salad. Possibly the most complex recipe, this salad from Innocent Bystander is a combination of red wine vinaigrette, Pedro Ximenez soaked currents, Greek yoghurt, and freekeh and pumpkin salad.

Grab the Recipe here.

Cauliflower quinoa salad

Provided by Nicky Reimer of Union Dining

Whip up this Union Dining supplied summer salad recipe to keep it fresh this summer. Made up of a plethora of Mount Zero-sourced produce, including kabuli chickpeas and quinoa, there’s no family member or out-of-town friend this salad won’t please.

Grab the Recipe here.

Tivoli Road's spring freekeh salad

Provided by Michael James of Tivoli Road Bakery

Our final salad is courtesy of the Tivoli Road Bakery. Packed with eggplant, olives, cherry tomatoes, wholegrain Freekeh and baby spinach, it’s the perfect compliment to any summer barbecue and, with its low calorie count, can definitely be followed by half a three-tier strawberry Pavlova.