Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

Another Green World has quietly celebrated its second birthday. As you do on such occasions, I looked back and mentally took stock.

If only I listened to that annoying little voice in my head that tells me I'm wasting my time, or the other voice telling me I'm mad.

Yes it's true, many an ex-marketeers have ended up in institutions, or rehab, and I have come to realise just how life changing my selling at farmers markets the last two years has been.

The truly passionate survive, market regulars will note that some marketeers last for a season or two, then give up, as they find it too difficult.

Although dealing with the public isn't really my forte, it's quite essential for the grower or producer to be directly involved. Local company Basecamp produces a wide range of wild venison products and not only does owner Nick hunt, kill and butcher the venison – he is often at the markets selling it.

This commitment, coupled with more than 10 years selling at Tauranga Farmers Market, saw Basecamp pick up an award at the recent Taste Farmers Markets NZ Awards for its venison sausage. I tasted this recently, and after eating enough bad, supermarket garlic repeaters I can say that it's the best tasting venison sausage ever created.

An award winning sausage deserves to be paired with something delicious, so I have created a tasty red cabbage dish with root vegetable mash. The dish is loosely based on bubble and squeak, with a German sausage and sauerkraut influence.

Venison sausage, with red cabbage rotkohi and orange root vegetable mash
serves three

Ingredients:

500g Basecamp venison sausages

Half red cabbage, finely sliced

1 onion, finely sliced

40-50g butter

Pinch of cloves

3 Tbsp sea salt flakes

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp cinnamon

Mash:

1 small celeriac, peeled and diced

2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium orange kumara

Method:

In a large pot, melt most of the butter and cook off the onion. Add layers of cabbage and apple, seasoning each layer with sugar and salt.

Add cloves and top with water until it just floats – bring to boil and simmer for 35 minutes.

While cooking, put mash ingredients in a separate pot and boil for about 25 minutes. Turn off cabbage (most of the liquid should have evaporated), add cinnamon and vinegar and cover.

Cook the sausages for 12-15 minutes then rest.

Mash the root vegetables and add extra butter and season. Serve with sausage and red cabbage and apple – garnish cabbage with microgreens.