Page 55 - Tropic Magazine Issue 10

Lifestyle
Food

this, I make sure I change our menus
seasonally to have the best and freshest
produce on the menu. This also keeps the
team on their toes and ensures they are
always being creative.
Are there any items of produce you were
surprised to discover is grown in FNQ?
After working in Margaret River in
Western Australia and seeing their little
food bowl, the Tablelands still surprises
me. To be able to get local cheeses and
chocolates (Gallo), limes and heirloom
tomatoes all within driving distance of
Cairns city is amazing. I think it’s very
underrated and unknown outside of ROAST RACK OF LAMB WITH WATERMELON & FETA SALAD
North Queensland.
INGREDIENTS METHOD
Do you have a favourite local product or
food item? Lamb • Preheat oven to 220°C. Score lamb
I don’t have a favourite per se, there’s so • 1 Lamb rack (Frenched with cap on) racks and rub with salt+pepper. Heat
much to choose from. FNQ Pineapples, • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped an oven proof pan over medium-high
mangoes and avocados have no • 1 stalk rosemary, roughly chopped heat and brown the lamb for 2-3
competition anywhere in Australia. And • ½ cup olive oil minutes, meat/cap side down first
anything from the reef is great. Until you • 2 limes, cut in half then turn and brown the other sides
leave FNQ you don’t realise what’s on our • Salt and pepper to taste for a further 2 minutes adding the
doorstep. We are blessed with great limes cut-side down.
produce and warm weather. Watermelon and feta Salad • In a food processor, blitz the garlic,
• Half a seedless watermelon peeled, rosemary and olive oil. Process until
More: novotelcairnsresort.com.au diced, chilled and drained the garlic is finely chopped but not a
• ¼ cup cold-pressed pumpkin seed puree. Rub the all over the rack.
oil • Remove limes from pan and place
• ½ cup green peas rack in the preheated oven for 12-14
• ¼ cup toasted pepita seeds minutes.
• Handful fresh mint leaves • Loosely wrap lamb rack and pan in
• ½ cup marinated feta cheese foil and rest for 5 minutes.
• 1 cup wild Rocket • While the lamb is resting, combine
• Two pieces of grilled lime from gently the watermelon, green peas,
lamb recipe mint leaves, parsley, wild rocket and
diced feta cheese in a large bowl.
• Transfer to serving bowl of your
choice and drizzle the pumpkin seed
oil and top with pepitas.
• Squeeze grilled lime over salad to
finish, serve with roast rack of lamb.