Be inspired by the Yorke Peninsula with these pulse pies that celebrate the region's crops. Enjoy with a local glass of wine too.

Recipe Rosa Matto | Photographs Brendan Homan | Styling Natalie Homan

Yorke’s pulse pies
makes 6-8

On alkaline soils through the Yorke Peninsula, Lower North and Adelaide Plains, pulses are the main rotation crops, especially lentils, field peas and chickpeas. Not only valuable and nutritious plants, they also fix nitrogen in the soil.

Grape leaf and mixed pulse pies with yoghurt
100g preserved vine leaves or 24 fresh grape leaves
1 cup each red lentils, green split peas, chickpeas
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium carrot, grated
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp pine nuts
90g haloumi, grated
4 tbsp each mint, coriander, dill
zest 1 lemon, reserve the juice
preserved lemon peel, finely diced
smoked paprika
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
3 eggs, beaten
fresh pomegranate seeds
yoghurt
dill
salt and pepper
lemon wedges

Place lentils and chickpeas to soak separately in cold water overnight. Drain and rinse. Cook pulses and chickpeas separately until tender – the lentils and peas for about 20 minutes and the chickpeas for 1 hour. Drain and coarsely mash the chickpeas. Mix together with the pulses. Heat oil in fry pan. Cook onion, garlic until softened. Off the heat, add carrots, raisins, pine nuts, haloumi and herbs.  Add zest, preserved lemon, paprika, pomegranate molasses and eggs. Mix well. Add lentils and chickpeas to the vegetable mixture. Season well. Meanwhile, prepare vine leaves. If using bought ones, simply separate and rinse. Fresh grape leaves need to be blanched before using them, by plunging them into boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Preheat oven to 200C. Grease tart tins or muffin pans. Line with vine leaves. Divide filling among tins, fold vine leaves to cover filling. Brush tops with extra oil. Place on oven tray covered with foil. Bake pies for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for further 10 minutes

Kale in beer batter
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp finely grated pecorino
pinch chilli flakes
pepper
1 cup plain flour
300ml beer
24 leaves from a young kale
frying oil, such as sunflower oil

Combine all ingredients – except the kale – in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Dip a few kale leaves in the batter, shake off excess and deep fry in hot oil. Drain on paper towel.

Serve alongside the pies and a squeeze of lemon juice.

LOCAL FOODS: Lentils, split peas, chickpeas
WHERE TO BUY FOR CITY SLICKERS: Adelaide Central Market, Foodland
LOCAL WINE PAIRING: Barley Stacks Wines Shiraz

 

This article first appeared in the June 2023 issue of SALIFE magazine.