This is one of my favourite salad dishes coming into spring. I would pair this dish with a chilled glass of Hunter Valley semillon. There are quite a few different varieties of ocean trout you can source from the fish markets or supermarket, but if you like you can smoke the trout yourself.

1kg wood-smoked ocean trout

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 butternut pumpkin

1/2 bunch thyme

200 grams goats cheese

500 grams English baby spinach

1/2 cup currants

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

20ml lemon juice

30ml red wine vinegar

70ml extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

1. Mix currants, lemon juice, chopped parsley, red wine vinegar and olive oil in a bowl and set aside.

2. Dice pumpkin into cubes and place on a baking-paper-lined baking tray, season with salt, pepper, chopped fresh thyme and drizzle with olive oil then roast until soft.

3. Cook quinoa as per instructions on pack as it differs to which brand you buy.

4. In a large mixing bowl mix quinoa, pumpkin, goats cheese, spinach, currants and the dressing, then season to taste.

On a platter put a good smear of beetroot relish then add the salad on top and break up the trout and place on top of the salad.

2kg beetroot

250 grams brown sugar

150ml balsamic

100ml olive oil

3 diced eschallots

30 grams peeled garlic

1/2 bunch thyme

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1. Place beetroot in pot, cover with water and boil. Once it’s cooked through strain, let cool and then peel and dice into rough chunks.

2. Add into a roasting tray; diced beetroot, brown sugar, balsamic, olive oil, eschallots, garlic, thyme, sea salt and pepper.

3. Cover the baking tray with baking paper and foil then bake in the oven on 180 degrees for 30 minutes.  Take out and let cool then blend to a smooth puree.

Bringing together the very best of Pokolbin’s food, wine and produce, the inaugural End 2 End Festival on September 15, 2018, is spread over four venues. More than 20 wineries are involved and hop-on, hop-off shuttle buses will run all day.

McLeish Estate is one of the hubs and is hosting a Semillon 2 Seafood experience. A highlight of the day will be four free masterclasses hosted by celebrity chef Fast Ed, widely known for his role on Better Homes & Gardens.

There will be platters available to purchase from the Hunter Valley Cheese Company; Olio Mio and Moorebank condiments tastings and stalls; live music by local duo Phonic; Hunter Valley Aqua Golf; a petting farm for the kids; and Slattery Helicopters will run scenic flights over Pokolbin.

Chef Matt Dillow (pictured) will prepare a gourmet lunch perfectly matched to the incredible wines on offer, including slow-roasted beef cheeks on soft polenta with gremolata; lemon curd tart with Italian meringue and raspberry coulis; and chocolate Muscat and almond cake with raspberry coulis and vanilla mascarpone.

Weekender has a double pass to attend this year’s End 2 End Festival to give away; a double pass to attend one of the four masterclasses at the McLeish Estate hub; and one vertical tasting pack of the Single Vineyard Chardonnay from Elbourne Wines (try four vintages from 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016).

To enter, send the words “End2End” to weekenderfreebies@theherald.com.au or text “End2End” to 0427 369 610, including your name, address and phone number. Entries close at 9am on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.