Venison Loves Herbs

Although the weather seems a little confused, the summer months are here! June and July brings lots of seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs for you to use in your cooking. Herbs and spices are a favourite here at Holme Farmed Venison. From classic rosemary to cinnamon and coriander, our wild and parks venison stands up wonderfully to their full flavour. British herbs are really coming into their own at the moment and June is the perfect time to get hold of a slightly more unusual herb called Summer Savory. The small leaves have a sweet peppery flavour that is similar to thyme. Sound familiar? Savory is a common ingredient in salami, and one of the main ingredients in Herbs de Provence. Try using summer savory in a satisfying venison ragu, tossed through egg taglietelle. Or serve pan fried venison cutlets with these herby puy lentils - adapted from a recipe by food writer Steve Parle.   Serves Four  Ingredients 8 Holme Farmed Venison Cutlets For the lentils 200g of puy lentils 2 cloves of garlic 6-8 sprigs of summer savory 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard The juice of half a lemon 50ml of good olive oil 4 sprigs of dill 4 large springs of parsley 4 sprigs of mint 4 sprigs of marjoram   Instructions Put the puy lentils into a small saucepan with the garlic and summer savory. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook until just soft. Make a dressing with the mustard, lemon juice and olive oil. Chop the remaining herbs. Set aside. Pan fry the cutlets for 7 – 8 minutes and set aside to rest. Drain the cooked lentils, pour on the dressing and carefully toss through the chopped herbs. Take everything to the table and let everyone help themselves.