Grilled Sausages with Chowchow + Tomato Watermelon Salad

In a small pot, bring 4 Tablespoons of vinegar, 1 Tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar to a boil. Stir it to make sure the salt and sugar dissolve. As soon as it has, turn off the heat. Stir in the ¼ teaspoon turmeric and ½ teaspoon dijon.

Meanwhile, cut the cabbage in half then quarters and remove the core from the center. Slice each quarter into very fine ribbons, as thin as you can go. Then, cut them in half so they’re shorter in length. Place cabbage in a large bowl.

Grate the carrot on a box grater and add to the cabbage.
Finely mince the shallot and add it. If you’re worried about raw onion flavor, you can add it instead to the hot vinegar which will cook off the rawness of the shallot.
Shuck the corn and slice off the kernels.

Toss the cabbage and veggies to combine. Then pour the hot vinegar over top. Add 3 Tablespoons olive oil and toss to combine. Press on the cabbage to pack it into the bowl with the hot vinegar. Place a heavy pot (like you’d cook pasta in perhaps, or whatever fits into the bowl) on top of the cabbage to put a little pressure on it. Let this sit for 15 minutes and up to overnight.

If using a BBQ grill light it! Otherwise, get a large grill pan and set it over medium high heat. Grill the sausages until they’re hot throughout and blistered to your liking. If using a pan, you might want to add a bit of butter or a drizzle of oil to get the cooking started, but depending on the sausage and you preference, you may not need to.

Meanwhile, make the watermelon salad. Dice a small “personal” watermelon (as they’re calling them now), into small cubes about the size of a cherry tomato. Place in a bowl

Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the watermelon.

Tear or slice up the basil leaves. Add them.

Add the remaining Tablespoon of cider vinegar. Drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a true pinch of salt (just use your forefinger and thumb and grab a few flakes. You can always add more but don’t want to make the salad salty. A tiny amount just heightens and balances the flavors).

Gently toss the salad to combine.

If desired, toast the buns. Place a sausage in each and generously heap with chowchow - either warm, or cold if you’ve made it in advance. Serve with the watermelon salad on the side.