TL&CC Collective restaurant Appellation, Marananga, South Australia, is an advocate for cooking with seasonal produce. “I strongly believe that if an ingredient is sourced locally at its peak of perfection it should be treated with respect and served in a manner that represents its true nature,” says Executive Chef Daniel Murphy. “I keenly support our local farmers’ markets and particularly enjoy my interaction with growers, discussing what is in season and being able to highlight those ingredients in my cooking.”

Appellation has kindly shared a recipe with the TL&CC Collective that represents these values – and doesn’t it sound delicious?

Charred cauliflower, sweetcorn cream, ice plant and toasted walnut

Serves 4

Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower
• 30 ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 100 g unsalted butter
• sea salt

Sweetcorn cream

• 4 sweet corn cobs
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 10 ml brown rice vinegar
• sea salt

To finish

• 100 g ice plant
• 50 g chickpea leaf
• 100 g shaved toasted walnuts

For the cauliflower: Set up an open wood-fired grill. Slice the cauliflower into four even ‘steaks’. Melt the unsalted butter.

Rub the olive oil over the cauliflower pieces and sprinkle with cumin seeds and salt. Place over a medium heat on the grill, turn the cauliflower every few minutes or so while brushing the melted butter over it after each turn, until the desired colour is reached and it is fully cooked through.

For the sweetcorn cream: Slice the kernels off the cobs and run the corn kernels through a juicer to obtain the sweetcorn juice.

Place the corn juice in a small pot and bring to a boil while whisking continuously. The corn juice will thicken to a smooth purée after simmering for about three minutes.

Add the butter a little at a time and season with sea salt and a touch of vinegar.

To finish: Place the warm sweetcorn cream on the bottom of the plate and top with the roasted cauliflower. Garnish with ice plant and chickpea leaves and cover liberally with shaved walnut.

News: other things you need to know

• On the 21 March, La Sultana, Maroc, Morocco, will host its fifth Good France event. The annual four-course dinner celebrates the rich culinary traditions of France, and sustainable cuisine. Chef Said Mkhallef’s menu takes inspiration from France while using local Moroccan ingredients, and includes a starter, main, cheese and dessert. Discover more about the event here.
• Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland, Canada, has a bunch of reasons to celebrate this month. The popular inn was included in Elite Traveler’s Top 100 Hotels list, where it was lauded for its “spectacular ocean views north, south and east” and “top-notch” cuisine. It was also named one of the Top Ten Luxury Hotels in Canada in the 2019 Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice awards. View the Fogo Island Inn website to find out more about this TL&CC Collective member.
• New Orleans, Louisiana, USA restaurant Mosquito Supper Club has created a special dinner series to accompany Jazz Fest 2019. A five course Cajun meal for a maximum of twenty-four people is followed by a private musical performance. The all-female line-up of musicians was curated by Ellen C. Durand. For information and to book, see here.
• Liberté, Albany, Western Australia, has kicked off 2019 with a bang. The restaurant was named Gourmet Traveller Bar of the Year and received one hat at the 2019 Good Food Guide Awards. Chef-patron Amy Hamilton – who was named as a 2019 PorkStar Ambassador – is set to headline two major events: Tasting Australia with Philip Rachinger of Restaurant Muhltalhof, Austria, and the Santini X Starlight Charity Feasting Lunch, which featured nine of Perth's best chefs. Read more about Liberté here.