Our August Flavours Of The Month

By Ben Stephens.

Is it really August? According to the calendar it most certainly is. And as with every month, we get a stack of new additions at Gowings Bar & Grill… the kind of things foodie’s dream about. Georgie Neal, our resident forager is on a mission to bring the finest artisanal produce to the kitchen.

This month we are getting stoked on some inner Sydney buffalo mozzarella, macadamia nuts from the foothills of Lamington National Park in Queensland and Hawkesbury River globe artichokes and rhubarb. Mix this new found glory with the culinary samurais in Gowings Bar & Grill and you get some outstanding dishes to help you deal with that August chill.

A photo posted by Vannella Cheese Australia (@vannellacheese) on Jul 16, 2015 at 10:21pm PDT

When you think of Marrickville, what do you think of? Personally, ideas of a wonderfully social community with light dustings of hipsterism spring to my mind and it makes me feel a little warm and fuzzy inside. When Georgie dropped the bomb that we are now sourcing some mad fresh Buffalo Mozzarella from the Inner West, I began to think that maybe I missed the water buffalo farm in Marrickville. Produced by the Minoia Family at Vannella Cheese, this buff-moz starts it life in Queensland where water buffalo are milked by a chap that goes by the name of Mitch Humphries. He then freights the stuff down to the Minoia Family Factory for processing. The Vannella brand also throw their hand into the cow milk cheese market, producing a whole range of different cheeses.

Throughout August you’ll be able to taste this little local in the Ox/Beef Chicago Meat Packers (Seared Escalopes, Topped with Buffalo Mozzarella, Smooth Tomato Sauce, Ligurian Olives, Marjoram, Capers), a dish that’ll make you thank your lucky stars you’re not a vegan. Trust me, try it.

Many years ago, Robyn and Paul Lee needed a little change from their mining lives, something a little hands-on and very rewarding. In this search, they found some land in the Scenic Rim area of Southern Queensland and grew 500 macadamia trees. I know you’re thinking, ‘that’s nuts’ and you’re correct, it is nuts… macadamia nuts. Today their farm produces up to seven tonnes per year of the stuff.

To show off these beauties, we’ve popped them in The 1990’s Composed Beetroot Textures and Flavours (Salt Baked Beetroot & Tartare, Goats Curd, Ashed Goats Cheese, Macadamia, Rhubarb & Beet Juice, Oat Cookie Crumble), a throwback to an old friend, the salad.

Those globe artichokes I spoke of before don’t have to travel too far to get the kitchen. Hailing from the Hawkesbury River region, just north of Sydney, these bulbous favourites come with 35 years of Vella family farming know-how. To really get the full appreciation for this gorgeous vegetable, our chefs have stuffed the bulbs with goats cheese and pecorino and topped them with a smooth vodka tomato sauce… yep, vodka tomato sauce.

A photo posted by Allison Giguere (@thecreakingdoor) on Jul 10, 2016 at 11:06am PDT

Coming from the same region as the artichokes, the rhubarb that we have in the kitchen is from our good friend Mr Greg Xerri up in the Hawkesbury. The quality of the rhubarb has to tasted to be believed, it’s just so damn fresh. Now to get some in your mouth, the Gowings’ gastronomical wizards are using it in the 1990’s Composed salad, but they have also created after-dinner white chocolate balls with rhubarb and strawberries – a sweet way to finish off that dinner.