During the month of October, Willow Creek Olive Estate will be celebrating plant-based eating and everyone is welcome to join. While you may not be ready to embrace a fully vegan lifestyle yet, adding more plant-based dishes to your repertoire is a great way to get started. Willow Creek shares one of their favourite recipes, courtesy of chef Mynhardt Joubert, which champions the humble cauliflower.

Defining Extra Virgin Olive Oil

When it comes to olive oil, the term ‘extra virgin’ refers to oil that’s yielded from the first pressing of whole olives. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is cold-pressed oil with no additional heat or chemical treatment applied. For this reason, EVOO is considered an unrefined oil, and is ideal for plant-based and vegan lifestyles. 

Willow Creek Mission Single Cultivar Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For this particular recipe, Willow Creek Olive Estate’s Mission Single Cultivar Extra Virgin Olive Oil was used, as it pairs exceptionally well with spring vegetables. The Mission olive cultivar originates in the USA and produces the best quality oil when the olives are picked while half-ripe. The resultant extra virgin olive oil can be described as delicate and subtle with lingering fruity aromas.

Feel free to generously drizzle it over summer salads or spring vegetables – it can even be used to make homemade dips like this hummus.

EVOO is considered an unrefined oil, and is of course, vegan-friendly.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Nutmeg & Salsa Verde

Willow Creek Olive Estate embraces taking humble ingredients and elevating them to star status, and cauliflower is the perfect ingredient to do just that. This recipe reinterprets the concept of traditional ‘steaks’, making cauliflower the hero of the dish.

Willow Creek Olive Estate’s Mission Single Cultivar Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a wonderful nutty flavour that pairs beautifully with the flavours of this dish. The cauliflower is brought to life as soon as it hits the pan or grill. It can be served as a main course or side dish, and can also easily be prepared on an open fire.

Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 25 minutes | Easy to prepare | Oven: 180ºC to reheat

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons of Willow Creek Mission Single Cultivar Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Whole nutmeg

For the Salsa Verde

• 1 handful of each: mint, parsley, fennel, origanum and chives, chopped
• 1/2 cup of chopped almonds
• Good quality vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of Willow Creek Mission Single Cultivar Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garnish (optional)

• Capers
• White anchovies (omit for a vegan-friendly recipe)
• Parmesan cheese (replace with nutritional yeast for a vegan-friendly recipe)
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Slice the cauliflower and brush with the olive oil.
2. Pan fry over medium heat until golden brown and grate nutmeg over the cauliflower steaks on each side while frying. Set aside to rest.
3. Mix the chopped herbs, nuts, vinegar and oil together.
4. Place the cauliflower on a platter, spoon over the salsa verde and garnish with capers, white anchovies, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

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