Wine Dining: Level Up Your Pinot with This Recipe for Miso-Roasted Fennel
- Words by Peppermint
After a long day, many of us enjoy a glass of vino. But in a world with so many choices, which drop do you drink? Is food pairing a thing you should care about? How can you impress your mates with the lingo without looking like a right Michael Scott? We’d advocate for drinking responsibly – not only in terms of consumption but also in credentials.
Founded in 1849 and based in the beautiful Barossa Valley, Yalumba is a family-run business that has worked with the land for over a century. Allowing Mother Nature to guide its processes and championing vineyard biodiversity, a trademark ‘less is more’ approach has solidified the brand as a pioneer in low-intervention winemaking. But, with grape power comes grape responsibility, and last year the team solidified its commitment to betterment with the launch of Yalumba GEN – a collection of 100% Certified Organic by the ACO, sustainably made vegan wines.
above KATIE WHITE OF OLIVE WOOD VEGAN
Like chips and dip or avocado and toast, every hero needs an equally delicious partner. And because good food and great wine is pretty much a no-brainer, in partnership with our friends at Yalumba, we asked vegan chef and champion of seasonal, plant-based cooking Katie White to write us a recipe that’ll pair perfectly with Yalumba’s GEN Organic Pinot Grigio – available at independent bottle stores across the country.
WANT MORE FOOD CONTENT? RIGHT THIS WAY!
Miso-Roasted Fennel on White Bean Puree
recipe and photos KATIE WHITE
Serves 4 (accompanied by fresh bread)
INGREDIENTS
2 very large fennel bulbs
Marinade
4 tablespoons white miso paste
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
White Bean Puree
1 whole garlic bulb
Olive oil
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
2 tins cannellini or butter beans (drained)
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of a lemon
Salad
1 orange
4 cups salad greens
Thinly sliced red onion
Fennel fronds
½ cup toasted walnuts (optional)
Dressing
½ cup olive oil
½ cup orange juice (preferably fresh)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons seeded mustard
METHOD
Make the confit garlic by putting your unpeeled garlic bulb and rosemary into a small ramekin preferably with a lid. Cover with olive oil and lid then roast for 35 minutes at 180 degrees.
Meanwhile, slice the fennel into 1cm circular slices (keep the fronds for garnish).
Whisk marinade ingredients together.
Paint both sides of the fennel with the marinade and lay on a lined baking tray.
Roast for 25 minutes at 180 degrees.
Next, make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together and set aside.
Make the dip by putting the beans, salt and lemon juice into a food processor.
Remove the garlic from the oil and squeeze out the flesh into the food processor along with the rosemary leaves.
Process while adding ½ cup of the garlic oil until smooth. Keep any excess oil in a sealed jar for garnish and/or future use.
Assemble by creating a layer of dip onto your plates, followed by an even distribution of the salad ingredients and fennel bulb pieces. Top with a drizzle of the dressing and decorate with reserved fennel fronds and a pinch of lavender petals (optional).
THIS ARTICLE WAS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR FRIENDS AT YALUMBA AND THEIR COLLECTION, YALUMBA GEN! COMMITTED TO BETTERMENT WITH A FIERCE DETERMINATION FOR THE FUTURE, THE FAMILY-OWNED WINERY BOASTS MORE THAN 173 YEARS OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE AND IS COMMITTED TO ALLOWING NATURE TO WORK ITS MAGIC WITH MINIMAL INTERVENTION. SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
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8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
