It may not feel like it, but winter is almost here and soon enough it will be time for your favourite cold-weather dishes. The Staff Café recently debuted a new menu in preparation for the season that continues the café’s focus on fresh seasonal produce and ingredients.

New items include house cured salmon, crunchy butternut pumpkin and sage arancini balls, and chicken breast stuffed with scallop mousseline and served with a cauliflower puree and sautéed curly kale. Vegetarian and vegan meals, as well as new gluten-free options, are also available.

The Staff Café is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3pm and offers morning and afternoon tea packages and after-hours event options.

To help hold you over until your next visit, try making this popular dish from the café at home.

Pot roasted garlic and beef stew
Serves 8
Prep time: 20 minutes, Cooking time: 1½ hours

Ingredients:

• 12 Garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 Carrots
• 2 Parsnips
• 4 Chat potatoes
• 1.2kg of stewing beef cubes
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 brown onion diced
• ½ bunch fresh thyme chopped
• ½ bunch fresh Sage chopped
• 4 cups beef stock
• 1 cup red wine
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ¼ cup fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. In small saucepan, cover and fry garlic with oil over low heat, shaking pan occasionally, until softened and golden, about 10-15 minutes. Remove garlic to large plate. Drain and reserve oil.
2. Meanwhile, peel carrots, parsnips and potatoes; cut into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.
3. Season beef with half each of the salt and pepper. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of the reserved oil over medium-high heat; brown beef, in batches. Transfer to plate. Drain any fat from pan.
4. Add remaining reserved oil to saucepan; fry onion, 1 tsp each of the thyme and sage and remaining salt and pepper over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 5 minutes.
5. Add stock, wine and tomato paste; bring to boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Return beef and any juices to pan along with garlic. Add chopped vegetables; reduce heat, cover and simmer until beef and vegetables are tender, about 1½ hours. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate, uncovered, in airtight container until cold; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)
6. Add peas and remaining thyme and sage; heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.