A glass of Gallagher Duet pinot noir chardonnay brought a sparkle to long tables decorated with fennel bulbs and citrus fruits and a shot glass of chestnut and parsnip soup. Janet Jeffs explained the menu to us. Our entree was applewood smoked Aquna Murray cod from the Riverina. The sustainable freshwater farmed fish was served with braised fennel and tomato sugo.

My friend and I were seated opposite sixth-generation sheep grazier Vince Heffernan and his partner Colette Wilsher who had come from Dalton, NSW. Vince is well known in Canberra and a friend of two of my former Canberra Times editors. Six years ago we ate together at Canberra restaurants so it was time for me to taste his biodynamic lamb. The shoulder had been slow roasted by sous chef Matt Fely with Garlicious Grown black garlic and it was served on a bed of Ingelara Farm nicola potato mash.

As someone who never cooks lamb at home without sprigs of rosemary fresh from the garden, it was a bonus to have a rosemary jus surrounding the mouth-watering Moorlands main course. It was served with a Canberra district 2021 Lerida Estate Tempranillo and on the table as accompaniments were charred broccolini and an endive and orange salad.

The southern witlof and colourful radicchio were supplied by local Go Troppo and sourced from Victorian farms. It came with candied walnuts and a honey and citrus dressing. Magenta and white striped radicchios are one of winter's most handsome additions to a plate.

As well as being an executive chef, Janet Jeffs is also a grower. The three current highlights on her property near Braidwood are walnuts, apples and Dexter cattle. As kitchen gardeners we, too, are growers, harvesters and cooks. Have any readers grown radicchio? Do let me know and whether you had success, by email to: bodenparsons@bigpond.com.

Antonio Carluccio in Vegetables (2000) describes the radicchio as vermilion. He says it is a pity the variety most often seen outside Italy is a modern strain called radicchio di chioggia "which was an essential component of every fashionable salad until it was eclipsed by rocket". It can be stuffed or quartered and grilled. One of his favourite vegetables is radicchio di treviso which has long, pointed leaves and broad white ribs. In the Veneto it is braised, grilled, used in risottos and pastas.

Paula Wolfert in The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen (2003) says this simple, bittersweet vegetable (preferably treviso) should be served alongside a sweet wine cooked leg of lamb. Avoid any radicchio that is turning green (a sign of oxidation) and she suggests nibbling on a leaf - if it is too bitter, try soaking the heads in fresh, cold water for 10 minutes.

As is so often the case, Stephanie Alexander in The Cook's Companion (2004) offers a full-flavoured winter dish that she says "has made many people happy" and the recipe follows.

Following the Arboretum meal we all met pastry chef Astrid Law-Kwang who had made the almond pannacotta with fig-leaf oil produced from the fig tree leaves in her own garden and the lightest leaf-shaped amaretti tuile. Country Valley Milk dairy farmer John Fairley was seated at our table and he supplied the milk for the pannacotta. His family has been farming at Picton since 1854.

Ingredients

1 hearted radicchio

60g butter

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

100g creamy blue cheese, thinly sliced

Method

1. Line a baking dish with foil. Discard any damaged leaves from radicchio and cut it into quarters or eighths, keeping core intact. Wash radicchio well and drain in a colander then pat dry. Select a heavy based non-reactive frying pan that will hold radicchio very snugly, and melt butter over a moderate heat.

2. Add radicchio, grind on pepper, gently turn pieces in butter. After a few minutes radicchio will wilt and shrink and turn bronze. Sprinkle with vinegar, increase heat to high turn pieces in juices fro a minute. Place radicchio on a foil-lined dish and spoon over juices. Preheat oven to 220C, cover radicchio with cheese and bake for five minutes until bubbling.