As the lady of the Barossa Valley, Maggie Beer has long been enthralled by seasonal change. “Winter has so much dormancy that, when spring pokes through, it turns everything alive again,” she says. Sprouting in her bountiful garden are asparagus, globe artichokes, peas and fresh garlic, or, as she lyrically describes them, “things that sing spring”. For Beer, there is poetry, music and unmitigated pleasure in such lushness.

In the pantheon of food doyens, this self-taught, good-natured cook occupies an elevated place. And though she lives in a South Australian idyll, she is rarely idle. Beer has authored numerous books, hosted several television series and launched one of the most beloved gourmet brands in the country. This month will see her embark on a seven-month national tour for her latest tome, Maggie’s Recipe for Life (Simon & Schuster, RRP $39.99).

The book, with input from leading Alzheimer’s researcher Professor Ralph Martins, contains 200 recipes designed to mitigate lifestyle diseases. “It’s about the joy of good food, food that protects our brain,” she says. A similar nurturing thread runs through Beer’s foundation, which is dedicated to improving the fare available in aged care. Beer and her team conduct workshops and consult with cooks in the industry. “So many people in aged care love their oldies, as they call them, but they don’t often have special training.”

Beer and her husband, Colin, relocated to the Barossa from Sydney 44 years ago. “I always knew it was forever,” she says. “For all the travel I do, there is nowhere else I want to come back to.” Springtime delicacies such as broad beans, strawberries and Jerusalem artichokes, offer a few more reasons to stay. “I love dipping one artichoke leaf at a time into molten butter – it becomes something to be savoured,” admits Beer.