Just because it’s the middle of winter, doesn’t mean you can’t still cook with vegetables.
They might be a little heartier now, but that’s just fine for one local chef, who’s also the author of a new book on the subject. Steve Dolinsky joining us tonight with the story.
Sarah Grueneberg is a child of the Midwest, who grew up with traditional recipes. As Chef and Co-Owner of Monteverde in the West Loop, she focuses on regional Italian cooking, and that usually involves vegetables. Her new cookbook, “Listen to Your Vegetables,” takes a rather unique approach to utilizing them.
“I like to think about what the vegetable wants. So I put myself in the shoes of the carrots or the kale,” said Grueneberg.
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She tosses Dinosaur kale with grilled onions along with crunchy fruit and vegetables.
“Endive, the apple – I really try to cut thick and crunchy to give that really refreshing, juicy bite of apple with it," she said.
A charred onion tahini vinaigrette adds some sharpness.
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“So if you look at the kale leaf, it has these little ridges. What I love about that is that the dressing then kind of locks into the nooks and crannies of the kale,” she said.
Grueneberg seemingly always adds some crunch.
“The breadcrumb and the spiced seeds – and those spiced seeds are in the book – and that’s a great thing to make and just have in your pantry to add to any vegetable,” she said.
A crostino emerges from the oven, a popular dish that made it into the book.
“Because everyone says ‘give me the recipe, I want the recipe’,” she said. “It’s really about highlighting the artichokes with Fontina cheese, and then the sweetness of the sunchokes,” she said.
Think you know stuffed cabbage? There’s no meat or rice in this version.
“People taste it and they go, ‘there’s gotta be meat in here,’ and you say no, there’s not meat. This one is literally cabbage stuffed with cabbage,” said Grueneberg.
Enoki and trumpet mushrooms provide the earthiness – there’s also a fair amount of butter – but dried cherries and crunchy hazelnuts give it texture, which it needs since it’s served over a plush mound of creamy polenta.
“It’s really rich and soul-satisfying; it looks heavier than it is,” she said.
Lasagna gets a makeover. Four rolls – great for sharing – stuffed with sausage and carrots, sitting in thick sauce fortified with carrot juice.
“For the one pound of sausage, I use two pounds of carrots in the filling,” she said.
A blanket of mozzarella and asiago get melted and blistered beneath the broiler. Finished with roasted carrots and some extra crunch, as usual.
“Raisins and pistachios and a little chile. Everyone gets their own little perfect roll with crunchy bits and melted cheese. You’re not fighting for the edge of the lasagna anymore,” she said.
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