Monday, November 09, 2009

CHI Bite: Girl Sprouts


CHI Bite: Girl Sprouts
November 09, 2009 Trouble viewing this email? Read it online...
Ideal Bite - CHICAGO
LOCAL BITE - CHICAGO
WHIP IT UP: LASAGNA LEGUME
Girl Sprouts
If 10,000 Chicago Biters opt for a pound of local squash rather than stuff grown elsewhere, we'll save enough diesel fuel to fill two and a half kiddie pools.
What's better than a frozen Thin Mint? Not much, but this hits the seasonal spot: sweet, creamy squash and pepper lasagna with a ginger kick - recipe, courtesy of the chef at organic-haven Sprout. No resource-intensive meat, no pasta - and we didn't miss a thing. Scout's honor.
Lasagna Legume
Serves 6

Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)

  • 2 yellow squash (peeled, seeded, and diced)
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1/4 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 Tb honey
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 eggplant (thinly sliced)
  • 2 zucchini (thinly sliced)
  • 1 each: red, yellow, and orange pepper (julienne cut)
  • 1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (drain/press out excess liquid)

Directions:

Begin by creating a squash puree. Combine diced squash, white wine, vegetable stock, and half the garlic in a roasting dish. Roast 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Pour off and save excess liquid. Blend the remaining ingredients using a handheld mixer or food processor. Slowly add the excess liquid and continue mixing until it has reached a smooth consistency. Add the honey and ginger.

Next, heat a skillet over medium low and add the olive oil. Add the rest of the minced garlic and sauté until golden. Sauté the eggplant until lightly browned, and remove from pan. In the same pan, sauté the zucchini and peppers until just-cooked, and place on towels to absorb excess oil.

Begin by layering eggplant in a nonstick casserole dish. Next layer the vegetables. Then add a layer of the puree. Then add a layer of cheese. Repeat layers until you've used all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 34-40 minutes.

Wanna Try?
Sprout, 1417 W. Fullerton Ave. (773-348-0706). Lasagna Legume, $22.
Yellow squash, available at Nichols Farm at the Green City Market, 2430 N. Cannon Dr. Market prices vary.

Sprout - Map It
Green City Market Indoor Market - Map It

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In the comic strip's backstory, Garfield the cat was born in an Italian restaurant and rumored to have immediately eaten everything in sight, thus cultivating his famous love of lasagna.
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