Vegetable Strudel with Vegetable Sauce

PAMELA GABRIEL ROTH, The Farm Restaurant, Port Austin

Vegetable Strudel

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup red pepper, sliced

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1 cup carrots, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 quart spinach, chopped

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1/2 cup Boursin cheese

1 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 cups couscous, cooked

Salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste

1 lb. package of phyllo pastry sheets

Melted butter, as needed

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F. In large sauté pan, heat olive oil and sauté carrots, celery, and red pepper until tender. Add green onion and spinach. Sauté until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat, and add dill. Stir in couscous and Boursin, feta and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne and place in refrigerator to cool.

Put a sheet of parchment paper on your work space. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on parchment and brush with butter. Lay another sheet on top of that, brush with butter, then fold in half horizontally and brush with butter again.

Place 1 ½ cups of filling along one of the shorter sides of the phyllo, leaving at least 2 inches between the filling and the edges of the pastry.

Roll the phyllo dough around the filling, then fold the sides over the filling all the way along the dough. Roll the strudel over itself into a log shape. Transfer carefully to a baking pan. Brush top with butter and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then serve over vegetable sauce.

Vegetable Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup leeks, diced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup red wine

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

3 cups vegetable stock

3 Tbsp arrowroot powder (to thicken)

Salt and cayenne, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add carrots, leeks, and onion over medium heat until the carrots begin to caramelize.

Add tomato paste and garlic. Cook until mixture begins to sweeten slightly.

Add red wine, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.

Add vegetable stock and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, make a slurry by whisking the arrowroot powder with a little water, and add slowly to the sauce to thicken as desired.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig. Season as desired.