Recipe: Gvetch - A Romanian Bouquet of Seasonal Vegetables

GVETCH - A ROMANIAN BOUQUET OF SEASONAL VEGETABLES
Source: the American Institute for Cancer Research
By: Dana Jacobi

This is the time of year my grandmother would made her Gvetch (guh-VETCH), a vegetable stew that seemed to include every flavor in the garden. Eventually, I discovered that this dish, which she made for my Romanian grandfather, was that country's national dish, made her particular way.

Romanian cooking melds influences from bordering Hungary and 500 years of Turkish occupation. Gvetch gets its name from a Turkish clay pot, or g ve , typically used for making this baked stew. In Romania, it usually contains veal or other meat, but our family's recipe is meatless. This version also happens to be fat-free.

Every cook has a personal way with even the most widely made dishes, and it is said every Romanian household has its version of Gvetch. It's always made with a wide variety of vegetables - at least nine and often fourteen.

Of course, there is no such thing as a small pot of Gvetch. Heaven knows, I have tried paring down the recipe. But anytime I leave out one of the 14 vegetables my grandmother used, it does not taste right. Fortunately, all the vegetables called for are used in their entirety, except for the cabbage, cauliflower and eggplant. With the leftovers of those, you can make cole slaw with the first, soup with the second, and slice and grill the eggplant.

Preparing a Gvetch requires literally nothing more than chopping vegetables and putting the pot into the oven. As with most stews, this one improves every time it is reheated.

ROMANIAN GVETCH

1/2 Spanish onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 medium white-skinned boiling potato, peeled and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, halved and cut in 1-inch pieces
1/4 medium head green cabbage, diced
3 oz. white mushrooms, halved or quartered if 2 inches or larger
1 bay leaf
2 medium carrot, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 medium celery rib, cut in 1-inch slices
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium cauliflower, in 12-13 large florets
1/2 small, unpeeled eggplant, diced
1 1/4 cups shelled fresh lima beans, or frozen limas (not baby limas)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
4 oz. whole green beans, trimmed
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 cup tomato juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large Dutch oven, layer vegetables and seasonings in the following order: onion, garlic, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, bay leaf, carrots, celery, green pepper, cauliflower, eggplant, lima beans, parsley and string beans. Arrange tomatoes on top. Pour in tomato juice.

Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender but still hold their shape, about 30 minutes.

Uncover and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Or, cool completely and refrigerate. Reheat the Gevetch before serving. This dish improves with sitting.

Makes 12 servings, each containing 83 calories and less than 1 gram of fat