Fountain Grains & Greens' Sauerkraut and Beet-Stem Salad
Chef-owner Aric Attebery highlights the freshest produce of the season at his East Hollywood restaurant Fountain Grains & Greens, which specializes in grain bowls and salads made with farmers market ingredients.
His bright, lightly tart sauerkraut captures one of his favorite ingredients: Cone cabbages grown locally in fields flourish in cold temperatures and yield a slightly sweet flavor. A standard green cabbage also would work for this recipe, but Attebery prefers cone cabbage.
“It has an excellent texture to it,” he says. “This particular cabbage is really hearty and has a great crunch, and it holds up really well to fermenting.”
To add more texture to his sauerkraut salad, he turned to another of his favorite ingredients, surplus beet stems. The stalks are meaty and fibrous, retaining their brine’s sweetness and adding a thicker crunch.
When combined, this salad is a crunchy, refreshing addition to the chef’s grilled-steak grain bowl, but it’s also a standout on its own.
Attebery stores the base sauerkraut in the fridge for up to one year, covered by plastic wrap that rests directly on the product (and not the rim of the container) to avoid oxygenation. Once combined into the salad with fresh herbs, store the finished dish in the fridge for up to one week.
To make the sauerkraut: Cut the cabbage in half and thinly slice using a knife. Weigh the sliced cabbage, then measure 3% of that weight in kosher salt.
Rub the salt into the sliced cabbage and let sit until much of the liquid has been released from the cabbage.
Pack the cabbage into a container. The liquid should just cover the cabbage. If not, add 3% salt water brine as needed. Press plastic wrap onto the surface and cover container. Let sit at room temperature for 4 to 7 days to ferment. It will continue to sour the longer it ferments. When finished, keep in the fridge.
To make the pickled beet stems: First remove the leaves from the stems; reserve the leaves for another use. Wash the stems, then thinly slice at an angle using a chef’s knife and place them in a heat-safe bowl or pan.
Combine the vinegar, sugar, water and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over the sliced beet stems. Let sit until cool.
To make the salad: Combine the sauerkraut, beet stems, shallot, herbs and olive oil in a bowl and mix. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper, then serve with fresh picked herbs on top. Add this salad to a grain bowl or leafy-greens salad, or enjoy on its own.
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