Seasonal Skills: Slicing into Sustainability
- camillemarraccini
- Sep 2, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 9, 2025
Vegetables and Knife Skills!
Green Food Lab
Riva San Vitale, Switzerland
Written By: Camille Marraccini
September 1st, 2025
This week, the SALUTE program students participated in our very first Green Food Lab! Over the next four months, we’ll complete several hands-on labs led by Elisa Lazzari, a local chef here in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. Elisa specializes in 100% plant-based cooking and brings a unique artistic flair to every dish. What exactly is a Green Food Lab? And what is plant-based cooking? According to Elisa, cooking with green whole foods allows us to rediscover our creativity in the kitchen. Cooking can help us rediscover our artistic side, many of us may have forgotten. In plant-based cooking, color, texture, flavor, and aroma must coexist to craft dishes that not only nourish the body but also inspire the mind and excite the senses!
In our first lab, we focused on understanding local fruits and vegetables, what grows in the region around Riva San Vitale, and how the changing seasons influence ingredient availability. Elisa emphasized that in Switzerland, ingredients typically travel much shorter distances than in the U.S. This means that seasonal awareness and local sourcing are key to building a sustainable and delicious menu.
After our seasonal discussion, we dove into preparing our menu. The first dish we created was a mushroom ragù, a rich, plant-based dish made entirely from whole foods. The star ingredient, of course, was mushrooms! I learned something surprising: never wash mushrooms with water. Instead, wipe them gently with a cloth to avoid a slimy texture, since mushrooms act like sponges, they absorb water and lose their integrity when rinsed. We finely diced carrots, celery, and onions for the base and sautéed them gently in a thin layer of olive oil. Once softened, we added the chopped mushrooms and watched as they released their natural juices. Finally, we poured in some tomato purée, seasoned everything with salt and pepper, and let it simmer gently on low heat while we prepared the next dishes.
Next, we made a basil pesto, but with a twist! Elisa used only a few fresh, simple ingredients: basil leaves, arugula, nuts, olive oil, and seasoning. There was no cheese, making this version completely vegan. It had a bold, fresh flavor that was both vibrant and earthy. As someone who loves making pesto at home, this was a refreshing take on a classic recipe.
We also created a cabbage slaw, which involved a new technique for me. We rolled the cabbage leaves and thinly sliced them chiffonade-style. Then, we heavily salted the shreds and massaged the salt into the cabbage, drawing out the excess moisture. This process not only tenderized the cabbage but also intensified its flavor and created a slightly pickled effect. To finish, we mixed the cabbage with plain yogurt and a small spoonful of mustard, which brought a creamy texture and a tangy depth of flavor to the final dish.
Finally, we prepared roasted potatoes, using a multi-step process to perfect both texture and flavor. First, we sliced them thinly, then boiled and blanched them to soften the interior while keeping their shape. After that, we pan-roasted them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary until they were golden and crispy on the edges. The result was a simple but beautifully aromatic side dish that complemented the rest of the plant-based menu.
This first Green Food Lab taught me so much more than recipes, it deepened my appreciation for seasonal, local produce and for the intentionality behind plant-based cooking. I learned valuable techniques like proper knife skills, how to treat mushrooms with care, how to balance simple ingredients to maximize flavor, and even how salt can transform texture. I’m so excited to continue these labs with Chef Elisa, and I can already tell this experience will shape how I cook for years to come. I’m looking forward to experimenting more, learning new dishes, and connecting culinary practice with sustainability and creativity!
Comments