Makes 8 servings.
From the March 14, 1976, edition of The Denver Post’s Empire magazine; recipe by Laura Dirks.
Ingredients
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter
¼ cup fresh or frozen peas
1 pound fresh green beans
2 large fresh carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into eighths
2 medium fresh zucchini squash, unpeeled and thinly sliced
½ cup fresh or frozen small Brussels sprouts
½ cup fresh or frozen cauliflowerets
6 medium fresh cabbage leaves
2 cups very stiff mashed potatoes made with about 3 tablespoons milk (potatoes must be very stiff to hold the mixture together
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Let one stick of the butter soften slightly, then spread it as evenly as possible over the bottom and sides of a 7½-inch soufflé dish. Refrigerate dish while preparing vegetables. Parboil all of the fresh vegetables, except for the peas, just until barely tender but still firm. The peas will be used raw.
Beans: 10 minutes.
Carrots: 20 minutes.
Zucchini: about 2 minutes.
Brussels sprouts: 5 minutes.
Cauliflowerets: 4 minutes.
Dip cabbage leaves into boiling water just until they are pliable. Cut out stalk in V-shape in center of each leaf so it will lie flat. Thoroughly drain and cool to room temperature all of the cooked vegetables. Do not parboil the frozen vegetables; they will be used raw. Thaw and drain frozen vegetables. Trim cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, using only the most tender parts. Cut beans and carrot strips into about 3½-inch lengths, the depth of the soufflé dish.
Assemble: Let soufflé stand at room temperature until its butter lining softens slightly. As dish is being assembled, it is very important to pack tightly each layer or the finished product will not hold together. Sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper to taste as you go. When all ingredients are packed in dish, center will be slightly sunken. This will prevent the butter from running over the sides of the dish during baking.
Arrange one row of peas, sides touching, around edge of bottom of soufflé dish. Push peas firmly but gently into butter lining. Arrange about half of the zucchini slices in overlapping circles over entire bottom of dish.
Stand alternating strips of carrots and beans, sides touching, around edge of dish. Press them into butter against sides of dish. Trim tops of carrots and beans to be even with top of dish. Cover bottom and sides of dish as evenly as possible with about half of the mashed potatoes. Press potato layer firmly against zucchini bottom and carrot-bean sides. Cover potatoes with 3 cabbage leaves. overlap cabbage leaves slightly, and let them curve up on sides of dish.
Make an outer circle around edge of dish with Brussels sprouts on cabbage leaves. Fill center of Brussels sprouts circle with cauliflowerets. Cover with a layer of the remaining zucchini slices.
Melt remaining half-stick butter and pour over vegetables in the cabbage leaves. Arrange remaining 3 cabbage leaves on top. Press remaining potatoes in a layer as evenly as possible on cabbage.
Bake, uncovered, in oven preheated to 350 degrees, for 25 minutes. Invert dish on serving plate by placing the plate on top of the soufflé dish. Firmly holding plate and dish together, turn them over so the the serving plate sits on counter with soufflé dish sitting upside down on top of it. Ease soufflé dish up and off of vegetables. Let stand 5 minutes or longer before cutting. To serve, use a very sharp knife, and cut into wedges between beans and carrots.
