High season begins

The Grazer Häuptel: a delicious source of vitamins

Celebrity chef Johanna Maier is herself a fan of our green vitamin dispenser and gets incredible things out of it!(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Never before has the green, crunchy vitamin favorite of the Styrians been available in the first days of April - and now it's high season for the Grazer Krauthäuptel.

We will enjoy 15 million pieces, 100 vegetable growers will be able to deliver the fresh vitamin source quickly and easily - after facing a lot of weather-related challenges following the historic early start. "The lettuce crops had to be covered with warming fleece at night to protect them from the frost," says Markus Hillebrand, spokesman for the Krauthäuptel farmers. And then, of course, during the day . . .

Johanna Maier with Simone Schmiedtbauer (ÖVP), Maria Pein and chef Walter Hintner.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

This time the salad also has a highly prominent ambassador, who was officially "launched" by Maria Pein, Deputy Head of the Chamber of Agriculture, and Simone Schmiedtbauer (ÖVP) at today's presentation: Celebrity chef Johanna Maier. At the presentation in Graz, she demonstrated the incredible variety of delicacies that can be conjured up from the Krauthäuptel.

Aiola chef makes the most of the Krauthäuptel
She also presented the winner of the big recipe competition: Walter Hintner, chef at the well-known Aiola im Schloss restaurant in Graz. His secret recipe:

Recipe by Walter Hintner

Grazer Krauthäuptel marinated in summer with a strawberry and tomato vinaigrette on iced Krauthäuptel sheep's cheese cream, puffed Styrian chickpeas and seed oil caviar.

Ingredients for 4 portions:

• 160 g fresh strawberries
• 230 g ripe tomatoes
• some salt, chili, lemon pepper, 1 piece each of fresh lemon and fresh lime, some fresh herbs (basil, mint)
• 40 g white balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil
• 1 piece of Graz cabbage whole
• 1 piece of Styrian sheep's cheese
• 1 clove of garlic
• 80 g chickpeas
• a little rapeseed oil, a little seed oil caviar

Preparation:

• Strawberry and tomato vinaigrette: Cut the strawberries and tomatoes into cubes. Marinate with chili, salt, pepper, lemon and lime juice and zest. Add finely chopped basil and mint. Mix together with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and season to taste.
• Cream of feta cheese and cabbage tops: Remove the heart of the lettuce from the cabbage tops. (We will need this later for serving). Juice the remaining leaves and place on ice. Mix the cold juice with the feta cheese, a few drops of olive oil and the braised garlic clove. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a little lemon.
• Puffed chickpeas: Cook the soaked chickpeas until soft, then dry and puff in hot rapeseed oil. Season with umami salt.
• Serve: Place the cream cheese cream in a deep, shallow soup plate. Place the lettuce heart in the middle. Spread the vinaigrette generously over the salad. Sprinkle the puffed chickpeas and seed oil caviar on top.

Of course, just the thought of his Grazer Krauthäuptel marinated in summer with strawberry and tomato vinaigrette on iced Krauthäuptel and sheep's cheese cream, puffed Styrian chickpeas and seed oil caviar is enough to make you happy!

Grazer Krauthäuptel marinated with strawberry and tomato vinaigrette.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

But the Styrian's favorite vitamin source also tastes great as a sushi roll, even grilled and braised with grammel dumplings, which came up as another creative recipe idea. So get to work on this deliciously crunchy vitamin source!