Petaluma Argus-Courier FEBRUARY 1, 2018 ■ SECTION D

Food & Drink

Market to Kitchen
Juli Lederhaus ■ A TASTE OF ITALY ■

Old world Italian food

Volpi’s in Petaluma is like stepping into your grandmother’s kitchen
JULI LEDERHAUS / FOR THE ARGUS-COURIER

Kohlrabi at the Petaluma

farmers market.

Kohlrabi a
down-to-
earth winter
vegetable
O
ne of my favorite winter
vegetables, kohlrabi is
in the definitely differ-
ent category when it comes to
looks. I have heard people say
it looks like something from
outer space, and I guess that is
at least a little bit true.
Kohlrabi comes in purple
and pale green, but once you
peel it, it’s the palest shade of
green inside, really more white
than green. The leaves are also
edible, so look for ones that are
fresh and not wilted. The bulbs
should be no more than about
three inches in diameter, be-
cause larger ones can be woody.
The simplest way that I like PHOTOS BY KENT PORTER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT, 2012
to eat it is to peel it, slice it into Volpi’s Ristorante and Historical Bar in Petaluma is a favorite lunch and dinner spot.
rather thick slices, drizzle it
with some extra virgin olive oil
and sprinkle it with some salt By JULI LEDERHAUS meatballs. The lasagna will be heavy with tomato and garlic broth. Shared among
and freshly ground pepper. Eat FOR THE ARGUS-COURIER cheese. There will be fresh clams. The our party of six, they were all tasty and

as a side dish or snack this way.
This is a great place to use one
of those fancy finishing salts
that you might have received as
a holiday gift.
Another of
my favorite
preparations is
to make a quick
vegetarian pas-
ta dish with it.
Sizzle some gar-
lic in olive oil,
add the peeled
Juli and cubed kohl-
Lederhaus rabi, and the
cleaned and cut
into ribbons kohlrabi greens,
and a splash of white wine
(I always use dry vermouth),
and then cover the vegetables
with a liberal amount of water,
a sprinkle of salt and freshly
ground pepper.
Bring to a simmer, and cook
until the vegetables are just
tender. Meanwhile cook a
pasta with some heft to it, such
as half-rigatoni, or penne, or
corkscrews, in plenty of boiling
salted water. When the pasta is
done, drain and return to the
pot, add the cooked kohlrabi
and stir well to combine. Taste
for seasoning, adding more salt
and pepper as needed. Finish
with a drizzle of extra virgin
olive oil and a heavy sprinkling
of grated Pecorino Romano or
Reggiano Parmesan cheese.
Kohlrabi can also be shred-
ded and made into a nice slaw,
made into fritters, chips, soup,
or roasted, so it is very versa-
tile. The bulbs keep for weeks in
the refrigerator, so this is some-
thing great to have on hand.
T
here is something comforting
about the feeling of a historic
Italian restaurant. When you walk
through the swinging screen doors, and
your feet touch the old-style wood floors,
the smell of Italian food cooking and
the laughter from the backroom bar all
contribute to that old country sense of
well-being.
That backroom bar, by the way, was
a historic speakeasy, and shouldn’t be
missed for a drink before or after your
meal. If you are lucky, John Volpi will
serenade you on the accordion. The ceil-
ing and walls are covered with conversa-
tion starters, so it’s easy to have conver-
sation with the regulars.
There is nothing cutting edge or mod-
ern about Volpi’s. You are going to find
bread will come automatically, and yes,
the butter will be in little foil wrappers.
There is house-made minestrone. It is all
part of the experience.
At Volpi’s all the entrées can be or-
dered family-style, or you can order a la
carte. Family style includes house-made
minestrone soup and a garden salad with
dressings made right there, the pasta of
the day, an entrée, and your vegetable
and side dish, plus coffee and ice cream.
On our recent visit, we ordered one meal
family-style to see just what that felt like.
For appetizers we tried the deep-fried
calamari ($12.95) which was served with
house-made cocktail and tartar sauces,
the gnocchi with Bolognese sauce ($7.95),
and the steamed clams ($14.95), a full
pound of tiny Manila clams with butter,
disappeared quite quickly despite the
large portions. The clams would make a
lovely meal all by themselves, with great
broth to be sopped up by the sourdough
bread.
From the daily specials menu we
ordered the braised lamb shank ($21.95
a la carte), deliciously tender and huge,
it was served with creamy polenta and
fresh green beans. Another special, John
Volpi’s tripe and polenta ($27.90 fami-
ly-style) was also delicious, and enough
for two meals.
The minestrone, salad and pasta of the
day that came with the family-style din-
ner were all lovely, and I could seriously
have made a meal out of just that. The
See Volpis, D3
VOLPI’S
Address: 124 E. Washington St.
Phone: 765-0695
A waitress works the dining
room at Volpi’s Ristorante and
Historical Bar in Petaluma. The
restaurant gets its charm by
staying true to its roots and
by its no frills comfort food.
If you’re lucky, you may be
serenaded by John Volpi on the
accordion.

Romanesco broccoli
Since we are on the subject
of vegetables that look like they
might be from another planet,
it seems an appropriate time

Pair sauvignon blanc with bratwurst

to talk about Romanesco. This
bright chartreuse green vegeta-
ble looks like a miniature Christ-
mas tree. It is such a delight to
look at that sometimes I would
rather do that than cook it. This citrusy white from the Russian River
Of course, eat it we must, so
here are some ideas. When you
Valley goes with salmon, curry or brats
buy it, choose ones that still
have their leaves, a sign that By MICHELE ANNA JORDAN
they are fresh, since when the FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

leaves get wilted, they are some-
times trimmed off. The head
should be heavy for its size, and
look fresh and spritely.
Cutting the heads into florets
and then blanching them with
a finish shock in ice water is
highly recommended. Then you
can just finish them in some
butter or olive oil and eat them
quite simply. They go nicely in
a cold noodle dish, in soups, or
dressed with lemon juice, olive
oil and a touch of garlic.
Romanesco is also great
M
erry Edwards 2016 Sonoma County Russian
River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($36) is truly
spectacular. Edwards is a masterful wine-
maker, best known for pinot noir but her expertise
shines through in every sip of this gorgeous quaffer.
Her theme song should be “(You’ve Got the) Magic
Touch” by a 1950s doo-wop group, The Platters.
The aromas evoke a grassy meadow warmed by
the morning sun. On the palate, there’s an initial
flood of citrus delight, especially Meyer lemon, ruby
grapefruit and tangerine. Mid-palate is rich and
lush, followed by a vibrant finish suggestive of con-
crete damp after a spring shower. Nestled among all
these flavors is a whisper of sweet apple. There’s an
enticing suggestion of a sea mist, too,

See Market, D2 See Wine, D3 Bratwurst is a good meat to pair with Merry Edwards’ sauvignon blanc.