Monteverde’s Year of the Vegetable

This year, Monteverde chef-owner Sarah Grueneberg has been all about the veggies. Using her 2022 cookbook, Listen to Your Vegetables, as a launch pad, she creates a handful of new menu items each month that spotlight a different seasonal vegetable. In May, for example, diners could enjoy asparagus three ways: in fried spears; grilled and served with morel mushroom and Manchego fonduta; and with chicken in a ravioli. The approach lets you experience Grueneberg’s impeccable Italian cuisine — not to mention her passion for produce — in a whole new way. 1020 W. Madison St., West Loop

Grueneberg breaks down the menu for the rest of the year.

August: Tomatoes

“Tomatoes are a wonderland. I have a feeling this month will be really popular and that there will be more than three or four dishes with tomatoes.”

September: Corn

“We have great summer produce in Chicago through October. We chose corn for September because that’s some of the sweetest.”

October: Peppers

“We’re not talking just bell peppers; we’re talking serrano peppers, shishito peppers, Italian frying peppers — all of that yummy pepper flavor.”

November: Winter squash

“We debated doing squash in October, but for November it’s harvesty and perfect.”

December: Potatoes

“This is our ‘tuber-palooza’ month, where we’ll have potatoes and truffles everywhere. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holidays.”