Chef Michael Kloeti grew up in Switzerland with a garden in his backyard and earned five cents for every egg he collected (unbroken) from the family’s hens. That sensibility lured Kloeti and his wife, Laura, from the fast track of Manhattan to the Green Mountains in 2002. Now in Stowe, Michael can have his hands on the cooking line and in the soil.

“We chose Vermont for the quality of life and to build a restaurant where we could develop relationships with area farmers and producers,” says Laura. The Kloetis are both classically trained chefs who specialize in European comfort food, created from unpro- cessed and sustainable ingredients. At the restaurant, Michael oversees the kitchen while Laura manages front of the house.

“In Vermont, we are keenly aware of what’s around us and how to use it judiciously,” Laura explains. “We forage ramps and other ingredients every spring with our sta and preserve them to use all year.”

The Kloetis have nurtured a talented and loyal staff and run the restaurant with a true team approach. “We brainstorm the menus as a group, which generates a fusion of ideas, and that keeps sta excited and invested in what they do.” The Kloetis also established the Idletyme Brewing Company in Stowe in 2015.

MichaelsontheHill.com 

Serves 4

For the polenta:

1⁄4 pound onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups whole milk

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup cornmeal

1⁄4 cup chopped mixed herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley)

2 tablespoons butter

4 ounces Vermont Creamery chèvre

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a thick-bottomed saucepot, sauté onions and garlic in the butter until translucent. Add the milk and stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Whisk in the cornmeal and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring con- stantly. Add the herbs, butter, chèvre, stir and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

For the ramp gremolata:

2 ounces ramp leaves, washed

1 lemon, zest only

2 anchovy llets

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Put all ingredients into a food proces- sor and blend until incorporated. If you prefer, you may incorporate the ingredients by using a mortar and pestle.

For wilted baby greens:

4 ounces local bacon, diced

1 apple, preferably local and tart, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic

1 pound mixed baby greens (we use Pete’s Braising Mix of baby Swiss chard, golden and red beet tops, baby kale and collard greens)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 ounce local beer (we use our own Idletyme Helles Lager)

Brown bacon and drain most of the excess fat, reserving approximately 1 tablespoon behind in the pan. Add apples and garlic and sauté for 3 min- utes. Add the greens, salt and pep- per, and deglaze with a splash of beer. Cook for approximately 5 minutes.

For the pork:

4 bone-in Vermont pork chops (we use Snug Valley Farm)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons peeled and chopped shallots

1 teaspoon peeled and chopped garlic

2 tablespoons smoked maple syrup (we use Runamok Smoked Maple)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup demiglace

2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs (use what you like such as thyme, parsley, rosemary)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°. Season pork chops evenly with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan, heat vegetable oil until smoking, then sear the chops over high heat, 2 minutes on each side, then place on a separate pan and roast in the oven for 6 minutes or until me- dium. Remove from oven and reserve.

Pour off excess fat from the pan and re- turn pan to the heat. Add the olive oil, shallots and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, being careful not to burn them. Add the maple syrup, mustard, demi- glace and herbs to the pan, stir together, cooking the mixture until it thickens and reaches a sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Return the pork chops back to the pan, basting with the sauce to give them a nice glaze.

To serve, arrange the braised greens on each plate with the polenta on top, then place the chops on the polenta, drizzling the gremolata over the pork.