With seven restaurants, seven cookbooks and more than 30 years of dedication to sustainable agriculture cuisine it seems Chef Jesse Ziff Cool has it all.  But fortunately for us she's unleashed her creative side once again with her latest restaurant JZ Cool Eatery and Wine Bar (Menlo Park, CA).  JZ Cool Eatery offers Chef Cool's wonderful cuisine that, as with all of her food, is inspired by local and seasonally available ingredients.  Today, Chef Cool shares with us one of her favorite foods - and surprisingly it's meatloaf!  As Chef Cool says "It is always interesting to have someone ask what is my favorite food? They expect an answer that is something exotic or complex.  The truth is that along with most professional cooks, we gravitate towards simple foods. Amongst my favorites is a really good meatloaf, made from pasture raised beef, lamb, pork or even the dark meat of chicken or turkey."  In her "Upside down meat loaf with seasonal vegetables", Chef Cool combines the meat loaf with seasonal vegetables to create a complete all-in-one meal that Chef Cool says is "a creative way to make a meat loaf without having to turn on your oven. The green beans are steamed on top of the meat loaf during the last few minutes of cooking.  When the meat loaf is inverted onto the platter, the potatoes form a nicely browned crust".  Simple, creative and fabulous…thanks Chef Cool.

Upside Down Meat Loaf with Seasonal Vegetables

By Chef Jesse Ziff Cool, JZ Cool Eatery and Wine Bar, Flea St. Café, Cool Café

This is a creative way to make a meat loaf without having to turn on your oven. The green beans are steamed on top of the meat loaf during the last few minutes of cooking.  When the meat loaf is inverted onto the platter, the potatoes form a nicely browned crust.

VARIATIONS: Instead of green beans (as shown here), use another seasonal vegetable, such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, or corn, cooking it to the desired doneness.

• 2 pounds ground beef, or a combination of half beef and half pork or ground turkey
• 1 onion, shredded
• 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into very thin slices, preferably on a mandoline
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat onion, carrot, mushroom, bread crumbs, herbs, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and the Worcestershire sauce. Using your hands, mix everything together thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, toss the potato slices with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until well coated. Season them with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil to fit the bottom of a nonstick or generously oiled 8-quart pot. Use the remaining olive oil to thoroughly oil the pot.

Arrange a single layer of overlapping potato slices on the top of the paper or foil. Spoon the meat loaf mixture on top of the potatoes and, using your hands, push it down firmly to form a gently rounded mound. Cover and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle reads 160°F.

Just before you remove the meat loaf, turn off the heat, uncover, and place the green beans on the top of the meat loaf. Cover again and steam for about 2 minutes, or until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender. Using tongs, transfer the beans to a small serving bowl and season them with salt and pepper to taste.

Invert the pot over a warmed large, deep platter, shaking the pot slightly to remove the meat loaf. Cut the meat loaf into wedges and serve with the beans.

About JZ Cool Eatery and Wine Bar

Like entering a street side loft, the JZ Cool Eatery and Wine Bar has an open, rugged, purposefully unrefined - and therefore - sophisticated feel. The warmth of heavy wood tables, chairs, rafters and beams mix with the metallic coolness of the open kitchen and industrial stainless steel. Old wine crakes behind the bar hold a remarkable selection of local and regional organic wines.  The daily specials are scrawled in magic marker down a scroll of butcher block paper on the far wall. On the menu is an array of fun, mouth watering California tapa-styled small-bites, large plates, salads, soups, artisanal cheeses and desserts.  As always, the cooking is inspired by local farms, ranches and the local Pacific waters.