Angela Gismondi-Salbe never guessed that by taking some time off to raise her two little girls she would find a new career.

The path to this new career was paved by a couple of rambunctious toddlers (ages 1 and 3) and Gismondi-Salbe’s desire to feed them healthy veggies.

Despite her best intentions, Gismondi-Salbe found she never had quite enough time to cook enough fresh vegetables for her family. Besides, produce would go bad before she could use it.

"A lot of people don’t eat vegetables because it’s inconvenient," says Gismondi-Salbe, who was raised on a Mediterranean diet, rich in great-tasting vegetables.

She turned to freezer vegetables but couldn’t find anything that passed her taste test. Disappointed by the taste and the preservatives in the frozen products, she couldn’t find what she was really looking for: all-natural, great tasting, preservative-free vegetables.

"I was looking for something that would save me time. I never thought I would get into the food industry at the grocery store level," says Gismondi-Salbe, who comes from a family of Italian chefs and restaurateurs that dates back to the late 1800s.

She launched her company Verdurabrand in February 2005, and her products hit smaller markets in 2007. Today, she produces about 20 different vegetables carried in specialty stores throughout South Florida.

Her products are vacuum-packed, gourmet, all natural, preservative free and ready in five minutes. They are sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and garlic, then sealed to preserve freshness.

"When you heat up the product, you smell it," says Gismondi-Salbe, whose packaging facilities are in Boca Raton and Pompano Beach. "It smells like you’ve been cooking for a while."

Inspired by her family’s love of le verdure (vegetables), her veggies are designed to be consumed on their own or used as a launching point for the creative yet time-strapped cook to build healthy meals around.

Take the roasted peppers and onions. You can serve them as a side dish, fold them into a simple frittata or pile them on fajitas.

You can spoon them atop garlic bread when unexpected company drops by, or toss them with pasta for a quick dinner. You can load them on a pizza or serve them with roasted chicken.

The possibilities are many.

"Everyone is always skeptical before they try the product because they’re so used to subpar frozen vegetables," Gismondi-Salbe says. "They are amazed at the product. They can’t believe it’s frozen. They become the converts."

Campanelle Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Eggplant

Serves: 4 to 6

1 pound campanelle (bells) or rigatoni pasta

1 package of Verdurabrand Eggplant & Plum Tomato

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 to 4 cloves of garlic, slightly chopped

5 medium Italian chicken (mild or hot) sausage links, casings removed

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, if desired

1 teaspoon salt, if desired

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano cheese

Chopped Italian parsley

In a large pot, boil water and add salt. Follow pasta box cooking instructions for desired texture, approximately 10 minutes. Save pasta water should you need to add it to loosen eggplant and sausage mixture.

Chicken sausage and eggplant preparation:

Heat Verdurabrand Eggplant & Plum Tomato per directions.

In a small skillet, add oil and heat. Add the slightly chopped garlic. Let sauté until golden, then add the chicken sausage with the casings removed. Stir until fully cooked.

Add 1/2 cup white wine to the sausage. Once wine has cooked through, add Verdurabrand Eggplant, then red pepper flakes and salt, if desired.

Saute quickly, and reduce heat. Add cooked pasta, and incorporate thoroughly. Mix in the freshly grated Parmigiano cheese, place in large serving bowl, garnish with freshly ground pepper and chopped Italian parsley.

Serve, and enjoy.

Verdurabrand
Angela Gismondi-Salbe sells her products at Amici Market on Palm Beach, all Joseph’s Classic Markets, Carmine’s Gourmet Market in Palm Beach Gardens, Old Dixie Seafood in Boca Raton and Captain Frank’s Fish Market in Boynton Beach, among other South Florida markets. Her products are also available online at VerduraBrand.com, where there is a full list of local vendors.