Category: Cabbage

Posted on

Half as Much (Recipe: Asian Slaw)

Asian-slaw
In the back corner of the produce section, there’s a cooler filled with convenience products – sliced pepper medley, peeled and cubed butternut squash, shredded cabbage and washed salad blends.  I shudder everytime I walk past it… it’s really not that hard to cut a pepper, or even peel a butternut squash.  Last week, I walked back to the main produce aisle, grabbed a small red cabbage and tossed it into my cart.

When I got home, I started shredding the cabbage for an Asian slaw.  After cutting up half, I realized I had more than enough for the 3 people I was cooking for, with ample leftovers.  I wrapped up the second half and now will plan to make braised red cabbage later in the week. 

After three days of eating cabbage slaw, I had my fill.  The first night, I ate it with the char.   The second two days, I served it with Claypot Chicken.  Sadly, the remainder went into the compost bin. Suddenly, the value of pre-chopped cabbage became more appealing.  I can purchase a more manageable quantity.  Perhaps I pay a little more, but there’s comfort in not wasting.

Which is the lesser evil?  Wasting food or purchasing pre-cut veggies?  Or should I not make cabbage unless I’m serving a crowd?

What would you have done?

Asian Red Cabbage Slaw

serves at least 6

½ red cabbage
6 scallions
2 tbs. canola oil
1 tbs. sesame oil
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup raw sesame seeds
1 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 -3 tbs. rice vinegar

1.     Cut the core out of the cabbage and slice as thinly as possible
2.    Julienne the scallions.  Put in a mix bowl with the cabbage.
3.    Heat the oils in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the almonds and sesame seeds.  Cook, stirring frequently until the nuts begin to brown.  Immediately pour over the cabbage.
4.    To the cabbage add the sugar, salt and vinegar.  Mix well.  Let sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can meld.

Posted on

R&D (Recipe: Braised Green Cabbage with Apples)

As I look at my year end finances – evaluating how my business did, I’m thrilled to see the spike in net income. As a matter of pride, I want my net income to be as high as possible, but as a savvy business owner, I should minimize my earnings as much as possible – after all, it’s the net income that I will use to calculate my tax burden.

The tax codes are tricky when it comes to writing off meals as a business expense.  For most people, meals are part of entertaining clients or business travel.   You can only deduct 50% and the purpose of the meal needs to be well document. 

For me, eating out and cooking at home are all part of R&D… menu development and recipe testing. And as I embark on another cookbook for Sauchuk Farm, I'm exploring every avenue for inspiration.

Last week, I went out for dinner at Oleana; they had grilled celery as an accompaniment to a grilled rib-eye steak.  Knowing that I would need a few celery recipes for the upcoming book, I *needed* to order a side dish.  Alas, the dish was mediocre at best. The grill did not impart enough smoke, nor did it tenderize the stalks.  The celery flavor was intense and not even a healthy dose of parmesan cheese could balance it.

Then at the market last week, while I was pondering what to cook for dinner, I noticed green cabbage – another vegetable for which I'll need new recipes.

Cabbage harvests start in September and last through the first frost.  I’ve seen many recipes that stew tomatoes with cabbage (think stuffed cabbage), but the seasonal timing just didn’t seem right to me.

When I got home with the groceries, I noticed an apple withering on the counter.  Seasonally, they are a match made in heaven, and when I cooked them together, the worked very well on the plate too!

Braised Green Cabbage with Apples
1 small head of green cabbage
1 apple
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbs. butter
¼ cup cider – still, sparkling or slightly spiked (5% alcohol content)
Salt and pepper to taste
1.    Cut the cabbage in half and cut out the core.  Cut into 1 inch chunks
2.    Peel the apple (though not necessary).  Peel and chop the onion.  Chop the garlic clove.
3.    In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter.   Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, just until they soften.
4.    Add the cabbage and apple.  Cook for a few minutes, stirring to mix well.  Add the cider and cover the pan.
5.    Cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Posted on

Road-Tripping (Recipe: Sesame-Ginger Fusion Cabbage)

Along the main roads of rural Massachusetts, it’s not unusual to drive past a farm-stand with fresh produce grown just a few meters away. In the summer time, I become quite discerning about where I stop. In the winter and early spring, I’m down-right grateful that someone is growing *anything* local and I’ll snatch up whatever I can just to support the farmer's efforts.

The selection is often limited, and on a recent stop, this particular farmer only had potatoes (which had been in storage) and cabbage. I didn’t mind… The potatoes made their way into latkes and tater tots. The green cabbage required a bit more thought as I rarely cook with it.

My friend Brett has a recipe for “Ginger Sesame Greens” which I included in The Sauchuk Farm cookbook. It’s an easy recipe that would be great as a side for teriyaki chicken or salmon. Even more simple, you could throw in leftover roast chicken and serve the cabbage over brown rice.

Ginger Sesame Fusion Cabbage
This recipe also works well with Swiss Chard

(serves 4-6)
1 small head green cabbage
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoon dark roasted sesame oil (such as Kadoya brand)
2 tablespoons mild soy sauce or 1 tablespoon double dark soy sauce
¼ teaspoon (or more depending on taste) black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup sake or white wine

Cut cabbage in half. Cut out core, and coarsely chop. Rinse thoroughly.

In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 2 minutes, or until garlic just begins to soften. Add cabbage and pepper.

Cover the cabbage and steam for 1 minute. Add sake or white wine and soy sauce.

When cabbage just soft (about 3 minutes), add butter. Shake pan to incorporate.

Adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice if necessary.

Posted on

Swimming Upstream (Recipe: Shad Roe with Braised Cabbage)

Like salmon, shad spawn in the spring… They generally live in salt water, but swim up fresh water rivers, like the Delaware River, in the spring to lay their eggs. It’s during this season that the female shads swell up with eggs in anticipation.

Though many fish are available year round now, despite preferred seasons, the shad roe can’t be forced or rushed, and it’s limited to a 5 week window in March and April.

The roe are held together by a thin membrane. Honestly, I think this is a euphemism for ovary sacs. The tiny eggs inside are the size of sturgeon (caviar) roe. But unlike caviar, it’s sold fresh, and not salted or preserved. As such, it must be cooked. A “pair” of shad roe, as it is sold, is ample for two people.

The earthy, sweet and rich flavor of the shad roe classically pairs with bacon, capers and/or balsamic vinegar. I’ve been trying to branch out from the standard. And thinking about the flavor profiles of the traditional accompaniments, I opted for the sweet and sour flavor of braised cabbage (and a side of latkes to give a little texture to the otherwise soft meal)

Shad Roe with Braised Cabbage
1 onion
2 slices bacon (opt) or 2 tbs. butter
1 small red cabbage, cut in half, core removed and sliced thin
¼ cup red wine
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tbs. red currant jelly
1 tbs. sugar
1 pair shad roe
1 tbs. flour
2 tbs. plain oil
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1. In a medium pan, render bacon fat over medium heat for about 3 minutes… add the onions and cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add red wine, red wine vinegar, sugar, red currant jelly and cabbage. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until cabbage is nice and tender. Remove cover and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside in a warm place

2. Heat another skillet over high heat. Season shad with salt and pepper, and dust it with flour. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the membrane — this will keep the roe from exploding. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Gently place the shad roe in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown. Flip over and cook for a few minutes more. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice on top just before serving.

Posted on

Crop Rotation (Recipe: Lentils with Spinach and Scallops)

Legumes – things like lentils, peanuts and chickpeas – are plants grown specifically for their seeds. They are also an integral part of crop rotation – a farming practice of planting different crops in one location as a way to replace nitrogen and other nutrients that other crops deplete. This practice minimizes the need for fertilizers and helps ward off insects and fungus.

Plants get nutrients from the soil. And unless we amend the soil, it will degrade every season as plants pull more and more from the soil. Amendments can come in the form of artificial fertilizers and organic compost. We can also add nutrients back by planting particularly nutrient dense crops, such as clover, wheat grass and legumes. Instead of depleting the soil, they add nitrogen and other important nutrients back into the soil… and planting these crops across a tapped area of soil can help it recover, so that future crops will grow better.

For me, lentils are a protein- and nutrient- dense food that is also very economical. They come in a variety of colors and shapes – red, green, brown and the rounder French (green) lentils. The French lentils are better for holding their shape, the red are great for their wonderful color and in soups since they puree easily.

In the past few weeks, a bevy of recipes have popped up on the blogosphere…
Barley Pilaf with Lentils from The Perfect Pantry
Palak Dal from Closet Cooking
Crock-Pot Curried Red Lentils from Eat This.

Last week, I made a variation on Mulligatawny soup from We Are Never Full, and garnished it with seared scallops and spinach.

Mulligatawny Soup
1 tbs. butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped into a few chunks
½ stalk of celery, chopped finely
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. curry
1/2 cinnamon
2 tsp. ground coriander seed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1 can tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of red lentils
6 to 8 cups of chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
½ lb. scallops
½ lb. spinach
Sour cream or plain yogurt to garnish

1. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger and sauté until they soften and become fragrant.
2. To the pot, add the spices, carrots and celery. Cook for 1 minute more, just to toast the spices and help them release their flavor.
3. Add the lentils, tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
4. Meanwhile, season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. Add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes or until they start to brown. Flip them over and then cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the scallops from the pan.
5. Return the scallop pan to the heat. Wilt spinach. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.
6. When lentils are tender, puree in the blender or with an immersion blender. Adjust seasoning with salt pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with scallops and spinach.