I was so pleased to see little heads of garlic in this week’s box. I’ve been wondering where all the garlic is. Thank goodness it’s finally arrived.
But I was totally surprised to see that cabbage. And kale. I would have thought we were past those greens, but I’m almost as glad to have them as I am to have the garlic. The garlic should keep for a month, but mine will be gone by then. Tomorrow’s dinner includes a yogurt and cucumber salad heavily dosed with garlic and chopped fresh mint.
Reviewing the contents of your box with an eye to what will last longest is exactly what long-time CSAers have learned to do. Of course, sometimes you just have to dive into that lovely juicy cabbage and you don’t care that it would keep in your refrigerator for a month. But when you come down off your cabbage high, you can think “shelf life” and plan your meals accordingly.
Cabbage – this is one tough vegetable. I just throw it in the vegetable cooler where it can keep for at least a month. The firmer the head of cabbage, the longer it will store. True confession – I still have a red cabbage from no telling how many weeks ago. The outer leaves were a bit wilted but the rest of the cabbage was delicious. I shredded some of the leaves Sunday to add to summer rolls in lieu of rice noodles. I love the crunch alongside the cucumber strips and basil leaves I included – and the red color is just a great bonus.
Two slaw dressing recipes in case you’re wanting to use that cabbage in the next week or so and are in the market for a few new dressing ideas.
- Chipotle Cole Slaw from Salt Factory in Roswell – https://grassfedcow.com/recipes/chipotle-cole-slaw-from-salt-factory-in-roswell/
- Asian Slaw from Aria in Buckhead – https://grassfedcow.com/recipes/asian-slaw-from-aria-in-buckhead/
And also a reminder about keeping stir-fry sauce on hand. Here’s what I had to say about it when we posted the recipe 5 years ago!
One of the things I do to make a quick stir-fry even quicker is to keep a jar of stir-fry sauce in the refrigerator. You could buy a jar, but why? When you’re ready for dinner, heat up some vegetable oil, sauté your vegetables (this week you could use peppers, squash, kale and/or cabbage, and of course, some garlic) and when the vegetables are just about done, add just enough of this sauce to coat everything lightly. The cornstarch will thicken quickly and your stir-fry is done. I love that I don’t have to haul out the ginger and the garlic and the soy sauce and whatever every time I want to make a quick meal. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Vary the proportions to suit the taste of your household.