Cabbage

Published at

spring, late summer, fall

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. The longer it sits, the more the outer leaves will wilt (assuming you store it uncovered as I do) but it’s still delicious. I speak from experience, having had a head of red cabbage in my vegetable drawer for about 3 months.When it arrived in the height of summer, I just tucked it away intending to get to it soon. “Soon” turned out to be several months, but it was as perfect then as it was the day it arrived. Really.

(2023) Gut-Nourishing Salad with Creamy Peanut Dressing

I’m also adding a recipe from purelyplanted.com for Gut-Nourishing Salad with Creamy Peanut Dressing which I know we will need both pre-and post-Thanksgiving’s crazy meals. Use your cabbage, daikon and greens from this week’s box to make that salad.

~Conne

(2023) Poolside Sesame Slaw

Down below is a recipe from Smitten Kitchen (one of those Northeastern writers) for Poolside Sesame Slaw. That’s the first thing I’ll do with part of our cabbage (and a cucumber, and a pepper or two). I have just been craving sesame this summer – so the toasted sesame oil and tahini in the dressing are very appealing to me right now.

(2023) Oven-Baked Country Bacon & Collard Egg Rolls

From “Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea: Asian Inspired, Southern Style” by Natalie Keng.

“Yay” for collard greens in today’s box (at least in ours). I’ve been wanting to try the recipe below for baked collard green egg rolls from the new cookbook out from Atlanta sauce maven and author Natalie Keng. It won’t use all the collards, but it will use some of the cabbage I have stored in the refrigerator and that last green onion from two weeks ago. I love peanut sauce on anything, and while we love egg rolls here, I’m anxious to try these baked egg rolls which I think will be so much easier than frying. Not to mention healthier.

(2023) Lemon-Tahini Slaw

And finally one more slaw recipe since we’ve all got lots of cabbage now, this one with a lemon-tahini dressing. But you will certainly find dozens of cabbage recipes at grassfedcow.com.

(2022) Creamy Cole Slaw

assembled from a lot of different recipes, this is our favorite cole slaw recipe. The result isn’t overly sweet. The sugar, however, is optional.

(2022) Cabbage and Farro Soup

For a couple of new recipes (assuming we get any cold weather!) how about the Cabbage and Farro Soup below (wish I remembered the provenance of that recipe). It’s only going to use part of that enormous cabbage but I like that it uses the core as well as the leaves.

(2021) Salt-and-Squeeze Slaw

That bok choy may be stumping you. For some of us, it’s a challenge to come up ideas several weeks in a row. I dug out this old recipe from Bon Appetit – a salt-and-squeeze slaw. You could use almost anything in today’s box. The recipe is down below.

(2020) Pikliz

Pikliz is a traditional accompaniment to griot, the braised and fried pork dish that’s pretty much the national dish of Haiti, but I’m told if you’re Haitian, you eat it with everything. It’s delicious enough that I believe it.

Consider this the summer slaw you’ve been dreaming of. Crunchy, tangy with citrus juice, just a little bit hot (with the amount of pepper we’ve included), it’s just the right side for rich dishes or anywhere you want something with a peppery punch.

When first made, the pikliz is pretty hot, but the heat mellows as it sits and we found the final result here perfect for folks who appreciate a little heat, but don’t want something overwhelming. Rock Steady’s Jacob Thomas notes that when his mother makes this, “she throws in all the hot peppers in there.”

(2020) Hawaiian Style Sesame Cabbage Salad

I’ve been craving Asian flavors, so here’s what I’d do with my cabbage and green onions. It’s a recipe from Saveur magazine. Sort of a take on old ramen noodle slaw recipes that have been around since maybe the 70s? The directions say to serve immediately and certainly the crushed ramen is crunchy that way, but I secretly like these salads best when they’re a day old and the noodles have softened and absorbed the goodness from the dressing.

(2019) Quick Red Cabbage Stir Fry

Asha Gomez makes this stir fry with her red cabbage and since Indian spices are a favorite, this is how I’ll use up maybe half of that head.

(2019) Spicy Cabbage and Sweet Onion Slaw 

For one more simple slaw recipe, I offer you this one. Provenance unknown! It’s Vidalia onion season and soon we’ll be getting some sweet onions in our box. That head of cabbage will actually hold up fine for a few weeks (refrigerated, of course) so you could wait to make this, or make it with a store bought Vidalia. Quantities of cabbage and onion are up to you.

(2019) Mark Bittman’s Vegetable Pancakes

Vegetable pancakes seem to be a thing these days, and I love this recipe from Mark Bittman that will use up any vegetable you have on hand. You can use some of that lettuce if you chop it and maybe saute a little before mixing into the batter. Spinach? Sure. Grated kohlrabi. Absolutely. Chopped cabbage, probably anything from this week’s box except maybe the tomatoes which might turn watery.We eat these either with a little soy sauce or a little hot honey. That’s my new addiction and I’m not even a fan of hot sauces. But hot and sweet like the hot honeys people are producing these days? Love it.

(2018) Okonomiyai (cabbage pancakes)

Recently I’ve been playing around with her Okonomiyai (cabbage pancakes). I used the bok choy from a few weeks ago in that recipe. Traditionally it would be made with green cabbage, but you know, the bok choy worked perfectly. And I realized this recipe could be adapted to any green or vegetable like sweet potatoes or daikon or mustard greens or kale. You make an eggy, loose pancake batter, then you fill it with whatever vegetables you like. I enjoyed these for dinner but they were just as delicious for breakfast the next day. Here’s the basic recipe.

Her note: Adapted from a recipe on Food52, these pancakes are simple to throw together and make delicious use of an abundance of cabbage. I use 4 times the amount of cabbage called for in the original recipe (8 cups as opposed to 2), and I omit the shrimp, though I imagine the addition of shrimp would be very tasty. I like these with a soy dipping sauce (as opposed to a mayonnaise-based one). The one below is one I’ve been using for years, but feel free to use your own.

(2018) Chopped Salad

Here’s one more idea for a salad using many of the things in this week’s box. You want to make it ahead so the vegs have a chance to marinated. It’s perfect for a potluck – just take all the containers of vegs, then assemble onsite.

(2017) Cabbage Vegetable Soup

I just ran into this recipe while going through a stack of food magazines kept for “inspiration” for some other projects and its homey nature – and the fact that it’s so easy – made it very appealing. Making this tonight. It’s from everydayfood.com.

(2017) Quick Pickled Vegetables

From alexandracooks.com. She suggests using these as a pizza topping. You can try it with the peppers and even the green tomatoes from today’s box.

(2017) Okonomiyaki

This recipe comes from Food 52. Okonomiyaki are Japanese pancakes with bits of shrimp and ribbons of cabbage and green onions. I love this combination of flavors. Worth the little bit of work to get this made.

(2017) Grilled Cabbage, Squash and Couscous Salad

This is a recipe I adapted from one I saw in Better Homes and Gardens. If you’re not serving it with a grilled meal, then grill the vegs when it’s convenient and refrigerate, then assemble when you’re ready for this salad.

(2017) Grated Veggie Slaw

Another recipe adapted from one developed by Whole Foods. I like the dressing which is a very traditional vinaigrette.

(2017) Baked Greens Rice

Another go-to recipe that works for all kinds of greens including cabbage. Fancier than the pasta, works great for a special dinner. Love the addition of dried fruit.

Spicy Sauerkraut

One more idea for fermented vegetables. This is adapted from a recipe in Saveur magazine. It’s sort of like a mild kimchi – a nice compromise. The sterilized container part is important. You don’t want any funky bacteria messing up your sauerkraut.

Kimchi

Kimchi is traditionally made with Napa cabbage, and is a great way to use daikon radishes. If you only have “regular” cabbage – just substitute it for the Napa in the recipe.
The Korean chili powder is pretty essential. You can find it at the Buford Highway Farmers Market, but also at grocers that specialize in Korean foods.
The recipe comes from “Tart and Sweet” by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler. Add some sliced mustard greens if you like, that’s also a traditional addition.

Indian Slaw

Adapted from a recipe by Raghavan Iyer, author of “The Turmeric Trail.”

Thai Salad with Orange Ginger Vinaigrette

That head of cabbage can be daunting, too, if you haven’t used the one from last week (or the week before). This recipe is adapted from “The 30-Day Vegan Challenge” by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Grilled Cabbage

What a gorgeous head of cabbage this week. We think about cabbage for all kinds of uses, but seldom do we grill it. I like this recipe from Cook’s Country magazine.

Honey Mustard Slaw

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, honey, vinegar and oil. Add hot sauce and taste for seasoning. Set aside. Put the chopped cabbage in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Refrigerate it at least an hour before serving.

Chicken-Noodle-Cabbage Salad

If you eat chicken, you’ve got at least a dozen chicken salad recipes. If you eat cabbage, you’ve got at least a dozen slaw recipes. But this is a nice change, combining some of my favorite flavors. Maybe you still have a green onion hiding in the vegetable bin?

Notes on Greens

Greens storage: All of the sturdy greens (chard, bok choy, cabbage, kale) should be stored the same way. Put them into a plastic bag and leave it unsealed. Put into your vegetable crisper. The outer leaves may wilt, but the inner leaves will be fine. And for other uses for your greens: think about braises, making Read More…

Mark Bittman’s Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw

Are you a fan of Mark Bittman? Here’s a recipe from How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition) with a few variations.

Bittman says: If you want restaurant-style coleslaw, you take shredded cabbage and combine it with mayo and maybe a little lemon juice. This version is far more flavorful with far less fat. I like cabbage salad (which is what coleslaw amounts to) on the spicy side, so I use plenty of Dijon, along with a little garlic and chile (you could substitute cayenne for the chile or just omit it if you prefer), and scallions.

Squash and Cabbage Casserole

This recipe from Moore Farms and Friends showed up in my inbox, just as I was thinking, “We need lots of squash and onion recipes!” It has the bonus of using a little cabbage as well. And some kale or Swiss chard.

Cabbage Apple Slaw

A recipe from Whole Foods. It’s always good to be reminded that apples are great in salads.

Bess Feigenbaum’s Cabbage Soup

This recipe comes from The National in Manhattan. It is my favorite winter soup – a sweet and sour cabbage soup – a very traditional Jewish recipe. This is the vegan version, but you can add a piece of brisket or chuck roast and turn it into a meaty winter meal if you wish.

Pickled Cabbage

This traditional breakfast pickle is part of a family of Japanese quick-salted pickles. Some of you may grow shiso. If not, I’ve found it at the Buford Highway Farmers Market. It’s definitely traditional, but you can leave it out.

Warm Cabbage and Green Beans

This dish is a more complicated. It’s adapted from a recipe by Marcus Samuelsson, the Ethiopian-born chef who grew up in Sweden. This is definitely from the Ethiopian side of his heritage. This recipe ran about 2 years ago in the New York Times. Injera is available at the DeKalb Farmers Market. I’ve tried making my own – total failure! This is one time that store bought definitely trumps homemade.

Vegetable Lo Mein

Oops – another recipe adapted from the folks at Prevention magazine …. but this one is great for incorporating lots of lots of vegetables. You can decide how much of your bok choy or Napa cabbage to include – the whole head? half? a quarter?

Pasta with Spicy Cabbage

I wish I could tell you where this recipe came from – but it is amazing. I made it last weekend (with fresh pasta from a Slow Food class at Storico Fresco) and if I had to eat nothing but this dish for the next three months, I’d be very happy. The original recipe called for bacon. Fine. Add it. But it’s totally not necessary.

Cold Noodles with Fresh and Preserved Greens

Preserved mustard greens can be found canned at most Chinese markets but I’ve included a recipe for preserved greens that you could make with your collard greens. Yes, you’ll have to plan ahead of this dish, but you’ll have an interesting way to use up some of your collards.

Try your romaine lettuce in this dish, or the tender radish and beet greens. Or the cabbage! Or use the kale and cook the greens a little longer than called for here.

Adapted from recipes on seriouseats.com and Saveur magazine.

Asian Slaw Dressing from Aria in Buckhead

In the jar of a blender, make the dressing by combining lime juice, vinegar, sugar, shallot, salt and ginger. Puree, then add oil in a slow stream. This will emulsify into a vinaigrette. Refrigerate until ready to use. This particularly nice in slaws made with...

Stir-fry Sauce

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 bok choy, beet greens, thinly sliced beets, onions, garlic and/or squash) and when it’s 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.

Braised Cabbage

It’s great to see cabbage making its appearance in the box again after the long summer hiatus. Here’s a recipe for braised cabbage with Indian spices. It comes from the New York Times, published last January.

Roasted Beets, Cabbage and Whole Grain Salad

So after reviewing the box, I’m ready to make a salad, but not with the lettuce. How about something with cooked grains, the Chinese cabbage, and roasted beets? You can use any grain you like here – rice, bulgur, farro, millet, couscous, whatever you have on hand. The cabbage is nice for salad because every bit of that leaf is tender.

Vegetable Mafé

Finally I offer this recipe for an African-inspired stew. It was wonderful, even better the next day as most stews are. I still have a few hot peppers which are basically just drying out in the refrigerator, so I used them in place of the serranos this recipe calls for. The cabbage was the quarter head still in the vegetable crisper. No butternut squash still in your pantry? Just add more rutabagas or sweet potatoes. And maybe you’re one of those brilliant souls who took Suzanne’s suggestion and canned your own tomatoes this summer when they were in such abundance. The perfect accompaniment? MB cornbread or corn muffins.

Adapted from a recipe in “The Cornbread Gospels” by Crescent Dragonwagon (Workman, $14.95).