Cabbage

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) can refer to many differeny varieties of the Brassica family. This posting is about the round, tightly packed head variety that you may find in your share. They may be smooth and red/purple or green, savoy (crinkly leaves), and possibly even the arrowhead (pointy shaped) variety. You can find more information on Chinese cabbages, Napa cabbage, Bok Choi, or Tatsoi in other postings on this website.

Easy to store and rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber, cabbage is grown and cooked in many parts of the world. Familiar traditional European and Asian cabbage dishes include sauerkraut, corned beef and cabbage, stuffed cabbage, and kimchi.

Store your cabbage head with or without a plastic bag in the refrigerator - it can last many, many months. When using, peel away the outermost leaves, slice in half and cut away the tough all-white "core" or base. There's no need to wash your cabbage, since the inner leaves have been protected from any exposure to soil. Try using raw cabbage in salads and slaws. Cabbage is easy to cook in soups, stews, sauteed in oil or butter, or grilled/baked in large wedges drizzled with olive oil and wrapped in foil.


Crispy Tofu and Peanut Slaw
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups VERY thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 16-ounce carton firm or extra-firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup bean sprouts (optional)
  
• 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced small, skinny chile peppers, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced (try freezing the root and grating it)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

1. In a large colander, combine the cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes in the sink to leach out excess water. Rinse well with cold running water and drain.
2. Wrap the block of tofu well with a clean dishtowel and press firmly with your hands until you feel the towel become damp. Unwrap the tofu and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.
3. In a large, well-seasoned skillet (preferably not nonstick) heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and salt it liberally. Fry the tofu undisturbed until it forms a dark golden crust on the bottom, then use a spatula to turn it and brown it well on at least one more side. Drain well on paper towels. Transfer the tofu to a large bowl and add the cabbage, bean sprouts, and scallions.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the chilies, ginger, garlic, sugar and vinegar.
5. Pour the dressing over the tofu mixture and toss to coat well. Just before serving, season the slaw with salt and garnish it with the peanuts.

Based on recipe from: Entertaining for a Veggie Planet by Dede Emmons


Toasted Mustard Seed Slaw
Serves 6

1 large head cabbage, cored and sliced
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1 cup walnut pieces (optional)
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

1. Have cabbage ready in large, heat-resistant bowl. In small skillet, heat 1/2 cup of the oil with the mustart seeds until the seeds begin to pop. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat a bit, and cook until seeds stop popping and turn dark brown. Pour the hot oil and mustard seeds over cabbage and toss well.
2. In same skillet, toast walnuts in the remaining 1/2 cup oil unti golden brown, and pour hot oil and nuts over cabbage. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
From: The Cafe Pongo Cookbook by Valerie Nehez


Quick Sauteed Cabbage and Apple
Serves 4-6

• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 lb storage (round) cabbage, cored and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 Gala or Fuji apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 whole allspice (optional), crushed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar

Cook garlic in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add cabbage, apple, cider, caraway, allspice (if using), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

Add vinegar and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

From: www.epicurious.com

Sauerkraut
This fermented dish is a great way to use and store a lot of cabbage, plus is a great source of vitamin C and lactobacilli (active "good" bacterial cultures that improve digestive health). Also, it's a great science experiment - the pickling of cabbage in this process is done by lacto-fermentation. The natural microorganisms found on the cabbage and in the nearby environment work anaerobically to ferment the sugars in the cabbage into lactic acid, giving that "vinegary" taste to fermented foods. Watch out, fermenting things can become addictive!

Ingredients
-cleaned, shredded cabbage (green is traditional, but red/purple make a lovely pink kraut)
-non-iodized canning salt (kosher salt works well)

Process
1. Weigh the shredded cabbage. For each pound of it, you will need 2 teaspoons of salt. Place cabbage in large clean bowl, add salt and toss well with clean hands until evenly distributed. Let mixture stand until limp, 15-20 minutes.
2. Pack the cabbage into a clean ceramic crock or large glass jar, pressing it down with each addition of more cabbage. Fill the crock no higher than a couple of inches below its rim. Place a clean plate on top of the cabbage and weigh the plate down with a clean jar filled with water.
3. Place the container in a cool or room temperature place and over the next several hours, press on the jar to release liquid from the cabbage. The liquid must cover the cabbage, so if it hasn't done so after several hours, remove some cabbage and replace the weights.
4. Once it's completely covered by liquid, leave it alone to ferment. Place a clean t-shirt or towel over the weight/jar to prevent anything from falling in there. Try tasting the kraut after a few days. Depending on the air temperature, fermentation can take anywhere from a few days to two weeks. Stop the fermentation process when you like the flavor by putting it in the fridge.