Chunky Vegetable & Kielbasa Stew

With the ingredients on hand, this stew is fast and easy.  In my test case of one family, it passed the kid test, too (probably because the chunks are large and easily identified - grin).  Bring this out on a cool, rainy day and you'll see smiles all around.

Prep time:  25 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
8-10 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups fresh cabbage (chopped into pieces about 1/2 inch across)
2 cups carrots, 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups celery, 1/2 inch chunks, leaves kept separate
3 cups thin-skin potatoes with peels, 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups cooked kielbasa, 1/4 inch sections
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a large stock pot, bring your stock to a low boil over medium heat.  Add the cabbage, carrots, celery, and potatoes.  Cook at a low boil for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender and potatoes are done.  Add the kielbasa (make sure it is 'fully cooked') and heat for another minute or two.  Serve with crusty bread, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Variations:  Try adding fennel, garlic scapes, and vary the cabbage (try bok choi, or napa cabbage, etc.)  This can easily be made without the kielbasa.  Try adding white beans.  The possibilities are endless.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Cabbage Gratin

A decadent, irresistible way to enjoy cabbage. (Lightly adapted from the Saveur recipe)

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time: 65 minutes
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
9 cups shredded cabbage (about 1½ small heads)
2½ cups heavy cream
2 tsp. sweet paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¾ cup freshly shredded Parmesan
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
¾ cup panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 3-qt. round or oval baking dish with 1 tbsp. butter; add cabbage and set aside.

Combine cream, paprika, sugar, and salt and pepper in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until mixture just begins to simmer. Pour cream mixture over cabbage and stir to combine. 

In a medium bowl, toss together Parmesan, walnuts, and bread crumbs; sprinkle evenly over cabbage and dot top with remaining butter. 

Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake until cream is absorbed and cabbage is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove foil, increase heat to 400°, and continue baking until topping is browned and crisp, about 15 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pinzimonio: Play with your food!

Play with your food!

Leave it to the Italians to turn produce into whimsical fun.  Pinzimonio is a raw vegetable antipasto that can be as simple or as complicated as you'd like to make it.  In this version, long skinny vegetables are bundled, ready for dipping in olive oil seasoned with lemon juice and salt.  Serve with plenty of napkins.
  
Prep time:  20 minutes
Serves  4 as an appetizer or side dish.

INGREDIENTS
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
2-3 Carrots, scraped, ends removed
1/2 pound long, slender green beans
1 bunch scallions, leaves separated and reserved.
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt

DIRECTIONS
Slice peppers and carrots into long thin spears (about 1/8 to 1/4" wide).  Bundle a variety of spears and gently tie with scallion leaves.  Assemble these packets on a tray.

Distribute the oil and lemon juice between 4 ramekins or small bowls.  Dip a bundle into the oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and crunch.

Tip:  Scallion leaves are easier to tie if you leave them out on the counter for an hour so that the leaves lose some of their water and soften.  (This is the only recipe I can think of where I recommend a vegetable less than fresh!)

Photo and recipe by  Tod Dimmick

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Photo and Recipe: Tod Dimmick









This bread is so good I really wonder why I only make it on St. Patrick's Day.  The cabbage leaf wrapping was half humor and half curiosity about the effect of the moisture trapped between the crust and the roasting leaves.  The effect was delicious texture and lots of "oohs and aahs".

INGREDIENTS
4 cups whole wheat flour ("white" whole wheat works well)
1/3 cup oatmeal
3 TB gluten
3 TB sugar or equivalent
1 TB salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp baking soda
About 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 TB plain yogurt (optional)
3/4 cup raisins or currants

DIRECTIONS
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. I use a whisk for this.  Heat the buttermilk to just above room temperature, and stir in the yogurt (if using) and . Slowly mix the milk in to the flour mixture to create a thick, pliable dough. A sturdy spatula is ideal for mixing, and a stand mixer with a bread hook is also great. Turn dough out onto a countertop and, using a bench scraper, stretch and fold the dough over itself a few times. Cover with the bowl and let rest for an hour. Thereafter, at approximate 45 minute intervals, revisit that dough several times to again stretch and fold the dough over itself 3-4 times. If a few intervals stretch into hours rather than 45 minutes, don't worry.

Then, 90 minutes before the time you want the bread to finish baking, shape the dough into the shape you like, and place on a floured baking tray for its final rise. Sprinkle with flour, and cover with a towel.  Alternatively,  roll this dough in flour and place in a loaf pan (or split into two chunks and divide between two smaller loaf pans).  Let rise for 25 minutes, then preheat your oven to 400 and let the dough continue to rise for another 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats.

Remove the towel, slash the dough as you like, and slide the baking tray into the hot oven. If you have a mister, spritz the dough a few times to assist with creation of a chewy crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until rapping on the loaf with your fingertips yields a nice "hollow sounding" thump. Let cool for 10 minutes, if you can wait that long.

Salad Martini

Want to serve gorgeous fresh salad vegetables in a new way? Make that salad something to toast! Obviously this is more about presentation than recipe, but isn't fun part of the objective?

Prep time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 8+ (depending on the size of your glasses!)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 of a small head fresh green cabbage (about 2 cups, shredded)
2 apples, cored and roughly sliced
5-6 radicchio leaves
2-3 carrots, scrubbed (peeled if necessary)
1 small sweet onion (about 1/2 cup when shredded
Vinaigrette (your favorite)

DIRECTIONS
Run all these ingredients through a food processor using the thin slice wheel. Toss with vinaigrette and serve as a toast to farm fresh produce.

Variations: Wow - limited only by your choice of processor-friendly vegetables. Or add chopped chicken, hard boiled egg, and/or bacon can call it a meal.

Photo & Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Asian Style Apple-Cabbage Slaw

Hard to stop eating this.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
1/2 head (about 4 cups) cabbage
2 large apples
4 TB chopped fresh cilantro
3 TB oil (canola or olive will work)
2 TB red wine vinegar
2 TB soy sauce
2 TB sesame tahini
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Slice the cabbage and apple by hand or in a food processor using the thinnest slice possible. Set aside.

In a food processor equipped with the chopping blade, process the cilantro, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, tahini, garlic, and salt to a smooth consistency.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage - apple mixture, toss to coat, and serve.

Photo & Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Vegetable Stew

 

Fast, satisfying treatment of fresh chunky veggies. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, 1/4" dice
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 cups carrots, 1/4" dice

4 cups cabbage, 1/4" dice

2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 can cannellini beans with liquid

Shredded Parmesan to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat the stock in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat.  

While stock is heating, heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic and onion for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add the Italian seasoning and the carrots and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.  Scrape the carrot mixture from the skillet into the stock pot, along with the cabbage, heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots, cabbage, and broccoli are tender crisp.  Add the cannellini beans, heat for 30 seconds further, the serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, and topping with Parmesan cheese.

Variations:  This simple method could easily be adapted to welcome other chunky vegetables such as bok choi, celery, celeriac, and others.  Add chopped sausage.


Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Harvest Season Slaw

Can you say Crrrrunch?

Prep time:  25 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 bulbs (about 2 cups) shredded fennel bulb and lower portion of the stems
2 apples, cored, sliced, and shredded
2 ears cooked corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded sweet onion
mint leaves, one leaf for each year of age of the cook, chopped
juice from two lemons (about 4 TB)
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Get busy with your food processor, using the thin slice disk.  Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl, and toss with lemon juice and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Then crunch.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Stir Fried Cabbage and Salad Turnips

A fast, tasty vegetable dish with a spicy crunch.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  5-6 Minutes
Serves:  4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
3 TB canola oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground ginger
3 garlic scapes, diced, or 1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1 cup salad turnips, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2-3 TB soy sauce
1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced
Salt if necessary

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the pepper flakes and ground ginger, and garlic and stir for 30 seconds or until garlic tans in the oil.  Add the cabbage and turnips and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until the crisp veggies begin to turn tender.  Turn off heat, toss with soy sauce and cilantro, and serve (salt if necessary but the soy sauce may add enough salt already).

Photo & Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Salad of Arugula, Apple, Cabbage, & Carrots

Mediterranean Spiced Cabbage & Carrots

Photo & Recipe:  Tod Dimmick

A hearty vegetable comfort food.  A food processor with the slicing wheel makes short work of slicing these veggies.










Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Serves:  4-6 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
3 TB Olive Oil
1 medium onion, 1/4 inch dice
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 1/2 head)
2 cups thinly sliced carrots (about 5)
3 TB capers with juice
2 TB fresh sage, mince, or 1 tsp. dry
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium low heat and cook the onion, stirring, for 5 minutes.  Add the cabbage, carrots, capers, sage, and celery seed.  Stir and cover to allow the liquids released from the cabbage to add steam to the dish.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so, or until the carrots and cabbage are tender-crisp. 

Serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Green Braise

A warm, spicy vegetable dish that makes good use of late season vegetables.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Serves 6-8










INGREDIENTS
2 TB olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 leeks, cleaned and white/light green parts thinly sliced
2-3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp caraway seed
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage, celery, and leeks, stir to coat, and add the stock. Sprinkle on the caraway, red and black pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve in shallow bowls.

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Colorful Crunch Salad

Photo:
Tod Dimmick











Late summer and early fall yields a wealth of substantial vegetables - goodies with a satisfying crunch. Here's just one of many possibilities.

Prep time: 5-10 Minutes

3 large carrots, scraped and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 head fresh cabbage, coarsely chopped
1/2 head lettuce, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries
Vinaigrette
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine the solid ingredients and toss with the vinaigrette. Top with Parmesan cheese (optional).

Submitted by Tod Dimmick,
"The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Cucumber Soup

Recipe courtesy of Sophie Cannon. Acclaim from the group: Delicious.

2 large onions peeled and cut
Cucumbers washed, blemishes peeled, quartered and seeds cut out
Potatoes peeled and sliced
small amount of other light colored bland tasting veggie if you have things to get rid off (I added a small head of cabbage and 1 small summer squash)
vegetable bouillon cubes or Bragg Liquid aminos
ume plum vinegar (adds taste, you can skip if you don't have any)
hot sauce (only if you like)


Sautee onions in olive oil until they are translucent
Add water and potatoes and bring to a boil
Cook for 5 minutes

Add cucumbers cut into small pieces
Add other veggies if you have any
Have enough water to cover the veggies

Add 2 cubes of vegetable bouillon, or if you are out like me you can
substitute Bragg

Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender (25 minutes or so)

When cooked, add lots of dill (fresh is best!) and cook for 2 minutes

Buzz with a hand held blender

Add pepper and some ume plum vinegar (adds taste and is a substitute for
salt) and hot sauce if you like.

This soup can be served hot or cold and you can add yogourt or sour cream to
taste when you serve it.

Kid favorite alert!

Cabbage and Apple Salad

The fall CSA box features big heads of cabbage. These can be cooked, of course, but they are also perfect for salad.

Prep time: 5-10 minutes

1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cabbage
1 large, crisp apple, cored, sliced and shredded
1 large carrot, shredded
2 TB shredded onion
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
cheese juice of 1 lemon
3 TB olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the cabbage, apple, onion, raisins and cheese in a bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil; and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss and serve. This can easily be scaled to serve as many as you like.

Submitted by Tod Dimmick,
"The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Teriyaki Napa Cabbage

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










This quick treatment of Napa cabbage makes good use of the salty sweetness of teriyaki, the bright flavor of garlic scapes, and a hint of richness from the egg.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 3-4 as a side dish

3 TB canola oil
2 garlic scapes, chopped
1 egg, whisked
1/2 head Napa Cabbage, coarsely chopped
3-5 TB Teriyaki sauce (I used Trader Joe's "Soyaki" sauce)

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat and fry the garlic for a minute, stirring. Add the egg and cook for a minute, stirring, until it solidifies. Add the Napa cabbage and the teriyaki and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Cover and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the cabbage is tender-crisp.

Salt may not be necessary.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Bok Choi

Bok choi (or bok choy) is a type of Chinese cabbage that does not form a head, but rather has dark green leaves coming off white succulent stems. It is also called spoon cabbage, taisai, celery mustard and Chinese mustard. Baby bok choi is smaller with light green stems. The kind pictured here is a subvariety called Joi Choi which has exceptionally yummy stems.

Store unwashed and whole in unsealed plastic bags in the fridge. Clean by chopping off the base and washing stalks and leaves well, especially near base end. It can be eaten raw with dips, or chopped into slaws and salads. It is very good sauteed or stir-fried - make sure it is cooked quickly at a high temperature to keep it crunchy and avoid it becoming very limp. The leaves cook faster than the stalks so you may want to add them at different times to recipes. It goes well with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and chiles.

Crunchy Bok Choi Slaw

¼ c. Apple Cider Vinegar (or Rice Vinegar)
1 TBS dark sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
¼ tsp salt
6 c. very thinly sliced Bok Choi
2 med carrots, shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Mix all together, serve.

Spicy Stir-Fried Tofu with Bok Choi
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/health/nutrition/16recipehealth.html

Napa Cabbage

Napa Cabbage (Brassica campestris) is a type of Chinese cabbage with a more cylindrical shape, white crunchy stems and light green crinkly leaves. It is widely used in East Asian cuisines and can be substituted for regular cabbage in most recipes. It has a lot of vitamin K and C, fiber, and manganese, as well as health-promoting phytonutrients.

To store, keep unwashed head whole in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To use, discard outermost leaves, slice in half longwise, and cut out the core at the base of the head. Wash leaves individually to remove soil before using. Try it raw, chopped into salads or simple slaws, or use whole leaves as a wrap. Blanch leaves and stuff. Use chopped in stir-fries or soups. Or try pickling it into kimchi.

Check out the recipes under "Cabbage" for some other slaw ideas.


Napa Cabbage Slaw with Cilantro Dressing

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled ginger
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 fresh serrano chile, finely chopped, with seeds
• 1 small head Napa cabbage (1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, ginger, oil, chile, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 10 minutes.
From www.epicurious.com


Ten-Minute Miso Soup
Serves 2-4

2 1/2 cups water
1 scallion, chopped
2 tablespoons carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon miso dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup napa cabbage, sliced
1/4 cup diced extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon hijiki sea vegetables (optional)

1. In a pot, combine the water, carrots, most of the scallion (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish), and ginger. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let it stop boiling, and stir in dissolved miso.

2. Pour mixture into serving bowls. Soup will be cloudy at first, but will settle upon standing. Mound the cabbage, tofu, and if desired, hijiki sea vegetables, in center of each bowl; garnish with reserved scallion and serve.

Napa Cabbage Slaw
From: http://www.about.com/
Ingredients:
· 3 cups napa cabbage, shredded
· 1 cup bok choy, shredded
· 3 tablespoons sweet pepper, diced
· 1/4 cup rice vinegar or white vinegar
· 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Preparation:
Toss napa cabbage, bok choy and pepper together. Combine vinegar and sesame oil. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate for one hour to blend the flavors and toss again before serving.

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.