Tag Archives: cabbage

Let Them Eat Cake!

During these cooler autumn days, we often lean into our personal versions of comfort food. For many it’s soups, stews or casseroles. I enjoy casseroles and they can be delicious; but they often look like a blob of melted cheese. I’m someone who requires food to be good tasting, and visually appealing. As the saying goes, “you eat with your eyes.”

I’m a huge fan of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cauliflower cake and have made it several times. What a great way to present and eat vegetables. It covers all the bases. It’s creative, delicious and showy. So the other day when I picked up a beautiful head of savoy cabbage from the farmers market, I wanted to create something that showed off the deep veins in the leaves. Then it occured to me why not riff from the idea of cake, and make a cabbage roll on steroids? Well, it not only worked but will be on a regular rotation as the temperatures drop. Try it and see if you don’t agree!

STUFFED CABBAGE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 large head of savoy cabbage
  • 2 lbs of grass-fed ground lamb
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup pecorino cheese, grated
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, or pasada
  • 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
  • 1 large egg
  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Core and separate the leaves from the savoy cabbage, by gently lifting them from the bottom of the cabbage, one leaf at a time. Continue until all large leaves have been removed. This should yield approximately 10-14 leaves. Cook the leaves in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, and place them in an ice bath to cool them down. Drain once again and place on a kitchen towel, pat them dry and set aside.
  2. Grease the bottom and sides of a deep souffle dish. Place a large attractive leaf on the bottom of dish, allowing it to partially curl up the sides of the dish. Then take 4 additional leaves, and place them from the center and up the sides of the souffle dish covering all the sides.
  3. In a large skillet, cook the ground lamb until it’s no longer pink. Drain if necessary and place in large bowl.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and saute the onion, garlic, carrots and red pepper until soft, then toss it all together with the meat in the bowl and add the cooked rice. Add the chopped parsley, 1/2 the cheese, tomato sauce, egg and salt and pepper. Stir to thoroughly combine.
  5. Place 1/4 of mixture on top of cabbage in souffle dish. pushing it to the sides of the dish, then cover with 1 or 2 cabbage leaves depending on their size. Repeat, using 1/4 of filling at a time, then covering with 1 or 2 cabbage leaves. You should have 4 individual layers. Top this with 1 or two cabbage leaves, and fold in any additional leaves that are hanging over the sides of the dish.
  6. Cover the cabbage with remaining half of pecorino. Place in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then invert a serving plate over the souffle dish and flip it over. Cut in 6 slices and serve with additional marinara sauce or passata and additional cheese.

“Cabbage: a familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as large and wise as a man’s head.” —Ambrose Bierce

Down To Earth

At times it just comes down to basics. Favorite dishes using simple ingredients, handed down through each generation of women. Each woman adding their fingerprint on a family history. We are never alone in our kitchens. Our kitchens are crowded with a sense of that history. A Grandmother’s pottery mixing bowl, a well-used potato masher, an old Zeroll Co. ice-cream scoop (patent #20) are touchstones of things shared in an unbroken line.

Cabbage, potatoes and chicken although simple ingredients can be turned into something rich and satisfying. Chicken soup with cabbage and potatoes echoes a Eastern European history. Many cultures use these ingredients in ways that define them. It was a time when nothing was wasted. Chicken carcasses were turned into stock, along with onion and potato peels. Seasoning could be anything from vinegars, seeds or herbs. I love the idea of these benchmarks when I cook. Something old and something new arrive in steaming bowls of healthy goodness. In the remains of the day, food is still love.

CHICKEN, CABBAGE & POTATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups shredded white cabbage
  • 1/2 bulb of fennel, sliced thinly
  • 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 cups shredded chicken from roasted or rotisserie chicken
  • 6 cups chicken stock *(see note)
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar **
  • 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan, Pecorino or Gruyere cheese to top bowls of soup ***
  • Garnish with fennel fronds or chopped Italian parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook stirring often until onion is translucent, about 4-6 minutes. Add cabbage, fennel and garlic; cook stirring often until the cabbage and fennel soften, about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Stir in chicken stock, potatoes, and fennel seed. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, making sure potatoes are softened.
  3. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Spoon into bowls and top with desired cheese, fennel fronds or parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4-6

NOTES:

* I can’t say how important homemade chicken stock is to the overall quality of this soup. Consider taking the time for this (particularly on a quiet, cold winter’s day).

** Spanish sherry vinegar is equally important to the quality of this soup. I use Columela Reserva Sherry Vinegar, which can be found in many well-stocked grocery stores.

***If using Parmesan or Pecorino, shred these cheeses on a fine box shredder; if using Gruyere use the larger holes.

“Soup is the song of the hearth and the home.”

Zuppa Cloverdale

Winter has definitely arrived in the small town of Cloverdale. After 12 inches of snow, and sub-zero temperatures, one tends to prefer steaming hot bowls of something savory. When looking in the pantry and freezer for inspiration, I decided on soaking some flageolet beans, and pulled out a package of sweet Italian sausage. I still had a decent looking cabbage, and wha-la! Something savory and wonderful was going to happen.

Cabbage seems to be an under used vegetable. Part of the brassica family, it is high in vitamins C and K. It will help improve your digestion, is low in calories and high in soluble fiber (and you thought kale was the darling)! I love cabbage in salads, soups, stews, stir fries, rolls and roasted in wedges. We grow three different varieties of cabbage; savoy, red and a beautiful variety called Dead-On, a red tinged savoy. The following soup uses your basic white cabbage, but during the growing season I encourage you to go to your local farmers market and branch out. You will be surprised how vibrant color and texture can inspire your creativity.

ZUPPA CLOVERDALE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup dried, soaked and cooked flageolets or cannellini beans (alternatively you can use 1 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans)
  • 12 ounces sweet or hot Italian sausage (about 4 links) removed from casings.
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups chicken stock (homemade if possible)
  • 4 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup shredded pecorino cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. If using dried beans, (which I highly recommend) cook these first. They should be soaked for 8 hours or overnight. Drain them and put in a heavy Dutch oven or pot and cover with cold water to about 1-2 inches above the beans. Place two cloves of garlic and a bay leaf in water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until tender. DO NOT SALT YOUR WATER!! Salt will prevent your beans from softening. When beans are done leave them in pot until ready to use; then drain and add them to your soup. Otherwise, simply drain your can of beans and leave in colander until ready to use.
  2. In a large, heavy pot on medium-high, place your sausage links (casing removed) into pot. Break larger pieces up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and no longer pink. Add your onions and garlic; sauté until onions are soft.
  3. Add chopped cabbage, stock and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook until cabbage is soft, about 15-20 minutes. Add drained beans.
  4. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and/or freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
  5. Ladle into bowls and pass pecorino cheese if using.

Serves: 4-6

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” –Aristotle

Anyway You Slice It

I eat a lot of salads.  I never tire of the crunch factor.  The winter is a great time to step outside the box and look for salads that don’t rely on lettuce as the main ingredient.  I usually look for seasonal, stable vegetables; and brassicas are an easy solution.  Every thing from cauliflower, to broccoli, to cabbage offer creative and healthy options for salads with a seasonal flare.

Another thing to keep in mind is to include a variety of textures, color and flavor profiles.  Sweet against salty, is one I often use to help keep it interesting.  This salad has all the elements that I enjoy.  It’s colorful, crunchy, sweet and salty all at the same time.  It has great staying power and lasts for several days in the refrigerator.

Red Cabbage Salad with Dates and Feta

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 small red cabbage (or half of a large one), halved, cored, then quartered and sliced very thin
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
  • 4 ounces feta, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

img_5547

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1.  In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Taste and adjust with more lime juice and salt.  It should taste well seasoned.  Let macerate on counter for 30-45 minutes, to slightly soften cabbage.
  2. Toss dressed cabbage with half of the dates. and feta.  Arrange in a bowl or on a platter, and sprinkle the rest of the dates and feta on top.  Garnish with parsley and toasted almonds.

Serves 4-6

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 “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.””

 

Cabbage Rolls Revisited

Once in a while I like to re-post a blog that seems particularly timely.  This originated back in 2011.  We currently have in our possession a large head of cabbage that was begging to be used in something tasty.  This is it.

I love cabbage rolls.  My mother-in-law Elsa made them for me the first time in the early 80’s.  she mixed beef and pork together with onions and rice, placed them in cabbage leaves and tied them with thread.  She called this peasant-food.  Her son John and I called it heaven.  The first time I tried making cabbage rolls I was surprise just how bad I was at getting the leaves separated from the head in one piece.  I kept saying, “It can’t be that hard!”  I decided to get out of the box and approach it differently.  Why not turn it into a casserole I thought?  It would be less time-consuming and we could enjoy it more often.  While I was getting out of the box, I decided to use ground lamb, different spices and feta for a different take on it completely.

3049

Assembling the ingredients

Doing the cabbage ‘rolls’ as a casserole allowed me to follow my own whimsy.  I could shake it up a bit with non-traditional spices and be able to enjoy more cabbage in the process.

Lots more cabbage!

Lots more cabbage!

Cabbage and Lamb Casserole:

  • 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 lbs), core removed, halved and sliced into 1/2 inch sections
  • 1 lb grass-fed ground lamb
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large farm-fresh egg
  • 8 oz (1 cup) crumbled local feta
  • 1/2 cup short-grain rice, such as Arborio
  • 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped (11/2 tsp dried)
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I use our own canned tomatoes)
  • 1 cup chicken stock (I also used homemade)
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a 13×9 inch casserole dish with ghee.
  2. Cut cabbage in half, core, then slice in 1/2 inch wedges.  Place the wedges in casserole dish so they overlap each other in two rows.
  3. In a large bowl, use your hand to combine the lamb, onion, egg, rice, parsley, oregano, lemon juice, feta, cumin, fennel, salt and pepper.  Place mixture on top of cabbage, leaving a 1 inch space round the sides of the casserole so that the cabbage shows through.
  4. Combine the tomatoes and chicken broth in a medium bowl, then pour the mixture over the meat.  Cover with foil (shiny side down).
  5. Bake covered for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes.

Serves 6

Ready for the oven

Ready for the oven

New Traditions!

New Traditions!

“A smiling face is half the meal.”  —Latvian quote

Cabbage Rolls Revisited

I love cabbage rolls.  My mother-in-law Elsa made them for me the first time in the early 80’s.  she mixed beef and pork together with onions and rice, placed them in cabbage leaves and tied them with thread.  She called this peasant-food.  Her son John and I called it heaven.  The first time I tried making cabbage rolls I was surprise just how bad I was at getting the leaves separated from the head in one piece.  I kept saying, “It can’t be that hard!”  I decided to get out of the box and approach it differently.  Why not turn it into a casserole I thought?  It would be less time-consuming and we could enjoy it more often.  While I was getting out of the box, I decided to use ground lamb, different spices and feta for a different take on it completely.

3049

Assembling the ingredients

Doing the cabbage ‘rolls’ as a casserole allowed me to follow my own whimsy.  I could shake it up a bit with non-traditional spices and be able to enjoy more cabbage in the process.

Lots more cabbage!

Lots more cabbage!

Cabbage and Lamb Casserole:

  • 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 lbs), core removed, halved and sliced into 1/2 inch sections
  • 1 lb grass-fed ground lamb
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large farm-fresh egg
  • 8 oz (1 cup) crumbled local feta
  • 1/2 cup short-grain rice, such as Arborio
  • 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped (11/2 tsp dried)
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I use our own canned tomatoes)
  • 1 cup chicken stock (I also used homemade)
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a 13×9 inch casserole dish with ghee.
  2. Cut cabbage in half, core, then slice in 1/2 inch wedges.  Place the wedges in casserole dish so they overlap each other in two rows.
  3. In a large bowl, use your hand to combine the lamb, onion, egg, rice, parsley, oregano, lemon juice, feta, cumin, fennel, salt and pepper.  Place mixture on top of cabbage, leaving a 1 inch space round the sides of the casserole so that the cabbage shows through.
  4. Combine the tomatoes and chicken broth in a medium bowl, then pour the mixture over the meat.  Cover with foil (shiny side down).
  5. Bake covered for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes.

Serves 6

Ready for the oven

Ready for the oven

New Traditions!

New Traditions!

“A smiling face is half the meal.”  —Latvian quote

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