Cabbage is a humble vegetable that really shines at this time of year. You can purchase locally or sa国际传媒-grown cabbages in pristine condition. October, with its shorter days and cooler nights, is the perfect time to turn it into something wonderfully savoury to eat.
According to the New Food Lover's Companion, the word cabbage is a derivation of the French word caboche, a colloquial term meaning head. The head-shaped types of cabbage are what I'll be writing about and offering recipes for today.
The most widely grown type of this cabbage is green cabbage - not surprising, considering its culinary flexibility. You can use it in salads, soups and braised dishes - or simply cut it into wedges, steam them, top with melted butter and serve as a side dish. Green cabbage can also be turned into sauerkraut, and its leaves can be blanched, stuffed, rolled, sauced and baked in a casserole until bubbly and delicious.
Another commonly available type is red cabbage, which looks like its green brethren, only with a purplish-red hue. It, too, can be used in salads, such as today's recipe for tangy coleslaw. Another popular option for red cabbage is to slice it, slowly braise it and serve it as a side dish with such things as roast pork or sausages. When braising red cabbage, an acidic ingredient such as vinegar is added to help prevent that attractive purplish-red colour from turning to an unappealing blue-grey.
Both green and red cabbage have a mildly peppery flavour that I find, if the product is very fresh, can have a slightly sweet taste. Both also have smooth, tightly packed leaves, characteristics you'll not find in another type of head-shaped cabbage.
That variety is the more squat-looking, milder-tasting savoy cabbage, which has crinkly leaves that are not as tightly wound as red or green cabbage. Because of that trait, savoy cabbage leaves can be easily removed, making them great for stuffing and turning into cabbage rolls. Savoy cabbage can be also used in salads and other hot dishes, such as soups, stir-fries or today's pasta recipe.
When purchasing any of the three types of cabbage described above, choose well-shaped heads that feel heavy for their size and have fresh, crisp-looking leaves. Because its leaves aren't as tightly wound, savoy cabbage won't feel as heavy as a green or red cabbage.
Store a whole head of cabbage in a plastic bag in your refrigerator crisper. If it's in good condition, it will keep a week or more. Once cut, cabbage deteriorates fairly quickly and should be used within a few days.
According to the sa国际传媒 Agriculture website, agf.gov.bc.ca, cabbage belongs to a class of vegetables called brassica, also known as cruciferous vegetables because their flowers are cross-shaped. Other members in what's often called the "cabbage family" include brussels sprouts, broccoli and kale. That website says medical researchers are finding that vegetables in this family contain compounds that assist in preventing several types of cancer. Cabbage is also an excellent source of minerals, vitamin A and C and B vitamins, other good reasons to purchase a head or two.
Eric Akis is the author of the bestselling Everyone Can Cook series of cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
CABBAGE SOUP WITH QUINOA
This hearty, thick cabbage soup is flecked with nutritious quinoa and a mix of other vegetables. Served bowls of it with hearty bread and call it lunch or dinner.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 25 minutes
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 medium celery rib, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
5 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups chopped green cabbage
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup quinoa
? salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 to 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Place the oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook 3 to 4 minutes to soften. Add the stock, cabbage, tomatoes, oregano, cumin, paprika and cayenne and bring to a slow simmer. Stir in the quinoa. Simmer soup 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cabbage and quinoa are tender. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve.
OVEN BARBECUE CHICKEN WITH APPLE BUTTERMILK COLESLAW
Barbecue-spiced and sauced chicken served with tangy coleslaw would make a fine meal to serve while watching the football game.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 45 to 50 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
For the coleslaw
1 tsp lemon juice
1 medium green apple
2 cups thinly shredded red cabbage (about 1/2 small head)
1/3 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
? a sauce, such as Tabasco few splashes hot pepper
? salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place lemon juice in a medium to large bowl. Core the apple, cut into small cubes, set in the bowl and toss to coat with the lemon juice. Add the cabbage, carrot, celery and green onion to the bowl.
Make dressing by combining the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sugar, mustard, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. For crisp coleslaw, served it soon after dressing it.
For the chicken
8 chicken thighs
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
? salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup barbecue sauce, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trim loose skin from the chicken thighs. Set thighs skin side up on the baking sheet.
Combine oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika and cayenne in a small bowl. Brush some of the mixture on top of each chicken thigh. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken 40 minutes. Brush each thigh with some barbecue sauce and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, or until cooked through. Serve chicken with the coleslaw.
RIGATONI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND CABBAGE
Steamed savoy cabbage and succulent bits of Italian sausage accent this pasta dish. The marinara sauce used in the recipe is sold in jars or cans at most supermarkets and Italian specialty food stores.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
3 mild, medium or hot Italian sausages (about 300 grams)
1/2 lb savoy cabbage (about 1/4 of medium head), coarsely chopped
3/4 lb rigatoni
1/3 cup white wine (see Note)
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
? salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
? freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Remove the sausage from its casing, pull the meat into small nuggets, set on a plate and refrigerate until needed.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Set cabbage in a steamer and set over the boiling water. Cover and steam cabbage until just tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set steamer on a plate.
Uncover steamer and let cabbage sit at room temperature.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, set a very large skillet over medium, to medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until cooked through. Drain excess fat from the skillet.
Pour the wine into the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Mix in the marinara sauce and bring it to a simmer.
Now mix in the cooked cabbage.
When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of its cooking liquid, and then drain the pasta well. Add the pasta and reserved cooking liquid to the skillet
and toss to combine. Taste pasta and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Spoon the pasta into bowls and let diners top it with parmesan cheese to taste.
Note: If you can't have or don't wish to use wine, replace with another flavoured liquid, such as chicken or vegetable stock.
