This is just one of the many ways to use cabbages, which are in season. Matt Bittman has a recipe presenting cabbage — 12 ways. He outlines three ways to cook the cabbage for each of the cooking methods, which are braising, serving it raw, stir-frying or making a soup with it. I choose to make a salad while keeping the cabbage raw. This is because I had previous success with a cabbage salad: sort-of-Waldorf salad. It’s refreshing and satisfying. So I make the cabbage salad with apple and walnut, following one of Bittman’s cabbage — 12 ways recipes.
Start with crisping the bacon in olive oil. Then add the dressing ingredients: Dijon mustard, chopped shallot, and lots of pepper. Finally, toss in the sliced apple and roasted walnuts together with the shredded cabbage. That’s it. In the end, I think the salad would benefit from a squeeze of lemon for some acidity. Drizzle in more olive oil, if you need.
Cabbage is a versatile ingredient. No doubt there are so many methods in preparing it. Notably, the long methods of braising and making a soup may be the best way, but not a quick one, to build flavor. Green cabbage gets sweet when cooked. Meanwhile, red cabbage is full of antioxidants. For salad, red cabbage is the way to go.
Well, there are 11 more recipes to check out. Maybe “recipes” is not the right word, rather they are brainstorming notes on a whiteboard. Whenever you search for new ways to draw down the supply of cabbage from the farm box, please take a look at the guide below. Surely, there is something for everyone!
Mark Bittman's Cabbage - 12 Ways
Instructions
*BRAISED*
Stuffed Cabbage: Sauté 1 pound ground beef, 1 chopped onion, and 1 chopped carrot in 2 tablespoons olive oil until browned. Add chopped leaves of 1 small savoy cabbage (about 6 cups), 1⁄4 cup raisins, and a pinch of cinnamon. Cover and cook until the cabbage wilts, then add a 28-oz can of whole tomatoes (with juice) and 1⁄2 cup stock. Simmer, partly covered, until the cabbage is tender and the sauce thickens. Garnish: parsley.
Curry: Use green cabbage. Substitute chicken thigh chunks for beef; 1 tablespoon each minced garlic, ginger, and fresh chile for carrot; 1 tablespoon curry powder for cinnamon; and 15 oz. coconut milk for tomatoes. Garnish: cilantro and lime.
Sausage and Beer: Substitute chunks of kielbasa for ground beef, butter for olive oil (skip the carrot). Use red cabbage. Skip the raisins, cinnamon, and tomatoes, and substitute 1 to 2 cups of beer, plus 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup cider, red wine, or sherry vinegar for the stock.
*KEEP IT RAW*
Thai Style: Put about 12 cups shredded napa cabbage in a large bowl with 1⁄2 cup chopped peanuts and 1 cup chopped mint. Combine 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 to 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon neutral oil, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the juice of 1 lime, and some minced fresh hot chile to taste; whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the dressing to the cabbage and toss.
Apples and Bacon: Substitute red cabbage for napa, walnuts for peanuts, and a sliced green apple for mint. Skip the Thai flavors. Crisp 4 oz chopped bacon in olive oil. Stir in 1 tablespoon Dijon, chopped shallot, and lots of pepper; toss with cabbage.
Cabbage Caesar: Forget everything but the cabbage. Rub the bowl with a garlic clove; add 1 egg yolk, a few chopped anchovies, 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan, the juice of 1 lemon, 6 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper. Whisk; add the cabbage and toss.
*MAKE SOUP*
Hot and Sour: Bring 8 cups chicken stock to a boil with 2 tablespoons each minced garlic and fresh ginger. Add 8 oz sliced fresh shiitakes and 5 cups shredded napa cabbage; cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1⁄4 cup rice vinegar, 1 cup tofu cubes, and black pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, scallions.
Pho: Use napa cabbage. Add 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, and 4 pieces star anise. Substitute 8 oz thinly sliced beef for shiitakes, fish sauce for soy, lime juice for vinegar, and 4 oz soaked rice noodles for tofu. Garnish: cilantro, mint, sliced chiles.
Beans and Ham: Keep the stock, skip the rest. Brown 8 ounces chopped ham and 1 chopped onion in olive oil. Add the stock and 3 cups cooked white beans; bring to a boil. Add green cabbage and some thyme; simmer until tender. Garnish: Parmesan.
*STIR-FRIED*
Shrimp and Mushrooms: Put 3 tablespoons neutral oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon each minced garlic and fresh ginger, and cook for 15 seconds; add 1 small shredded napa cabbage and 8 oz sliced mushrooms; cook, stirring, until soft and slightly brown, 5 minutes. Add 8 ounces shrimp and cook until pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir soy sauce to taste. Garnish: scallions.
Pork and Peanuts: Use napa cabbage. Brown 8 ounces ground pork in the oil before adding the garlic and fresh ginger. Skip the mushrooms and shrimp (add a handful of peanuts when you’d add the shrimp, and cook until lightly toasted). Garnish: scallions.
Egg and Tomato: Use napa cabbage; skip the mushrooms and shrimp. Once the cabbage is soft, push it to one side of the pan, add more oil, and scramble 2 or 3 eggs in the empty spot until firm. Stir in 1 cup chopped tomatoes. Garnish: scallions and soy.
Notes
Adapted from: https://www.markbittman.com/recipes-1/cabbage-12-ways
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