October 11, 2006 - Cabbage
The Carefree Gourmet - by Joyce McCombs

There’s been a rumor going around for years that I don’t like vegetables and that cabbage is at the top of the list. It’s not exactly true, because I do love coleslaw and Brussel sprouts are at the top of the list, so there. I can manage the cabbage in an egg roll just fine. And I don’t mind good sauerkraut alongside a sparerib or in a Rueben sandwich. But try and convince me that cooked cabbage is tasty, and I’ll kick up a fuss for sure. The smell gets me every time, and so does the texture. In a word: ick. I’ve always felt this way, even when beloved family members would hoot and holler about the tastiness of the cabbage rolls they were downing and I’d turn away in disgust. Not even the lure of massive amounts of Vitamin C and other good things contained in cabbage can convince me even now to sit down to a plate of wilted, pale green leaves.
In an attempt to broaden my horizons, I’ve tracked down some recipes that might induce me to be a bit more adventurous. Besides, I think cabbages are just beautiful and have always felt virtuous buying them. Perhaps all I need is some inspiration, a bit of sauce, and a kick of spice to change my mind.

Freezer Slaw
This isn’t cooked, but it’s a great to know about if you are one of the lucky gardeners with a bumper crop of cabbage and another batch of coleslaw will sound better in January than it does now. Makes over five pounds of slaw that can be stored in the freezer in flattened zip top bags. The bags save space and thaw quickly in hot water, too. Be sure to string the celery before you grate it and the job will go a lot smoother on your knuckles.

1 large head cabbage (4-5 lbs), coarsely shredded
1 cup grated carrots
2 stalks grated celery
1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 Tablespoon salt
Mix cabbage and salt in a large bowl and let stand for one hour, stirring twice. (Meanwhile, make syrup, below). After an hour, drain cabbage in batches in cheesecloth lined colander, squeezing out as much moisture as possible. Return dried cabbage to bowl and add diced peppers and celery. Mix well.

Freezer Slaw Syrup
Combine in a medium saucepan:
1 teaspoon each mustard and celery seed
1 cup white OR cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 cups sugar

Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Cool to room temperature then pouring over cabbage and mix thoroughly. Portion into zip top bags, flatten and freeze. Keeps well up to 6 months.

Cabba-Cheese Casserole
This is your basic “hide it in a cheese sauce and see if they’ll eat it” routine which works a good deal of the time, at least for me. Besides, how often do you get to say “pass the Cabba-cheese, please ”?
Half a large cabbage, chopped
1 small chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese
Buttered bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pepper
Cook cabbage and onion in boiling salted water until tender. Drain well. Melt butter in a medium saucepan and stir in flour until blended. Slowly stir in milk, whisking over medium heat until thick and smooth. Add Cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Combine cheese sauce with cabbage mixture. Pour into a well sprayed or buttered 8 x 8 inch casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs, sprinkle evenly with Parmesan adding pepper to taste. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
Not a recipe for the timid with all the spices and the slightly intense directions. If you don’t want your house to smell like cooked cabbage for the next week, just simmer a few whole cloves or allspice in a small saucepan on the back burner while you put this together.
1 small red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon crushed fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mustard seed

Place cabbage and onion in large steamer basket over 1/2 cup water in a covered saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium until cabbage is crisp tender, about 5 minutes. About half the water should boil away. Remove cabbage from steamer and place in pan with remaining water and all other ingredients. Simmer 5 more minutes stirring often to blend flavors. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers in glass or plastic (non reactive) container.

Red Cabbage Swedish Style
I wonder if cranberry jelly would work in place of the currant called for here? Either way, they’re both red and tangy and this combination of apples and cabbage sounds like the perfect side dish to a moose or caribou roast.
1/2 stick butter
4 tart, green apples, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow or white onion, sliced
2 pounds red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup red wine
2 tablespoons currant jelly

In a heavy Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat, then add apples and onion slices and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add cabbage and stir occasionally for 8 minutes until just tender. Add sugar, vinegar, salt, cloves, and allspice. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, cooking until cabbage is crisp-tender, about ten more minutes. Remove cover, add red wine
and jelly and cook an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cabbage Scallop
Next time you have a bag of cabbage mix staring you in the face and no idea what to do with it, give this a try. I think a couple shots of Chipotle Tabasco would make things more interesting - consult your taste buds.
2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed
1/4 cup melted butter
1 (10-ounce) package shredded coleslaw mix
1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 tablespoon basil
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Lightly spray or butter an 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Toss cereal crumbs and butter; spoon half of cereal mixture into dish. Top evenly with cabbage and onion.
Combine milk, mayonnaise, soup and basil; pour over cabbage. Sprinkle
with cheese and remaining cereal mixture. Bake, covered with foil, at 350° for 45 minutes, then remove foil and let brown for 15 minutes.

Festive Cabbage Cake
Why do I have the feeling this is from the same people who bring us zucchini cake, zucchini muffins, zucchini bread, zucchini bars and zucchini cookies? It does sound like a tasty cake to me, especially with all those good, warm, brown spices that smell like autumn. Besides, my theory is, if it involves cream cheese icing, what’s not to love?
3 cups very finely shredded cabbage
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons baking soda
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan and preheat oven to 325. Cover cabbage with cold water and let stand a few minutes. Drain well in colander.

Beat sugar and oil together for 2 minutes until well combined. Add cabbage and eggs and beat for 2 minutes. Sift dry ingredients together and add gradually to cabbage mixture using lowest speed until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, about 30-40 minutes. Surface will appear moist. Cool ten minutes, then turn out of pans and cool completely on wire rack. Frost with cream cheese icing:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 eight ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 one pound box powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix well and spread over cooled cake.

  

Index to Carefree Gourmet Articles

Sourdough Sensations June 29, 2007

Kitty Treats June 29, 2007

Dog Treats April 20, 2007

Sandwich Plan March 23, 2007

Carefree Wacky Ingredients March 8, 2007

Homestead Hearth January 25, 2007

Carefree Cooking 101 January 11, 2007

Holiday Punch December 23, 2006

Holiday Treats December 12, 2006

Thanksgiving II November 20, 2006

Standby Favorites October 16, 2006

Cabbage October 11, 2006

Apples September 22, 2006

Kids Cook July 6, 2006

Wacky Tips June 8, 2006

Graduation May 11, 2006

African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006

Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006

February Vacation February 23, 2006

Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Christmas Treats December 22, 2005

Sweet Surprises December 8, 2005

Turkey Times  November 22, 2005

Grand Champions - Part 2 - October 13, 2005

Janet Boyer September 22, 2005

Grand Champions September 5, 2005

Blueberries  August 12, 2005

Halibut and Zukes July 28, 2005

Orange Juice July 14, 2005

Happy Birthday June 30, 2005

Honey June 9, 2005

Picnic Dishes May 26, 2005

Celebration Salads May 12, 2005

Kraft Foods April 21, 2005

Shrimp April 7, 2005

Carry on Airline snacks March 25, 2005

Sandwiches March 10, 2005

Back from Vacation February 24, 2005

Super Bowl Snack Attack  January 14, 2005

Ginger Snaps December 29, 2004

Christmas Memories - December 12, 2004

Thanksgiving November 23, 2004

Glen and Meat  October 29, 2004

Blueberry Pie Champion  September 30, 2004

Fair Winners  September 2, 2004

Glen's Knives June 11, 2004

Aunt Aggie Tells All... May 13, 2004

Crazy About Catsup April 29, 2004

Carefree Clearance Special April 8, 2004

Seattle Adventure March 26, 2004

Vegas, part 2 March 12, 2004

Vegas Wind February 12, 2004

Casserole Bonanza January 11, 2004

No Fuss Dishes  December 19, 2003

Fake and Bake Christmas  December 11, 2003