I love using this blog to introduce you (and myself) to new ingredients or forgotten ones that are in season and ready to make it into your meal plan.
Our Ingredient of the Month for April will hopefully also do that.
No more sticking our nose up at cabbage (get that image of stinky boiled cabbage in old London from your favorite Dickens novel out of your mind). It’s time to give this cruciferous veg some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Cabbage
Tell me more:
Cabbage is a vegetable that grows in leafy, round “heads”. It comes in green and purple varieties; its cousins are cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce.
Where do I buy it:
As with most food, buy at the farmers market when you can. Cabbage is an annual cool-season crop, but I tend to see these almost year-round at my farmers market (as well at the grocery store). Look for light to dark green (or deep purple) cabbage heads with healthy looking outer leaves.
Where do I store it:
Store your cabbage in the refrigerator, either in the crisper drawer or wrapped to preserve its freshness. Don’t wash cabbage until you are ready to use it.
How do I use it:
Although boiling cabbage might have been popular in yesteryear, I suggest using outer cabbage leaves as a wrap or to roll and cook containing a meat or rice mixture, or chop up the leaves and insides to use in slaws or soups. (You might want to cut out the core, unless you’re going to be cooking it for awhile.)
Here are some more specific ideas:
- Chopped or shredded in a stir fry (what can’t you put in a stir fry?)
- Farro Slaw or Shrimp Tacos with Citrus Slaw
- A simple saute as a healthy side dish
- Whip up some homemade kimchi
- Feed an army with cabbage rolls