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Now that I’ve used all the cabbage I want
for kraut, I’ve got to decide what to do with the remaining
few heads still in my garden.
Cabbage is one of the most versatile and widely used vegetables
we grow every year.
You can chop it, shred it, stuff it, steam it, boil it, “pickle”
it, fry it, and best of all you can eat it and never feel guilty
about it. Cabbage has long been a popular vegetable in many
countries and is especially loved in our area this time of year.
As a child growing up in Avery County, I remember how awestruck
I was each autumn while passing though the Hughes community;
it seemed that each mountainside was covered in cabbage plants,
creating such a beautiful scene from the roadside. I later learned
it didn’t just happen by accident, but required a lot of
hard work and dedication.
Among the last of the garden goods this time every year, our
green mountain cabbage, with a round, tightly packed head, can
be eaten raw with a shake of salt as easily as chopped into
cooked concoctions. There is also a red or purple cabbage found
in local produce stands similar in shape to the green. Also,
another round variety, with crinkled pale green leaves, is the
Savoy cabbage, with a head more loosely packed.
It has a milder flavor and is not as crisp, but is often used
interchangeably.
Known as Chinese cabbage, Napa is also a loosely packed cabbage
that has a milder flavor than either of the above and doesn’t
give off a strong odor when cooked.
Cabbage Tips
· Fresh heads of cabbage should be stored
unwashed in plastic bags and will keep for about two weeks in
the refrigerator.
· Cook cabbage just until crisp-tender, as overcooking
results in an unfavorable odor and strong flavor. Also to prevent
odor when cooking, I have been told to place a half-cup of vinegar
or a piece of bread next to the stove, but I haven’t tried
either of those tips, yet.
· Simple centerpiece for party: Cut cabbage into a shell;
hollow out and fill with dip or with you favorite potato salad,
coleslaw.
· To give coleslaw extra zest, add 1 tablespoon of horseradish.
· Buy large heads when on sale; chop it all and freeze
in dinner-size portions for later.
Crock Pot Cabbage Rolls
1 green cabbage
1 lb. ground beef, browned
¼ cup uncooked rice
1 egg, beaten
1 onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
8 oz. can tomato sauce
Mix ground beef, rice, egg, onion, carrot, salt and pepper.
Mix together vinegar, brown sugar and tomato sauce. Drop cabbage
in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove 10 large leaves.
Chop remaining cabbage. Place in bottom of crockpot. Place 2
to 4 tablespoons of meat mixture in center of each leaf. Roll
up and use toothpick to hold. Place stem side down in crock
pot. Pour on tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8 to
10 hours. Serves 6 to 8.
One-Pot Cabbage Supper
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 large can Mexican-styled tomatoes with liquid
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Hot rice
In a large skillet, brown beef and onion, drain.
Stir in cabbage. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until cabbage is
crisp tender. Stir in tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and
pepper. Cook ten minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Serve
over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.
Grandma’s Cabbage and Apple Slaw
4 cups of chopped cabbage
4 unpeeled red delicious apples, cored and chopped.
4 Tbs. lemon juice
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup light olive oil
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. powdered ginger
Chop cabbage, apples and onions; toss with lemon
juice in large plastic bowl with lid. Mix vinegar, oil, ginger
and sugar and heat in microwave for 1 minute. Beat until sugar
is dissolved. Pour over cabbage. Put on lid and shake well. Chill
at least 2 hours before serving. It’s better the next day.
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