Have you noticed the conical shaped cabbage available at some of our farmers markets? Ma & Pa’s Garden of Sebastopol has been growing it for the past two years and can barely keep up with the demand. However much owner Cliff Silva brings to the markets, he sells out quickly, often within the market’s first hour.
Silva’s cabbage is so crisp that it yields instantly to a knife, splitting open almost of its own effort. It makes outstanding coleslaw and is delicious sautéed and seasoned with nothing more than salt and pepper.
There are a few varieties of conical shaped cabbage, one of them called Conehead, which has to make you smile. But this cabbage has more than just a whimsical appearance. It has a light, sweet flavor and delicate texture. Even people who don’t think they care much for cabbage seem to warm to it.
You can enjoy it raw, as a wrap for dishes such as Thai laab (also known as larb), a warm salad of ground meat, herbs and spices; and picadillo. It also can be used in place of lettuce on sandwiches.
For more cabbage recipes from the Seasonal Pantry archives, visit “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.
Sautéed cabbage isn’t a particularly sexy dish and likely won’t win many accolades, but it is quite delicious, especially when made with great cabbage. Caraway seed is a common companion to cabbage, but use it only if you like it and if it will resonate well with other foods being served at the same time, as it can be overpowering.
Simple Sautéed Cabbage
Serves 4 to 6
3 tablespoons, approximately, olive oil, butter, or lard
1 small cabbage, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
— Kosher salt
— Black pepper in a mill
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed, optional
Set a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the fat, and when it is hot, add the cabbage. Use tongs or a long metal spatula to turn the cabbage to coat it with the fat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, turning now and then, until the cabbage is completely wilted and tender. Do not let it brown.
Season with salt, pepper, and caraway seed, if using.
Remove from the heat and serve as a side dish or as a bed for roasted meat, roasted poultry, sausages, or meatballs.
This is one of those dishes that is greater than the sum of its ingredients. It is irresistibly delicious and also easy to make, especially if you have homemade chicken stock on hand.
Potato, Bacon & Cabbage Soup
Makes 6 to 8 servings
— Olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
— Kosher salt
6 ounces, approximately, bacon in one piece, cubed
2 -2½ pounds potatoes, washed and sliced
2-4 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 small green cabbage, cored and cut into thin slices
— Black pepper in a mill
— Hawaiian Chile Water, Tapatio, Tabasco or other hot sauce
Pour enough olive oil into a large soup pot to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Set over medium heat, add the onion and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 12 minutes; do not let the onion brown. Season lightly with salt.
