It's the heart of winter. Hothouse tomatoes and strawberries abound, but for those of us who like to at least try to eat seasonally, fresh produce can be somewhat grim. But wait, lo what lurks in the produce bin? Handsome, firm heads of pale green and bright purple? Behold, the noble Brassica oleracea capitata.
Even better...it's a high-yield cold weather crop, meaning in winter cabbage is plentiful and cheap, cheap, cheap! Cabbages are in your local markets (U.S.) now for as low as $0.39/lb.
Cabbage is best quickly cooked, think stir-fry, or long cooked, as in a meltingly soft braise--in between cooking times can be somewhat disappointing. Heck, you can eat it raw or pickled to boot.
Some recipes to whet your appetite:
Savoy Cabbage Soup with Ricotta Crostini
Kimchi (Korean cabbage pickle)
More recipes, buying tips, cooking tips.
Learn more than you ever wanted to know about cabbage, including yet more recipes.
What's in it for you
Cabbages are apparently even better for you than I thought. They are a good source of vitamin K, vitamin C (if not cooked too long), and the phytochemicals called indoles and sulforaphane (sulfur-containing compouds in cabbage are broken down during long cooking and can produce that charactaristic cabbagy smell). Cabbages are part of the Crucifer family, and a diet rich in crucifers is considered a part of our arsenal against developing cancer.
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-- Posted by: aikihq at October 19, 2008 7:11 PM