nevermind kings, tell me more about cabbages

Three heads of red CSA cabbage brought me to my knees in desperation was my inspiration for this recipe search. I'd already had to toss one head because I'd left it so long it turned squishy (yuck), and I shredded and froze another for future batches of borscht, but I wanted to use the third.

Diana Shaw's cookbook Almost Vegetarian has been sitting on my shelves, neglected and forlorn, for nearly ten years now. On this occasion I suppose it was Fate's hand which guided me to its lime green spine and made me pluck it from the shelf. The index search brought me to this recipe--a gift from the gods (or as near as cabbage in any form can be considered a gift):

Whole Wheat Penne with Cabbage and Cumin

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 medium red or white low-starch potato, peeled and sliced paper thin
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 4 ounces fontina or taleggio cheese, thinly sliced
• 3 cups imported dried whole wheat penne

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot, cabbage, potato, and cumin, and saute until the onion is soft and limp, about 8 minutes. Cover and let steam until the cabbage is very tender and the potato has cooked through, about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat. 

Meanwhile, cook the penne according to package directions. Drain, then quickly toss it into the skillet, along with the cabbage mixture and the cheese. Toss briskly with two wooden spoons and serve at once, in warmed bowls.

Even though this was a Hail-Mary-of-cabbage situation, it worked out very well. I substituted a bit from the ingredients list. I was out of cumin seeds so I used ground cumin, and I didn't have either of the fancy cheeses for which the recipe called, so I substituted a bag of shredded mozzarella & parmesan. I would never have considered cabbage and cheese with pasta, but turns out its a very satisfactory combination. In my house, cabbage is more often served raw in salads or cooked to a near soggy mess with brisket--with this pasta dish it's sautéed and then steamed, and then the cheese ensures the cabbage/veggie mix becomes sauce-like, coating the whole wheat pasta. Really, an excellent way to not only use-up cabbage, but to eat pasta. We'll be making this again. Thank you, previously unused cookbook!

Kimchi

Delving into the wild world of lacto-fermented foods...

from Nourishing Traditions
by Sally Fallon

Korean Sauerkraut (Kimchi)

• 1 head cabbage, cored and shredded [called for Napa but I used green]
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup daikon radish, grated (optional) [I didn't have any]
• 1 Tbls freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp dried chile flakes
• 1 Tbls sea salt
• 4 Tbls whey (if not available, use an additional 1 Tbsp salt)

Place vegetables, ginger, garlic red chile flakes, sea salt and whey in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down until the juices rise to the top of the cabbage. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

The most difficult part of this recipe was mashing the kimchi down until the juices rose to the top. Took forever, likely because I was using the wrong sort of tool. At the time I was starting to think it was never gonna happen, but eventually it did work, I closed the lid, and then began the waiting. Three days on the kitchen counter and then a few weeks in the refrigerator (our basement is technically 5-10 degrees too warm to be considered cold storage).

We broke-in the kimchi this week. Delicious! Sauerkraut it is indeed (we love it!); the carrots and chile flakes add a fresh note to the otherwise familiar flavor. We'll be using this to top our hot dogs and brats and to accompany our burgers this summer. A big thumbs up.