I have been scrubbing about in the garden today – one of those days when you think you won’t do much but end up doing a fair bit. I am inside now before I head back out to tackle the final mile.
I weeded the woodland (I am managing to stay ahead this year). The Solomon’s seals are up so I gave them some chook poo, watered them in a bit, and then mulched them with the cat’s litter trays. The manferns are sprouting now – hopefully I will get a good showing this year as they did not lose their leaves over winter.
I weeded out some of the cat’s walkways (always tough).
I emptied four big terracotta pots of their old potting mix and weeds – added mix to the compost bins, weeds to the waste bin. This is a job I’ve been putting off for ages as the pots are so big and difficult to woman-handle, but I got there in the end and am pleased with that.
Have mostly dug out the big vegetable bed that had been growing winter greens – it needs to be composted and manured and planted out with peas and bush beans very soon. I’ve left this a bit too late, but the bed still had a few winter cabbages growing in there and I left them until it was almost too late.
So now I have about 8 big cabbages sitting in my basket.
What can I do with them? Anyone got some super cabbage dishes that require no more than 4 steps? (If you’re talking about rolling things up in the leaves, then unless it is dead simple forget it). I could make sauerkraut but I never eat it – I still have jars of the stuff bubbling evilly away somewhere dark and forgetful.
We make this with silverbeet and kale but I’m guessing it’d do just as well with cabbage. Really it’s just braised silverbeet. You could probably freeze it?
http://tomatoesforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2008/09/braised-silverbeet.html
Try googling colcannon, it’s a tradional Irish dish of cabbage & potato. Might be a few more steps than you want, but it really does taste great.
This is a really yummy coleslaw recipe:
Crunchy Coleslaw
1/2 Savoy Cabbage (I like to use Wong Bok, but any cabbage will work)
Pine nuts/Slivered Almonds (whichever you prefer)
Carrot, Capsicum, Onion (any veggies you prefer)
2 min noodles
Dressing: 1/4 cup each of olive oil, castor sugar and vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar). I also add the flavour satchel from the noodles and then add approx 1 tablespoon soy sauce (make this to suit your taste).
Bake the nuts and crushed noodles in the oven until they are nice and brown. Add them to your chopped salad and add dressing.
I often make the coleslaw the day (or at least a few hours) before and add the dressing then. Don’t add the nuts and noodles until just before you’re ready to serve, so they are still nice and crunchy.
If you have leftovers, they are even nice stir-fried and served with rice.
I sometimes use it as a substitute for pastry in pot pies.
You could make borscht with them. Saute onion in butter, add some diced tomatoes, sliced cabbage (4 cups), a couple of potatoes sliced, a beet or two if you like, salt, pepper, caraway and dill seed, water to cover all and simmer. You’re good at modifying recipes – add a dollop of sour cream – yummy!
Yumm I second the coleslaw…and also have a yummy all in one meal.
Cut bacon, and fry up then toss chopped onions in the bacon fat …layer sliced cabbage and sliced potatoes over the top, and steam for a while to soften the spuds and onions ..toss the lot to get the bacon flavour thru it all ..then steam until the spuds are cooked.It’s sort of like bubble and squeak but better!It will freeze well just loses the cabbage crunch.
PS I got home tonight.