It is fall, so it must be cabbage time, and no time to look down on this cheap and plentiful vegetable. Cabbage is a great source of vitamin C, B6, B1, B2 and A. And the list goes on: fiber, folate, manganese, calcium, potassium and magnesium. The phytochemicals in all cruciferous vegetables, that is, white and red cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc, are thought to be cancer-fighting. And a recent study published in Food, Science and Technology suggests that polyphenols in red cabbage have a preventive effect on Alzheimer’s disease.
OK, ma petit chou, it’s time to cook. Here are two of my mother’s cabbage recipes, inexpensive, simple and delicious.
Cabbage and lamb casserole
2 lb or 0.9 kg leg or shoulder of lamb, cut in 1 inch pieces
3 lb or 1.3 kg of white cabbage, chopped into 1 inch pieces (discard the hard part)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into quarter inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced
10 whole black peppers
10 whole all spice
1.5 tablespoons of salt
Sear the lamb in oil or butter in hot frying pan. Layer the meat, cabbage, carrots and onion into an ovenproof casserole. Glaze the frying pan with one cup of water, and pour into casserole. Add all spice, black peppers and salt. Cover and cook in at 325 F or 160 C for 2 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.
Mother’s cabbage salad
1 lb or 0.9 kg of white cabbage
3 tablespoons of lingonberry jam
2 tablespoons of sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Cut the cabbage into the thinnest julienne possible, add lingonberry jam and sour cream, salt and pepper and mix. Serve as a side dish with Swedish meatballs or other meat dish.
You can also prepare white or red cabbage salad with your favorite salad dressing or vinaigrette. Just cut into the thinnest possible slices, or shred the cabbage, and add your dressing. Pick some of your favorite herbs, chop and add to salad.
You prepare your own cole slaw! Do you not? Just say yes, and here is a basic recipe.
3 cups of shredded white or red cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 green apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
4 tablespoons of plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice
a pinch of salt, and a couple of turns from the black pepper grinder
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Check salt and pepper. Or make your own variation. Maybe you would like to add chopped peppers, or chopped celery, or…
It is your cole slaw, just dare!
For a tropical cole slaw, use the above recipe and add:
¼ cup of raisins, dark or golden
¼ cup of chopped mixed nuts
¼ cup of chopped dried pineapple or dried papaya
½ teaspoon of Tabasco
And listen to your favorite bossa nova CD. You get the picture.
The Danish and Swedish Christmas buffet has always, yes, Danish or Swedish red Christmas cabbage. Here is one variation of the recipe.
2 lb or 1.3 kg red cabbage, thinly sliced or coarsely grated
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 green apples, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 cup of red wine
a pinch of ground all spice
a dash of ground cloves
salt and black pepper to taste
Melt butter in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and apples and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add cabbage and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add brown sugar, red wine, cloves and allspice. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Check salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This smells like Christmas. Oh no, not yet!
Paavo Turtiainen manages a catering and event planning company, which is based in Manhattan, and serves some of the world’s most famous people, royalty, institutions and companies. Paavo is still today known for his close personal association with film legend Ingrid Bergman and producer Lars Schmidt. Throughout his journeys, Paavo has taken with him food values and flavors that he first learned about growing up in rural Finland.
From the mouthwatering open air markets of France, where Paavo worked in Bergman’s home, the joyful nature inspired food of the Finnish and Swedish summers, to the cosmopolitan food markets of New York, Paavo brings many special and inspiring flavors and ideas to the table with the simplicity and accessibility of his Finnish beginnings always in mind.
