I’ve been sharing information on our Facebook page this last week about CABBAGE! What kinds do we have stocked at Bee Healthy? Why so many and are they ‘handled’ differently? And why eat cabbage anyway?
3 kinds of cabbage at The Bee: Green Cabbage (Storage No 4), Winter Savoy (Deadon), and Red Cabbage (Ruby Perfection)—-YES! They are cooked differently, each with their own unique character, strengths and weaknesses-
Let’s talk Deadon today…A January King variety with green leaves and a beautiful magenta blush at the top! By far the most beautiful of cabbages–a Winter Savoy. Savoy refers to the wrinkly and often tougher outer leaves. Friday’s dinner at our house was Winter Savoy Cabbage with Carrot, a large tossed Spinach salad, and fresh baked dinner rolls (from the freezer–Utah brand at Blairs).
Winter Savoy Cabbage with Carrot: SIMPLE TO MAKE— put boiling water on a big burner on the stovetop, and a large cast iron skillet on another burner. Cut a head of cabbage, or a half of a large head, into thin slices. Grate a large carrot (or 4 depending on size and amount of cabbage) into the boiling water, and then add the sliced cabbage. Boil carrots and cabbage for 6 minutes.
Meanwhile add sliced Polish Sausage into skillet and brown on medium heat while cabbage is boiling. (If dry, add a little olive oil)
Drain cabbage and carrot, and add into the large skillet with the cooked sausage. Salt and pepper, add 4 T heavy cream or whole milk, 3-4 T butter, and a pinch of nutmeg. When butter is melted, toss to mix all seasonings and coat the cabbage/carrot Mix.Cook 3-4 more minutes to blend flavors. (Donot overcook.) Serve immediately.
Savoy Winter Cabbage is sweet and steaming or cooking brings out the flavor and helps to tenderize it. Whereas I prefer the green cabbage cooked in wedges or broiled until slightly browned or crisped, the Savoy is better not cooked that long.
Why eat cabbage anyway? According to whfoods.org, a food information non-profit, cabbage is one of two vegetables found to be a mainstay for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Root crops are the second vegetable. (Check the information out–57,000 folks in Denmark and the study linked the outcome to their consumption of fish, rye bread, oatmeal, apples and pears, root vegetables, and CABBAGE!)
Cabbage has nearly 20 different flavonoids and 15 different phenols, all of which have antioxidant activities. This means that the phytonutrients in cabbage equal a whole lot more health benefits to prevent other diseases and conditions. (Did I mention cabbage is a member of the Brassica’s? You’ve heard me rant about them!)
Red Cabbage is high in anthocyanin’s, a powerful antioxidant, studied in cancer research and credited for cancer prevention. Red cabbage can be grated into your winter tossed salad, or added to the green cabbage coleslaw for color and added nutrition. It can be steamed or cooked, too, with a little of the color fading.
Cabbage in a good source of sinigrin…yes, new word for me, too! Sinigrin is one of the cabbage’s sulfur-containing glucosinolates that also has to do with the prevention of specific cancers. Sulfur in a mineral that we seem to be lacking with our current American diet. Prior to the advent of antibiotics, most of the effective drugs were sulfa drugs. I don’t want to quote out of context so read about sinigrin at whfoods.org–an interesting read!
Cabbage is cheap food! Ours at The Bee is $.50-$.65/#–unheard of! At the store this time of year it can run over $1/#. Keeps well in a cool fridge, and a large head can be shredded and put in ziploc bags for convenience, or carved for several meals during the month.
We have several different cabbage recipes posted on our Recipe page at http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com .
Check it out! Besides the cabbage, we have carrots, Daikon radishes (both a root crop and a Brassica), onions, potatoes, winter squash, and Sunchokes at The Bee. We have 10-15 Blue Hubbard squashes here at The Farm–$.40/#, high in vitamin A and C and other nutrients good for getting us through the winter months–
The Farmer’s Wife
You must be logged in to post a comment.