“Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education” … Mark Twain. 🙂
Let’s dispense with the college education and cook up some good old fashioned family cabbage recipes.
These recipes come from a book called “Science in the kitchen” published over 120 years ago. I’ve been trawling through to find the best of the recipes that can be incorporated into today’s lifestyles.
They favoured using cream quite a lot, but lower fat alternatives could probably be used. Also it seems they used to do an awful lot of boiling – steaming is probably a healthier option. A little intuition and experimenting may be needed!
Baked Cabbage.
Prepare and chop a firm head of young white cabbage, boil until tender, drain, and set aside until nearly cold. Then add two well-beaten eggs, salt to taste, and a half cup of single cream or rich milk. Mix and bake in a pudding dish until lightly browned.
“This would probably be best baked in a medium preheated oven. The time depends on the size of the dish etc;. I would check it every 10-15 minutes”
Cabbage and Tomatoes.
Boil finely chopped cabbage in as little water as possible. When tender, add half the quantity of hot stewed tomatoes, boil together for a few minutes, being careful to avoid burning, season with salt if desired, and serve. If preferred, a little single cream may be added just before serving.
“I haven’t tried it yet, but I think you could probably use a tin of tomatoes if you haven’t any fresh ones. Heat through first.”
Cabbage Hash
Chop fine, equal parts of cold boiled potatoes and boiled cabbage, and season with salt. To each quart of the mixture add one half or three quarters of a cup of single cream; mix well and boil till well heated.
“Not sure what a ‘quart’ is in todays weights and measures 🙂 but I would suggest adding cream a little at a time, and judging how much you need as you go.”
Chopped Cabbage or Cabbage Salad.
Take one pint of finely chopped cabbage; pour over it a dressing made of three tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a half cup of whipped cream, thoroughly beaten together in the order named; or serve with sugar and diluted lemon juice.
Mashed Cabbage.
Cut a fine head of cabbage into quarters, and cook until tender. When cabbage starts to cook, add 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters. When vegetables are tender, drain through a colander, press out the water and mash very fine. Season with cream, and salt if desired.
Stewed Cabbage.
Chop cabbage quite finely, and boil for about twenty minutes. Turn into a colander and drain thoroughly; return to the pan, cover with milk, and let it boil till perfectly tender; season with salt and cream to taste. The beaten yolk of an egg, stirred in with the cream, is considered an improvement by some.
“Well… I guess there’s all sorts of things you can do with cabbages!”
But before I go, I’d like to share a recipe from my childhood that you can make with leftovers that have been cooled and put in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Bubble & Squeak!
Mix cooked cabbage, chopped finely with cooked mashed potato in a large bowl. Bind with a beaten egg and season with some fresh chopped herbs. Form into balls, flatten and fry in hot oil until cooked on both sides and hot right through. If available, dip in beaten egg and flour before cooking to give a crispier crust.
Bon Appetit!
Linda x
P.S. And for a more modern approach, you may like this …
The Cabbage Cookbook
“The Best Recipes to Help You Get Creative with Cabbage
Whether you enjoy it raw in salads, roasted in olive oil or stuffed with meat and rice, one thing is for sure, cooking with cabbage is a recipe for success!
Discover the 40 best cabbage recipes today!”
healthylivingbooks.org 