Happy St Patrick's Day Cabbage

I find it very interesting to see how we Americans take festive or historical days from other cultures and give them our own spin and importance, Cinco de Mayo for example.
Today we celebrate another of these adaptive holidays, St. Patrick's Day. While lots of people will be celebrating with sometimes raucous parades and lots of green beer, some of us frugal types will relish the opportunity to buy some of those "Irish staples"--cabbage, potatoes and corned beef--at their lowest annual prices.

Several years ago, the New York Times carried an article that praised the lowly cabbage and gave some suggestions for using this versatile vegetable. Before we get to the many options I have here on the blog, you might want to check that item out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/dining/12vege.html?ref=dining

For now, I have once again stocked up, buying as many heads of cabbage that I could store in my refrigerator and garage "root cellar." Kept cold, cabbage will stay fresh and ready to eat for weeks, so I can be assured of a supply for salads, soups, and more.

Use the Search box above to find all the many entries for cabbage-containing dishes I have included over the years. Or just go to one or more of the few selected links below:

Cole Slaw
First, whas it probably the most frequent use for cabbage today, cole slaw. The following post includes the non-creamy kind of slaw with no mayo. It's a great piquant side for sandwiches or "casserole" main dishes.
http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-best-cole-slaw-ever.html

 
Maybe this year you could make corned beef sandwiches (on rye of course) with a side of cole slaw instead of the "traditional" corned beef and cabbage that many people really don't like.



Soup
Another old standby for cabbage is as an ingredient in vegetable soups. Here, the variations are endless, and you could start by just adding finely shredded cabbage to your favorite soup recipe, along with the vegetables that need up to an hour of cooking. Use a little if you are trying to introduce your family to this "new" addition and more as you begin to find out how much added good flavor the cabbage provides.

The soup found at the following link is a surprising one if you think of cabbage as only a smelly, slimy side your mother forced you to eat. Here, the combination of squash, cabbage, and onions results in a flavorful soup that will have everyone coming back for seconds. As a vegan option with lots of bright-colored vegetables, it's a nutritious power house as well.
http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2015/03/sweet-and-simple-vegetable-soup.html

This Potato Soup post includes cabbage only down in the bottom list of variations; I think I would move it up to a more prominent place if I were to write the entry again. In fact, I just made the clam chowder variation this week with several cups of finely shredded cabbage included, and it was a winner.
http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2015/02/basic-potato-soup-with-lots-of.html

And then there is this soup, made with lots of "leftover" vegetables and beans. While the recipe calls for just a cup of shredded cabbage, I almost always include at least double that amount. Again, as noted in the comments, this is just a starting guide for making wonderful soups using the foods you have in your kitchen at any given time.
http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2014/05/rainy-day-soup-weather.html

No beans? Then let's try barley as an added, vegetarian, protein boost.
http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2014/05/black-bean-and-barley-vegetable-soup.html



Sides
Not ready for soup? How about this?
http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2015/04/curried-cabbage-and-carrots.html




Well, you get the point. Cabbage is something that can be a great addition to your menus, now or any time of year.  So pick up a head or two and start shredding away!

 

Still to come:  Stuffed Cabbage! With all these wonderful outer leaves, I am ready to spend the weekend preparing several batches to pop in the freezer. Watch for it here on the blog soon.

Best. Cole Slaw. Ever

Okay, so maybe t"the best cole slaw ever" is just a little too emphatic, but this recipe is one that I have been making for decades, and it always is greeted with acclamation and requests for the recipe. Now that I have a stockpile of cabbages from the St Patrick's Day sales, I have made a huge batch for a couple of dinners for others this week.

First, the original from a Midwestern church cookbook my mother had in her large collection. Unfortunately I didn't write down the specific title when I completed the now stained and faded recipe card. Since this makes such a large batch, I am also providing an adjusted version that is the
amount I usually use. However, you may want to go ahead and make a large batch while you have the processor or cutting board out, since this keeps in the refrigerator for as long as two weeks.

This can also be frozen. Be aware that, after thawing, the frozen slaw will have a slightly softer texture, almost reminiscent of good quality sauerkraut. Still a very refreshing, and slightly crunchy, salad with fish or lots of other meats.  (The photo at the top was taken after the slaw had been frozen.)

Overnight Cabbage Salad

1 large head cabbage
1 large or two medium bell peppers
1 large Bermuda onion











Grate together and cover with 3/4 c sugar and set aside.

Meanwhile, mix together in pan and bring to a boil:

• 1 c vinegar--I usually use cider vinegar
• 2 T sugar
• 1 t celery seed
• 3/4 c oil
• 1 T salt
• 1 t dry mustard

Pour over cabbage while still hot. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but best after being refrigerated overnight.
Serves 10 to 12.
(If you are looking for more specific amounts, use 4 to 4 1/2 pounds of cabbage, and a total of about 1 1/4 pounds of onions and peppers.)

Refrigerator Cole Slaw

6 to 7 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 c diced bell pepper--use a mixture of colors or 1 whole pepper of your choice
1 c finely chopped onion
1/3 to 1/2 c sugar, to taste
1/2 c cider or wine vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 t celery seed
1/3 c olive or canola oil
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t dry mustard OR 1 T prepared yellow mustard

1.  Combine the cabbage, bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle the sugar over the vegetables and set aside.

2.  Combine the vinegar, tablespoon of sugar, celery seeds, oil, salt, and mustard in a small saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil and immediately pour over the cabbage mixture.

3. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Variations

• Add in 1 to 2 cups shredded carrots and/or diced celery.
• Substitute dill seed for celery seed. If desired, a few sprigs of fresh dill can also be added.
• While red cabbage may add lots of color, do NOT add to this mixture, as the dressing will cause its color to bleed into the entire recipe. If you want to use red cabbage for color, finely shred a small amount and stir it in just before serving. 

Non-creamy Cole Slaw

Over the weekend I mentioned my latest trip to the local farmers' market, including reference to a 5 pound half cabbage. Well, that was an estimate; when I pulled out the scale to get the real weight, that half weighed in at a whopping 6 pounds, 14 ounces--really glad I didn't buy the whole head!

 With this much cabbage, I will have plenty of cole slaw and stir fry base for a few weeks. Cabbage is a wonderful vegetable for storing, with a refrigerated shelf life that can almost extend into months. For now, however, I have plans that will use this pretty quickly, starting with a vinaigrette style cole slaw that can be made in large quantities for a week of cook-outs, hamburger lunches, fish fries, etc.

The original recipe (with a lot more sugar!) came from a Midwestern church cookbook my mother had received from a neighbor many years ago. I spent a few weeks with Mom as she recovered from foot surgery and much of the time was spent going through her collection and copying likelyy sounding recipes. Many of those weathered cards are still a core of my own collection 40 years later.

Overnight Cole Slaw

1 large head cabbage (I have found that this amount of dressing works for 8 to 10 cups of shredded or grated cabbage)
1 Bermuda or other sweet onion
1 large green bell pepper
2/3 c sugar
Dressing:
1 c cider or wine vinegar
2 T sugar
1 t celery or dill seed (opt)
2/3 c canola oil
1 T salt
1 t dry mustard
1 to 2 sprigs of fresh dill, chopped (opt)

1.  Shred or grate cabbage and onion, either with a knife or using a food processor. Chop the pepper into small cubes.
2.  Put the vegetables in a bowl and cover with the 2/3 cup sugar. Set aside while making the dressing.
3.  Combine all dressing ingredients (except fresh dill if used) in a small saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil. While still very hot, pour over the cabbage mixture. Stir well. Mix in the fresh dill if being used.
4.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours or over night.

This recipe is easily cut in half.

NOTES:
Though red bell peppers can provide a lovely color contrast,  they may "bleed" into the dressing, leaving the salad quite unattractive. If you want to use red peppers here,  plan to stir them in right before serving.

And, yes, red cabbage definitely will "bleed" and change the color of the entire salad, so skip this recipe for red cabbage--unless you use only red cabbage. I've never tried that so can't tell you what the results would be for an all red slaw.

On a frugal note:  No matter how much cabbage you use in making this, there will invariably be a lot of dressing left in the bottom of the bowl. This can actually be a good thing, as this flavored "vinaigrette" can become a light dressing for greens from the garden, for cucumbers, etc.