It's day 5 and we still have one last leafy green item to use up - a green cabbage!
I'm getting a bit worried it may be past its best - as Natalie explained untreated veg wilt a lot quicker than the treated supermarket versions we may have come to regard as normal. Still, our cabbage head looks fresh and 'squeaky' once I remove the outer leaves.
Green cabbage... well, that's something I would not normally choose to cook. No idea why, as I can't say I dislike it. But I actually have to go and look up some recipes as I feel clueless - would not have bothered if it wasn't for the veg box.
My first port of call when in need of cooking inspiration is always Nigel Slater. I love his writing, his cooking and most of all, his approach to food - unfussy, down to earth, inspiring, delicious. For veg inspiration I look through his book 'Tender' - a kind of 'grow your own' diary. There are lots of ideas in the cabbage chapter, and I decide to try a version of the 'cabbage soup'.
Ingredients:
from the box: onion, green cabbage, potatoes(I admit the original potato contingent from the box has now run out)
from the cupboard: garlic, olive oil, bay leaf
other (optional): a length of chorizo (spiced Spanish cooking sausage)
How to:
Slice onion and garlic. Wash and finely shred the cabbage.
Add onion and garlic to a pan with a bit of olive oil and soften over medium heat.
Scrub the potatoes, slice thinly and add to the pan, continue cooking for 5 mins or so.
Add water or stock to the pan - enough to cover well. Season with salt, pepper and a bay leaf.
Leave to simmer until potatoes are very soft, then crush into the liquid to thicken the soup.
Add the shredded cabbage to the soup simmer for about 8 mins (add more water if necessary to keep it 'soupy')
Meanwhile slice up a good chunk of chorizo, and fry in a non stick pan until the spicy juices run. Stir the chorizo into the soup and serve.
Even more delicious than I thought. Thumbs up for green cabbage, and for Nigel Slater!
Variation: Add some sauerkraut or kimchi as a condiment for extra zing (and extra gut love) - I know I'm suggesting this quite often, but that stuff really goes with almost anything.
A dollop of yoghurt would give a similar but milder effect, with added creaminess.
Meat free: Slice and fry up a chunk of smoked or spicy tofu instead of the chorizo. Or crumble some feta cheese over the hot soup as you serve it.
Confession: I really would not have cooked a whole cabbage without the box making me to look up recipes. And I found so many great cabbage ideas to try that I need some more cabbage!