Good bye February

It's a short month so here in short are a few ways to kiss it good bye with ingredients that belong to the moment: winter squash, potatoes, chickpeas, apples and bananas. They'll soon be gone too as we move into spring greens and the solstice of March. So send them off in style with a sweet finale.

But first a word about butter. I've been asked why I always state unsalted butter especially in baking recipes. It's because salted butter contains lots of water thanks to the salt and that water will weaken your baking batters. Unsalted butter is solid butter.

Ottoman chickpea pilaf with gold leaf

not my photo

This is from my wide world chickpea recipe collection. History has it the Ottoman emperors served this dazzling with solid gold balls the size of the chickpeas. Today we can go to an Indian food emporium and get gold leaf for the same effect. You can simply put it in a glittery bowl or ignore the glitter and just enjoy a very healthy hearty dish.

Serves 4

1 cup drained cook chickpeas
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 med white onion, diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika or ground Aleppo pepper
1 full cup long grain rice, rinsed and drained (Basmati works well here)
2 1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Put the chickpeas in a bowl with the cumin and Aleppo pepper and roll them around to coat them.
In a heavy gauge casserole or pan with a lid, over med heat melt the butter and oil, stir in the onion and sauté  5-7 minutes until it's soft. Lower the heat if necessary so you don't burn it.  Add the rice, chickpeas and broth. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to low/simmer, partly cover the pot and simmer 10 minutes or until almost all the water has been absorbed.

Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a clean dry dish towel and put the lid tightly on top to seal the pan closed. Let the rice steam this way 10 minutes. Remove the lid, towel and fluff up the rice with a fork before serving. To serve you can add pieces of the edible gold leaf.

Winter Squash and Potato Gratin

I've still got gratins to go after that large posting in January. This is probably the lightest of them so a good way to ease out.
serves 4

1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1½" chunks
1 acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1½" chunks
Salt
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thickly sliced

3 tbsp unsalted butter

½ tsp dried rosemary leaves

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 sm red onion, sliced into thin rings
Freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp ground cardamom
1 c whole milk
2 c grated Gruyère

½ tsp paprika
 

Preheat oven to 400°. Put the cut squashes into a large pot, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until squash are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well, pressing out any excess water.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp butter in a med skillet over med heat. Add potatoes and sauté over low heat 5 min to soften. Lightly salt.  Remove from the skillet and arrange on the bottom of a medium, deep baking dish. Sprinkle with rosemary. Melt the other tbsp. butter in the skillet over med/low heat.  Add the onion slices and sauté 3-5 min until they’re soft. Put them on top of the potatoes along with any butter left in the skillet.
 

Put squash in a large bowl and mash coarsely with a potato masher. Add the garlic, cardamom, salt and pepper to taste and blend. Arrange the mashed squash evenly on top of the potatoes and onions. Pour milk evenly over top and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Sprinkle the paprika on top.

Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Butternut squash noodles in cream sauce with mushrooms and leeks

For the gluten-free and calorie counters, noodles of squash. I found them in the supermarket and decided to give them a go as a spaghetti substitute. Cream sauce seemed the best dressing, partly because it's hospitable to those classy winter vegetables: leeks and mushrooms.  The final product was a very tasty vegetarian dish!
serves 4

1 package (12-16 oz) butternut squash noodles
3 tbsp olive oil
1 sm/med leek, cleaned and sliced into thin rings, halved
8 shiitake or cremoni mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
3 tbsp pine nuts
1 sm red onion, sliced into thin rings, halved
1 heaping tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/2 c flat leaf parsley, finely chopped as optional garnish

for the cream sauce:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2  c half n half, at room temperature or heated to make this easier
1/2 c grated or shredded mozzarella cheese
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the squash noodles.
While waiting for a pot to boil, put olive oil in a med skillet and heat over med heat. Add leeks, onions an pine nuts. Stir to coat with the oil and sauté 2 min. Add mushrooms, rosemary, sage, and red pepper flakes and continue to sauté over low heat, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks.

Boil the noodles 4-5 minutes. Put them in your serving boil a bit wet and pour the skillet contents over  them. Salt and pepper everything to your taste. Cover while you make the sauce.

In a heavy bottom pot, melt the butter on med/low heat. Stir or whisk in the flour (shake it through a strainer to avoid clumps), use low heat and stirring constantly cook  to a bubbly paste, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir or whisk in the half n half, stirring away. Bring the sauce to a boil. Add the nutmeg and cloves and cook another 2 minutes, carefully not to brown it, just thicken it. Add cheese and remove from heat. Stir to melt the cheese and pour over the hot noodles with veggies. Garnish optionally with parsley.

Fennel and Orzo Salad

This is an old favorite, still simple and satisfying and especially helpful to our bodies because of the citrus. I didn't include it earlier with the other colorful fruity winter salads because I had so many new ones. It's extra special about  above the others as great kid stuff.

Serves 4-6 depending on how much you like it.

2 fennel bulbs, cleaned and chopped, greens too

1 2/3 cups orzo (about ½ lb)

3 seedless mandarins, or clementines, peeled and pulled apart

1 lemon

½ lime

16-20 pitted prunes, coarsely chopped

3-4 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

salt to your taste

Put a few of the fennel fronts aside to chop for garnish.

 Cook the orzo according to package instructions, until just al dente.

 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small skillet and sauté the chopped fennel 4-5 minutes. Midway, add the garlic and blend.  Pour the contents of the skillet into a salad bowl. Add the mandarins and prunes and blend.

Remove the zest from half the lemon and dice it. Add to the salad. Juice the lemon and lime, mix and add to the salad.

Drain the orzo. Salt to your taste. Add to the salad

Stir to blend everything.

 Chop the reserved fennel fronds and top the salad.

Refrigerate an hour before serving.

Apple Mousse
This is an old French recipe I've had in the clip file for decades. It's from the late Madeleine Kamman who introduced French home cooking to America and it's been included in many recipe collections. In essence it's gussied up applesauce which means it's a cinch to make, is kid friendly and serves the gluten-free folks. It's not as easy as pie; it's easier. My addition is the candied ginger. Madeleine Kamman used candied (glacé) oranges.
serves 4-6
 3lb McIntosh apples (about 8 lg)
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar (granulated or turbinado)
1/2 lemon, rind only, grated
pinch of salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
sm cinnamon stick (or break a larger one in half)
3 tbsp Calvados or apple brandy (if you don't have it use cognac or hard cider)
1 c heavy cream
candied ginger slices

Peel, core and slice the apples. Put them into a large heavy saucepan. Add the water, sugar, lemon rind and salt. Cover tightly, bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook until the apples are soft. Check and stire once or twice to prevent sticking. Add the butter and cinnamon stick. Continue to cook over low heat or simmer, this time uncovered until the mixture is very thick like a paste. Cool, then chill overnight or at least 4 hours.

To serve: stir in the Calvados or equivalent. Whip the cream until it is thick but not stiff in peaks. Fold it into the chilled applesauce and chill again at least 30 minutes.  Arrange the candied ginger slices on top.

Gone Bananas Cake

not my photo

Tiz the time of year many folks go bananas so here you go. It is not banana bread. This is a bonanza filled with soul warming toasted pecans, coconut and dates. It's such a winner in my bakery we often  put it in regular cake pans, iced it and used it for weddings and birthdays. My recipe is so stained I can hardly read it, a sign of much it was used. This version is the original no icing bundt cake so it's simpler.
This fills a 10" (lg) bundt pan which means it can serve up to 10.
It also freezes.

1 c pecan halves
1 c chopped fresh pitted dates
1 c shredded coconut
2 1/2 c all purpose unbleached flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp grouind cardamom
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 lg ripe bananas
1 stick (4 oz/1/2 c) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c sugar (granulated or turbinado)
2 extra lg eggs
1/4 c buttermilk

Position oven rack to lower third of the oven. Preheat to 375º. Butter and lightly flour a 10" bundt pan.
(If you use a cake pan be careful o bake it longer to get the center cooked.)

Toast the pecans for 5 minutes while the oven is heating.
In a med bowl, combine the pecans, dates and 1 tbsp flour. Stir to coat.
In another bowl, mash the bananas by hand or mixer. You need to have 1 3/4 c.

In a large mixer or mixing bowl, cream the butter til it's fluffy. Add vanilla and sugar and beat to blend for 1 min. One at a time add the eggs, beating as you go.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and spices. With the mixer on lowest speed, add half of this mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Then pour in the buttermilk, and finally the rest of the dry mix. Scrap the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to incorporate everything. Add the mashed bananas and beat just enough to blend them in. Fold in the coconut, dates and pecans, distributing them evenly in the batter. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and shake the pan to distribute it. Level the top with a spatula. Bake at 375º 60-70 min until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in the pan 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely, Transfer to a serving plate. You can serve this as is or you can "ice'" it with very thick Greek yogurt into which you blend 2 tbsp confectioner's (powdered) sugar. You can also dribble cream cheese frosting all over it.

Danish Cardamom Coffee Cake
Treats don't get more buttery and yummy than this traditional coffee cake. It warms the heart and lifts the spirit. It also freezes quite well and makes a lovely hostess gift or potluck contribution.
Makes 1 large loaf

1/2 lb unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 c granulated sugar
1 c currants (soak them in rosewater if you can for 5 minutes otherwise in orange juice)
1 lemon, rind only, finely grated
1 orange, rind only, finely grated
1 tbsp ground cardamom
1 tsp vanilla (give it the best you've got)
2 c unbleached all purpose white flour
2 tsp baking powder
6 extra large eggs
2 tbsp granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp grouind ginger

Preheat oven to 350º.  Butter a large loaf pan.
In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar til light and fluffy. One by one add the eggs beating as you go. Add vanilla, lemon and orange rinds and blend in.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and cardamom. Quickly put this into the west ingredients mixing only enough to blend. Do not over mix/beat. Scoop the batter in the buttered pan, distribute it evenly and level the top.

In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp sugar with the nutmeg and ginger. Sprinkle this over the top of the loaf. Bake in the center of the oven 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes. Use a small spatula around the edges to loosen before removing it from the pan. Invert it, catch it and turn it upright on your serving plate or wire rack to cool further.

NOTE: I hope this carries you into March. I am taking a short break and will be bake in 10 days lean and green in time for St. Patrick's Day and Spring Solstice.

Spilling the Beans

It's harder and harder to come by fresh food so now is the time to count on beans. And why not? They're nutritious and delicious and of course sustainable. Good for you every which way. Plus you can buy them already cooked and canned so you can whip up something glamorous in no time at all. Sorry, not a lot of photos for this.

Beans and Romaine Lettuce
This is a very old Roman Jewish dish which combines protein and calorie laden beans with a light vegetable like lettuce.
serves 4-6
2 c  cooked cannellini or great northern beans, drained
2 heads Romaine lettuce
1/3 c olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper to your taste
salt to your paste
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste

Wash lettuce thoroughly and dry. Shred it into thin strips.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add garlic and sauté on med/low heat 2-3 minutes until it is golden. Add lettuce, sage. rosemary, oregano, crushed pepper flakes, salt and pepper and parsley.  Sauté on low heat 8-10 minutes to soften the lettuce. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add the beans. Cover the pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes shaking the pot from time to time so nothing sticks. The final product should be thick and flavorful. If it looks too dry during cooking add a few tbsp water or veg broth.

Black-Eyed Peas with Sausage
Beans and greens with meat, all the food groups!
Serves 4

¼ cup olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 lg garlic clove, minced
1 med/lg carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery rib, cleaned and diced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped with their juice (canned or boxed is okay)
1 lb linguica or luganega or bratwurst, or other sweet sausage
1 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked in boiling water for at least 1 hour
4 kale leaves, stems removed and leaves chopped
Salt and pepper to your taste
2 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

Heat olive oil in a cast iron or enameled iron casserole. Add onion and sauté over medium low heat until onion is soft and golden. Add garlic and sauté 60 seconds. Add carrots and celery, blend well and cook about 5 minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes with all their juice, lower heat to simmer and cook very slowly for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350º.
Puncture the sausage skins with a fork in several places. Then slice them into 1” pieces. Add to the pot and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas. Add to the pot and blend. Add the chopped kale and blend. Add 2 cups liquid (broth and water or all water) to cover everything. Cover and bring to a steady simmer on the top of the stove. Then put in the center of the oven and cook at 350º for 90 minutes or until the black-eyed peas are tender. Check from time to time to be sure there is enough liquid. Add ¼ cup of warm water at a time if needed.

If there is fat from the sausages on top, tip the pot over the sink to remove it.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as you like it.
Stir in the chopped parsley to serve.

This can be made ahead and reheated in the oven at 250º or on top of the stove on simmer.
Serve with a fennel or citrus salad.

Palestinian Black-Eyed Peas with Chard and Lemon

not my photo

Here's a vegetarian version of beans and greens. 

Serves 4

For the beans

1 leek

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves

¼ tsp chili powder or chopped dried chilli

2 cans black-eyed peas

pinch ground allspice

1 c veg broth

pinch of ground nutmeg

½ unwaxed lemon

½ lb bunch green or rainbow chard

For the herb smash

l 1g bunch fresh cilantro

2 green chilies

2 garlic cloves

¼ c shelled walnuts

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup 
2 tbsp good quality olive oil

 juice of 1/2 lemon

Put the veg broth in a pot and bring to a boil. Get all your ingredients together. Put a large saucepan on the stove.

Wash and finely slice the leek. Add to the saucepan with a tablespoon of olive oil and cook for a couple of minutes until soft and sweet. Finely slice the garlic and add with the chili powder or dried chili and cook 2-3 minutes, until the garlic begins to brown. Add black-eyed peas with their liquid, a pinch of allspice and the boiling veg broth. Bring to a simmer. Add nutmeg, squeeze in the juice of half the lemon, add the squeezed lemon half to the pan and lower heat to simmer. Cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, strip the leaves from the chard stalks. Finely slice the stalks and add them to the pan, then finely shred the leaves and put to one side.

Put all the ingredients for the herb smash into a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth grassy paste. Season well with salt and pepper.

Once the black-eyed peas are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick soup-like consistency, stir in the chard leaves, season well with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Scoop into deep bowls and spoon over the herb smash.

Macedonian Bean Soup

This is as colorful as it is flavorful. I can't find my photo but memory says the red and orange pepper stand out with the black olive
Serves 6
1 lb dried white beans (Great Northern, Kidney, navy, cannellini)
2 med/lg carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery with leaves, diced
1 lg onion, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper
1 tsp dried sage
3½ cups vegetable broth
3 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, roasted and peeled
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (Balsamic is too strong)
5-6 tbsp olive oil
18-20 pitted Kalamata olives, slivered
Salt to your taste
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pick over the beans. Soak in enough water to cover and refrigerate overnight.

Roast the peppers. Remove stems, skin membrane and seeds. Chop into small ¼” cubes. Combine peppers, vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil in a glass or ceramic small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the beans. Put in a large pan, cover well with cold water and bring to a boil.
Boil for 5 minutes. Drain well.

In a large, heavy gauge pot, heat enough olive oil 4-5 tbsp to cover the bottom. Add carrots, celery, onion, black pepper and sage. Sauté on low heat for 2 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in the beans. Add broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1½ hours until beans are tender.

Drain peppers. Add peppers and olives to the warm soup. Add salt to your taste and finally the lemon juice.
Serve immediately. Great with an arugula salad, crusty bread and soft cheese.

PInto Beans with Bacon, Chilies and Cilantro

not my photo

A different flavor group and coloring that begs to be served with corn tortillas, guacamole, fried plantains and sour cream for one fabulous goodbye to February meal.
serves 6
1 lb pinto beans
4 oz pork shoulder, cut into 1/2" cubes
8 thick slices bacon cut into 1/2" pices
1 med onion, diced
2 lg fresh poblano chilies, roasted and peeled, seeded and chopped
1 15 oz can tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2-1 tsp chili powder, to your taste
Salt to your taste
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Pick over the beans to be sure they're clean. Rinse and put in a large pot. Add 2 qts boiling water and soak one hour. (This is the fast track.) Drain.

Put the beans back in the pot with 2 fresh quarts water. Add pork and bring to a boil. Poartly cover the pot, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally until beans are tender, 45-60 minutes. You'll have to check.

Meanwhile fry bacon over med/low heat until crisp. Remove from pan, Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the fat, Use that to sauté onion and chili over med heat until golden brown, about 8 min. Stir in tomatoes and cook until all liquid is gone.

Add the tomato mixture, bacon and spices to the bean pot. Add salt and simmer, stirring occasionally 20-30 min until everything is blended and hot. You can now puree 1 c of beans to make this thicker if you like. To serve stir in the chopped cilantro.

Puerto Rican Arroz Con Gandules (Pigeon Peas)

This is a tasty version of rice and beans using the round pigeon pea.

1 tbsp olive oil
¼ lb roasted pork, cubed
½ green bell pepper, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ yellow onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground annatto seed
3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano
1½ c medium grain rice
1 can (15 oz.) green pigeon peas, aka gandules
4 oz. tomato sauce
¼ cup manzanilla olives stuffed with pimentos, sliced
1 12 c vegetable broth

Heat oil in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook until brown, about 5 min. Stir in peppers and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, scraping up brown bits from bottom, until vegetables are soft and translucent, 10 min. Add coriander, annatto, garlic, cilantro and oregano. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add rice to pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until coated in oil and toasted, maybe 1 min.
Stir in pigeon peas, tomato sauce, olives and veg broth. Stir once and bring rice mixture to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until liquid has evaporated, about 10 min. Gently stir rice from bottom up.

Cover pot. Lower heat to med/low and cook until rice is tender, about 15 min. Remove from heat. Gently fluff rice with fork. Let it stand covered 5 min before serving.

 

Cabbage Patch

Moving past the glam of Valentine's Day to the noticeably thinning resources of our farmers' market brings us to cabbages in all their colors and nutritional glory. Cabbages offer protection from cancer, especially breast and colon. (Red cabbage has the more powerful antioxidants.) The juice is anti-inflammatory and can calm ulcers. The whole package is rich in Vitamins K, B6 and C, as well as omega fatty acids.  So load up while you can, reprising the green cabbage recipes for St. Patrick's Day when cabbage typically cooked with corned beef is traditional fare. And don't think cabbage has to be doughty; these recipes bring glam to the gloom of February. (I posted a cabbage, bean and sausage soup two weeks back so you can add it to this medley.)

Braised Red Cabbage with Chestnuts, Apples and Smoked Meats

not my photo

A handsome, hearty party dish that's a great alternative to the traditional choucroute garni (sauerkraut, aka fermented cabbage) because it has no potatoes or other starch. It shows off the affinity cabbage has for apples. Despite the long list of ingredients, it's a snap to pull together.

serves 6-8

2 heads red cabbage

1 sm can unsweetened chestnut meats

2 lg yellow onions, peeled and chopped

2 tsp juniper berries

1 tsp caraway seed

1 tbsp celery seed

1 tbsp dried thyme leaves

1/2 c dry white wine

3 lg Granny Smith apples, washed, peeled and cored

1 lb smoked sausage of your choice, cut into 1" thick disks

1/2 lb smoked ham, cut into 1 1/2" cubes

1 lb pork tenders, cut into thin strips

1 hot sausage or chorizo, cut into thin disks

2 beef knockwurst, cut into 2" disks

1/2 c apple cider

1 lemon, juice only

olive oil for the pan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Core and shred the cabbages. Generously coat the bottom of a large heavy lidded casserole with the olive oil and heat over medium. Add onion, juniper berries, celery and caraway seeds, thyme and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté over med/low heat until onion is soft, 3-5 min. Add the pork, knockwurst, sausages and ham. Brown the meats over med heat. Then deglaze the pan with 1/4 c wine.

Cut the apples into thin wedges. Add to the casserole pan with the cabbage, remaining wine, cider and chestnut meats. Add 1/2 the lemon juice and blend everything. Cover the pan and cook on low heat 30 min or until cabbage is very soft and tender. Season with salt and the remaining lemon juice and extra black pepper to your taste. Keep on simmer until ready to serve with a crunchy green salad.

Hot Green Cabbage and Bacon Salad

not my photo

This recipe comes from the Auvergne region of south central France where it's called Emince de choux verts aux lardons. A warm salad is unique in the US but should be very welcome on these winter days.

serves 6

1/2 med green cabbage, core removed

6 oz slab bacon, cut into bite-size cubes

1/2 c red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Cut cabbage into long thin shreds (not in a processor). Pile them into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let it sit 15 minutes. While it does, in a large deep skillet, cook the bacon chunks over medium heat, stirring, until they are crisp. Turn the heat higher and turn on your fan. Stand back, look away and pour the vinegar into the pan. It will billow smoke. When it stops, add cabbage and turn it over to coat in the liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally. The cabbage should be slightly wilted but still slightly crisp. Serve immediately with a cup of tomato soup and hot crusty bread.

Cabbage Tart

not mine/uses red cabbage

I have a version of this in Veggiyana, The Dharma of Cooking so I'm posting another version here. The difference is that in the book it's a crisp--no crust so no fuss; here it has pie crust which you can make yourself or buy. The photo, not mine, used red cabbage. You can use green too.

serves 6

For the crust if you choose to make your own and not buy one

1 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into bits

2 lg egg yolks, lightly beaten with 2 tbsp ice water

raw rice or weights to bake the shell empty

In a lg bowl or processor, combine flour, salt, butter and blend until the mix looks like coarse meal. Slowly add the liquid egg yolks/water, mixing just enough to blend into dough. Add 1 tbsp more water if necessary. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly with your hand, wrap in wax paper and chill 1 hr. 

Roll the dough into a round 1/8" thick and about 12" in diameter. Butter a 10" removable bottom tart pan and press the dough into it. It should be about 1/4" taller than the side of the pan. Prick the bottom lightly with a fork 2-3 times and chill again 30 min.  

Preheat oven to 425º. 

Line the crust with wax paper and fill it with raw rice or pie weights. Bake in the lower part of the oven for 10 min. Remove the rice/weights and waxed paper and continue to bake 8-10 min until it is golden. Cool.

NOTE: If you buy a pre-made crust, do all this with it to bring it up to speed.

For the Cabbage filling

1 lb cabbage red or green, cored and cut into thin shreds

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 extra lg eggs

1 egg yolk

1/4 c sour cream

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c heavy cream

1 tsp caraway seed

1/4 c grated Gruyere cheese

Fill a large pot with salted water, bring to a boil and add the cabbage. Cook 5 min or until cabbage is tender. Drain carefully, squeezing out any excess liquid. 

In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter over med heat, add cabbage and sauté 2 min, stirring so it absorbs the butter. Add salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

While it does, preheat oven to 350º.

in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, sour cream, a pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper and finally the heavy cream.  

Spoon the cabbage into the cooling crust and sprinkle on the caraway seed. Pour the cream mixture over it. Top with the cheese. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and put in the middle of the oven to bake 30 min or until the liquid has gelled. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the rim to serve.  You can serve warm or at room temperature. Great with a colorful citrus salad.

Cabbage and Beans
From Italy where they know a thing or two about flavor. You can serve this with grilled Italian sausages or, if you are vegetarian you could spoon it over cooked fregola or with polenta.
serves 6 

 3 tbsp olive oil
3 oz prosciutto, cut into thin julienne strips 1" long
3 lg garlic cloves, minced
1 sm onion, diced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lbs savoy cabbage (it's round green), shredded
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 c canned Cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained well
1/3 c fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to your taste (but remember, the prosciutto is salty)

Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet. Add prosciutto, garlic and onion and saute´over med/hi heat until onion is soft and translucent, 3-5 min.  Add crushed pepper flakes and stir to blend. Add cabbage and mix well. 
In a small bowl stir 1 c water into the tomato paste, then pour over the cabbage. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally 20 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Add the beans and 1/4 c parsley to the pan. Cover and cook another 5 minutes to heat the beans thoroughly. Check and adjust salt to your taste.  Boil off any excess liquid. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve hot.


Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

not my photo

This is what you make on a snow day when you have time and hands. You can freeze half for busier times. They actually aren't as much work as they seem because the filling is a cinch to make and it doesn't take long to roll it up in the cabbage leaves. This is the winter Eastern European version with meat and mushrooms. If you are vegetarian I offer an option at the asterisks.
serves 6

1 lg green cabbage (green is more traditional here)
1/2 c olive oil
2 c beef broth
1 c tomato sauce (your own, canned or even marinara spaghetti sauce)
1 tsp dried thyme

for the actual stuffing
1 lb lean ground beef (you can use lamb for a more Mediterranean flavor)**
1 extra lg egg
1 med onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
pinch ground cinnamon
1/3 c mushrooms, finely chopped
3/4 c uncooked white rice (not instant)
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
**if you are vegetarian you can try using 1 cup white beans, 1/4 c raisins and 1/3 c pine nuts.
Core the cabbage. Fill a large pot with water, salt it and bring to a boil. Add the whole cabbage. Boil 5-8 min, then remove from water and drain well. Carefully separate the leaves. When you get to the smaller ones deep inside, use them to line the bottom or a Dutch oven or heavy gauge lidded casserole.

Combine all the stuffing ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  

Lay a few of the largest cabbage leaves in front of you next to the filling bowl. Please a heaping soup spoon of filling into each large leaf.  Fold the leaf ends on either side up over the stuffing and hopefully they meet. Then from an open end roll each leaf up like making a cigar or eggroll. Roll tightly by which I mean not sloppily because you have to leave a little room for the rice to expand as it cooks without ripping open the soft leaves. Continue this process until you've used up all the cabbage leaves.

Arrange the rolls in tight rows in the lined casserole. 
In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, thyme, sour cream and olive oil. Brush or spoon this mixture over the cabbage rolls. Lightly salt and pepper. Pour the beef broth over everything. If it doesn't cover the top of the rolls, add enough water or white wine to get it there. If you had any leftover stuffing sprinkle it around now.     

Cover the rolls with a heavy plate or upside down pot lid to weight them down and simmer over low heat one hour. Remove to a deep platter and spoon the sauce over them to serve. Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped.


Beef and Cabbage Soup from Tashkent
In this soup with a distinctly Central Asian/Russian cast of ingredients, we see cabbage paired with another good friend, the prune.
serves 8

2 lbs beef brisket
3 tbsp corn or sunflower or vegetable oil
5 c water
4 c beef broth/stock
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lg yellow onion, peeled and diced
1/2 med green cabbage, shredded
1 28 oz can tomatoes with juice
2 tbsp tomato paste
10 dried prunes, pitted
1/4 c golden raisins
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
To Serve: Sour cream

Put the oil in a large soup pot and heat over med. Add the brisket and try to brown it on both sides for 3 min each.  Then add the water and beef broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 30 min. Skim off the foam. 

While the meat cooks, in a large skillet, melt the butter over med/low heat and sauté the onion until soft, 3-5 min. Add the shredded cabbage and sauté 5 min to soften it. Add half the canned tomatoes with their juice and cook 10 min over low heat, stirring occasionally.  Then pour the cabbage mixture into the beef pot. Add the remaining tomatoes and their juice. Stir in the tomato paste, prunes, raisins, salt, lemon juice, brown sugar, honey and 1 tbsp fresh dill.  Bring the soup to a boil, lower heat, partially cover the pot and simmer 60-75 min until the meat is very very tender. Remove the hunk of meat from the soup and cut it into bite-size cubes. Return them to the pot and heat thoroughly. 
To serve: add the remaining fresh dill. Put a bowl of sour cream on the table for people to add.