Crops & Varieties: Cabbage

Remove outer leaves if they’re looking tired. Cut into quarters and remove core. Young cabbage is milder and sweeter, older cabbage has a more assertive, sometimes spicy flavor.

Amazingly versatile, pretty much any type of cabbage works wonderfully raw, sautéed, simmered, braised, boiled, stir-fried, fermented and pickled. Red cabbages takes a bit longer to cook (it’s somewhat firmer) and when cooked will keep its color best with the addition of wine or vinegar and cookeduncovered.

For a gluten-free, low-carb meal, try cutting it into long shreds and treating it like pasta. Cabbage tastes great in stir-fries or steamed and slathered in butter.

Eat cabbage raw. Do it. Just tear off a leaf and use it as a snack or as a base for smoothies. It's a deeply, wonderfully flavorful food on its own. Also when raw, it’s great when lightly dressed with yogurt and seeds or olive oil and lemon. Whatever manner or recipe employed, cabbage is well served by salt and pepper.  Try a quick cole slaw: grate ¼ head of cabbage and 3 medium carrots, then mix with minced onion, lemon juice, a splash of apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. See below for a more thorough slaw recipe.

Storage