1. Cooking Fresh
CABBAGA
By Carol J. Butler
WfTH DEscRtPTIVES such as basic,
sturdy, and compact, cabbage may very well be
considered the wallflower of vegetables.
Purchased by the head and almost always hanging
around, choice cabbage has unblemished leaves
making up hard, tightly packed spheres, the
heavier the better. But as with so many things of
real value, it's whatt inside that counts, and when
fall is upon us and cabbage is at its best, you
might find it worth your while to take a second
look. A member of the cruciferous family,
cabbage boasts almost twice the cancer-fighting
phytonutrients compared to other vegetables,
especially when not over-cooked. It contains so
much vitamin C that Dutch sailors once relied on
the fermented version, known as sauerkraut, to
stave offscurvy. It was considered a cure-all by the
Greeks and Romans, who ate it in large quanti-
ties, and the pickled version known as bimchi is
currently hailed as Koreat national dish.
Cabbage as we know it derives from a wild
plant akin to kale, with leaves loosed and not
shaped into a head. Napa and Celery Cabbage
stay true to this heritage, slim and elongated in
body with mostly white, ruffled leaves. Other
varieties such as pah choi or bok choy, (choy
meaning "greens" in Cantonese), are not always
considered "true" cabbage and are actually types
of Chinese chard. Red, green, and savoy are your
three main types of head cabbage, with leaves
ranging from shiny and green to crinkly and white. The red varieties with their deep purple leaves offbr six to eight times more
vitamin C and can be used interchangeably with green, but will discolor whatever they are cooked with. The compound antho-
cyanin that gives it such an alluring hue can also change to an odd blue when cooked in water, so be sure to add a teaspoon of
something acidic, such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine. Even if you forget and add it afterwards, the agent will still usually
restore the original color. It just goes to show that even the humblest vegetable among us is capable of looking and tasting good,
if given a bit of tender loving care.
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Do Slice: Chopping or slicing cabbage releases its anti-carcinogenic agents. To get the maximum health benefits, enjoy
raw or allow the cabbage to rest 5-10 minutes after slicing before cooking, then stir-fry or steam lightly.
Dorlt Buy Shredded: The vitamin C content of this vegetable is greatly compromised if pre-shredded and stored for days,
so it pays to buy fresh from your local growers and cut it to size yourself.
Do Buy Organic: As with any crucifer plants, cancer-fighting phytonutrient levels in cabbage are much higher in those
organically grown as compared to those not.
FALL 2O1O edible TWIN CITIES