This dependable green keeps skin bright and waists tight by packing bounties of nutrients and healthy antioxidants with its winter-loving leaves.
By Jennie Tai
USE
wine and slice
“My tool for working with cabbage,” says Chef Brian McPherson, “is wine and a razor sharp knife,” such as a 12-inch French Misono. The executive chef of Alexandria’s Jackson 20 and The Grille at Morison House “marinates red cabbage for 72 hours in a Bordeaux-style red wine before I slow braise it … for around 5 to 6 hours for my choucroute.”
DINE
mane course
The lion’s head dish at McLean’s House of Fortune stars giant pork—not the giant cat!—meatballs representing the king of the jungle’s massive dome.
Surrounding the dish are flowing leaves of bok choy, a Chinese cabbage, to symbolize the lion’s long, distinctive mane.
“It’s a dish that originates from the Huaiyang province of eastern China,” says Amy Choua, manager at House of Fortune. “It’s delicious because the bok choy is stewed in juices from the fatty pork meatballs.”
COOK
tweet-cipe
@AmberWPhoto Braised: quarter 1/2 head, bacon fat, fry edges, 350* oven for 2 hours, drizzle excellent balsamic vinegar.
@MrTimRegan Here’s an old family recipe: “Boil cabbage to pile of sludge. Throw away the resulting product. Go to restaurant. Buy dim sum.”
@penneysage Cook 12 oz bacon in pan. Remove bacon, leaving 1/4 c grease. Add & cook finely chopped cabbage til wilted. Top w/ crumbled bacon.
@clross1221 Saute onion, bacon, add cabbage, add cream, simmer, mix with cream cheese mashed potatoes, top with chives.
@mandaMiskabelle shred. cabbage,2T butter,2T soy sauce,1T sugar, 2t sriracha,1t minced garlic. Saute garlic/butter,add remaining, mix, cook 5 min!
BUY
local breeds
“We’re growing two varieties of cabbage this season,” says Sara Guerre, who with her husband Chris, run Vienna’s Maple Avenue Market. The two also own a farm in Great Falls.
“With higher levels of vitamin A and C, the Red Acre cabbage produces a rich reddish-purple head that adds great color to any cabbage dish,” Guerre says. “It’s great to ferment into kraut and slaw.”
The second breed is one “with a milder, sweeter flavor,” says Guerre. “The Savoy Perfection produces beautiful heads of crisp, white hearts and deeply crinkled green leaves that are as eye catching as they are tasty.”
SIP
celeb-thin winter
“Cabbage is a very versatile nutrient-rich vegetable,” says celebrity nutritionist, Lisa DeFazio of Fitperez.com. “It’s high in fiber, low in calories, contains vitamin C and antioxidants that are very beneficial to your health.” To drop pounds fast, DeFazio offers a tip on how to consume less calories without needing to gobble greens for lunch and dinner.
“Make a low calorie soup with cabbage, tomato juice, celery and carrots,” says DeFazio, “If you drink a bowl before dinner, it will fill you up and help you eat less to lose weight faster.”
