July 2, 2010

Friday's Featured Food: Napa Cabbage

N is for Napa Cabbage. This is a new crop for us, this year. I was impressed by the delicacy of the cabbage leaves, especially compared to the "normal" cabbage. The leaves are light enough that they work well as a salad, replacing lettuce, but can also be eaten in the traditional cabbage recipes, like stuffed cabbage rolls or cole slaw.

The specific variety we grew is called Rubicon. Sounds like an '80s video game to me, but it sure tastes good and grew well in our climate. Jay said he did make one mistake, growing them too close together.
Rubicon Napa cabbage (photo taken mid-May)

Why eat cabbage? It is an excellent source of Vitamin C, which surprised me. I thought its fiber content would be higher, but in fact the fiber is almost nonexistent if you cook it. (For more, go to www.fruitsand veggiesmatter.gov.)

The head of Napa cabbage we picked this week turned into three meals. The first was a delicious salad, courtesy of our Savor the Season grant. Through the grant, we received a series of info cards on specific veggies. The cards include nutritional information, recipes, and how to store the veggies. We have the cards at the Farmers Market, so stop by and pick one up!

The second was a sort of cabbage roll. Once I cut the cabbage for the salad above, the remaining leaves were too small for true cabbage rolls. So, I improvised. I do love improvising in the kitchen, especially when I can walk outside and have my pick of fresh veggies. That recipe is posted here.

The third dish was a Sweet and Sour Cole Slaw. I thought it was too vinegar-y, but I'm a traditionalist and prefer the creamy cole slaw. But, Jay loved it! So, here is the third Napa Cabbage recipe.


  • About 4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons celery seed
  • 1 diced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Place the cabbage leaves in a large  bowl.
  2. Add the bell pepper and onion.
  3. Mix the remaining ingredients. Pour over the cabbage.
  4. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour.

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