Napa Cabbage

(This is from The Wife, the one who's been up to her ears in nursing school. But now, I get to focus on my family, our garden, and YUM recipes!)

Last year, Jay introduced me to Napa Cabbage. I looked at the 3- and 4-pound cabbage heads he was bringing into the kitchen and I wondered how we would ever get through that much green. Then came Google. Since then, we've eaten probably 30 different variations on the Napa Cabbage salad.

The great thing about Napa Cabbage is that you can use it in so many ways. The leafy tops are dainty enough that they have the texture of lettuce but a more flavorful bite. The stems are more like a cabbage, great for cole slaw or kimchi. The hardest core can even be used like celery, which,in our house, means filled with peanut butter for a snack.

Our newest recipe is a spin on Paula Deen's Sweet and Spice Coleslaw. Our favorite part: this recipe is one more way to use our Jalapeno Jelly. The salad is best if made a day in advance, but an hour in the fridge would suffice if you are short on time.


Sweet and Sour Coleslaw

6 cups thinly sliced Napa Cabbage
2 apples, peeled, cored, and roughly diced
1/2 cup sugared walnuts
1/3 cup jalapeno pepper jelly
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
pinch pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Combine the jelly, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and cumin in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, stir the apples into the cabbage.
3. Pour the jelly mixture over the cabbage. Refrigerate overnight or at least one hour.
4. Just before serving, stir in the walnuts. Enjoy!

Napa Cabbage

We have been busy!

I finally have some time to take a few pictures, We are really planting like crazy. It is time to move the movable buildings this weekend too!

Lettuce


Mid February planted carrots


Outside Carrots (just coming up)


Radish, Haikuri Turnips, Beets, Onions


Onions in Movable building




Broccoli and Cauliflower in movable building




Outside location, to be moved to this weekend


New plot, 16 by 160


New plot 12 by 100


Peppers will fill this building the first of the week



Late planted Leeks in new movable spot


Potatoes


Potatoes


Leeks and Potatoes


Onions


Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots



Potted tumbling toms, Romaine lettuce, Tomatoes


March 20th planted tomatoes, Bell peppers to be transplanted next week, radishes


More TOmatoes, onions, head lettuce


Cabbage on the outside, haikuri turnips, tomatoes, Napa Cabbage


I think that is about it! We still have 4 more spots to till and plant. Green beans, cucumber, zucchini, sweet potatoes and more.

We have been busy!

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.

Friday's Featured Food: Napa Cabbage