December 2, 2007

What to do with: Cabbage

We have been getting cabbage every now and then - another thing that we would almost never buy in the store. Why? No really good reason other than it just wasn't one of those regular veg on our menu like broccoli was. This week we got a cute little wakefield cabbage, a change from the napa cabbage we usually get.

We usually put the cabbage into a stirfry or thinly sliced into a soup. For Thanksgiving, I was charged with bringing a salad, and I used a recipe that came in our weekly CSA box. It called for arugula, mandarin oranges, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and a lemon vinaigrette. It went over really well - but I had way too much vinaigrette. On a whim, I tossed it with some cabbage to make a slaw. And, voila - a fresh, wintry citrus slaw was born.

Citrus Slaw
1 small head of cabbage
2 scallions
1 lemon
2 clementines or mandarins
olive oil - about 1/3 of a cup or less
salt and pepper
pomegranate seeds (optional)

There is no real technique for the salad. I slice the cabbage and scallion. Peel one orange and tear it into two lobes, then slice each lobe in 4. Toss together with pomegranate seeds.

In a separate bowl, combine salt and pepper, juice of one lemon, juice of one clementine and olive oil. Shake or whisk to combine, and toss with cabbage, etc. I like to keep it in a ziploc bag - makes the marinating easy. The slaw should be made a few hours before eating. It's really good the next day.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmmmm. This sounds wonderful.

I never fully appreciated fresh citrus until I moved from Florida. We just paid way too much money for a box of citrus as a local fundraiser, and it kills me to know that the fruit is coming from a farm that is less than 15 miles from our old family grove.

Miche said...

I realized after I posted this that - hello - not everyone can get local citrus! Most people can't. We are too lucky in California to have access to so much. However - I think there is something to be said about buying a large box of citrus from a fundraiser vs. a few trips to a chain store. Your family had a grove - how cool is that???